New CAO points system

Reforms to Leaving Cert saw introduction of new grade names and bands in time for 2017 exams.

In 2015 the then Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan announced a new CAO points scale which will be used for entry to higher education from 2017.

The old grading system – As, Bs, Cs and so on – ended in 2017 and in its place higher-level grades ranging from H1 to H8 and ordinary grades from O1 to O8 are awarded.

Under the new system, any student who gets 30-39 points – a E grade, or fail, under the old system – will receive points.

Students who secure a D1 grade (50-55 per cent) will be deemed eligible for entry to honours degree courses.

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As a result of the new Leaving Certificate grade scale, the universities and institutes of technology have also introduced revised basic matriculation requirements.

MATRICULATION REQUIREMENTS

* Where the requirements pre-2017 were 5 ordinary level D3 grades, in 2017 these  became 5 O6/H7 grades.

* Where the requirements pre-2017 were 2 higher level C3 grades and 4 ordinary level D3 grades, in 2017 these became 2 H5 and 4 O6/H7 grades.

* Where the requirements pre-2017 were 3 higher level C3 grades and 3 ordinary level D3 grades, in 2017 these became 3 H5 and 3 O6/H7 grades.