Understanding your Leaving Certificate Results

The Leaving Certificate Results Step By Step

Dates for the 2020 results are not yet available. The following information relates to the retrieval of results.

Students who sat the Leaving Cert Exams during the month of June in any calendar year can access their results in two ways:

  1. Go to the school and receive your results in paper format along with your fellow students
  2. Using the candidate self-service portal you can access their results on line
    • You must have pre-registered to access this service
    • To register you will need: A) -your exam number, the number you used for each paper in the actual exams, this was given to you by the school before you sat the exams;  and B) their PIN number, this was also issued by the school before the exams
    • Once you have registered you will then have to create a password which you will need to access the results online

Each grade is awarded a certain amount of points. To calculate the total amount of points you have achieved, you need to decide which are the best six subjects only.

You can then use the below scale to calculate how many points have been awarded for each grade in each of the six best subjects (please make sure that you calculate the points based on the correct level [Higher, Ordinary or Foundation]). You can also go online to either CareersPortal here or to the CAO website here and use an online points calculator.

Reminder: students who sat the Higher Level Maths exam and achieved a H6 or higher add a further 25 points to their total if using Maths as one of your 6 subjects.

Higher Ordinary
Grade Points Grade Points
 H1 100
 H2 88
 H3 77
 H4 66
 H5 56  O1 56
 H6 46  O2 46
 H7 37  O3 37
 H8 0  O4 28
   O5 20
   O6 12
   O7 0
   O8 0
LCVP Points  
Distinction 66  
Merit 46  
Pass 28

After you have received your results and calculated your points, you will need to wait until the CAO First Round Offers are posted. The dates for 2020 are pending, but the below guidance offers a rough outline of the process.

Round 1 Offers

Students who have opted to be sent an email or SMS message from the CAO will receive a message that they have an offer, they then check which one on “My application” .

Others who did not opt for this can go online to “My application”  on the CAO website to check whether they have received an offer.

To access this page the student will need:

  • CAO application number (received when they submitted their choices to the CAO)
  • Their Date of Birth
  • The account password

This short five minute video can help to explain the CAO Offer Process. Additional information is also available on the CareersPortal website.

Please remember that only one offer can be accepted and that this may be a Level 8 or a Level 6/7 offer. The CAO system will not register two acceptances at any one time.

Round 2 Offers

If you did not accept an offer in first round or you are yet to receive an offer,  you may be offered a course in the second round.

If you accepted an offer in the first round, but it was not your 1st choice course, you may be offered a course which is higher up your list of preferences in the second round.

An additional deadline will be set for acceptance of offers made through the second round, and you should be mindful of this so you do not miss an opportunity to accept your course place.

Need advice on appealing your results? Please click here.

High Level Grade

H1 – 100 points
H2 – 88 points
H3 – 77 points
H4 – 66 points
H5 – 56 points
H6 – 46 points
H7 – 37 points
H8 – 0 points

Ordinary Level Grade

O1 – 56 points
O2 – 46 points
O3 – 37 points
O4 – 28 points
O5 – 20 points
O6 – 12 points
O7 – 0 points
O8 – 0 points

A. The completion of the Leaving Cert is a successful milestone in its own right and whatever the outcome, this is a day for congratulations, celebrating achievement and the success of completion. The Leaving Cert can go wrong for lots of reasons but it’s important at this time to keep the focus on looking forward to the next stage of the young person’s career or education.

For those who are disappointed with the results, there is always the option of the appeals process, but there are plenty of alternatives also open to you.

If you are considering repeating the Leaving Cert ask yourself the following questions:

Did you apply yourself enough?
Did you have a good routine?
Did you have good study habits?
Were you organised?
Did you spend too much time with your friends? On Facebook? Twitter? Online?
Did you only start studying seriously too late? Did you take levels that were too hard for you?
Did you feel stressed out?
Did you feel unwell?
Did you eat and sleep well and take care of yourself?
Do you get any pleasure from academic success?
Did you put yourself under too much pressure?
Is study for you?
Do you even want to go to college?
Do you want to try again?
How motivated are you to achieve academically?

It is important to analyse your previous approach to your studies in order to prevent it happening again in the next phase of your life no matter what pathway you choose.

A. There are so many ways to get to your destination that are often overlooked.

While the Leaving Cert is an important end of school exam and does open doors to other options it may not be the only way to directly secure that college place or gain the training you require. If you are considering repeating make sure you really want to and are committed to the study necessary as you don’t want to feel like this again next year.

If you have passed your Leaving and are disappointed with your results consider some of the following different options:

  • FETAC (PLC) courses – huge variety of courses, many facilitate access to universities and Institutes the following year.
  • Work – on the job training such as the banks, airlines, retail
  • Private colleges – entry requirements can be lower, fees can be claimed against tax.
  • Online/distance/open university education courses – including degrees (check out open university, DCU etc)
  • SOLAS (FAS) – Registering for training
  • Sponsored free degree by employer (e.g. LIDL, includes salary, holidays, healthcare)
  • Apprenticeship – e.g. ESB, motor, electrical
  • Part-time study – evenings, weekends
  • Defence forces – Gardai, Army, Navy
  • Private courses with professional recognition
  • Modular study – building up to a full award over time
  • Study abroad – check out UCAS clearing, Eunicas
  • Entrepreneurship – Set up your own business; contact your local enterprise board
  • Become a blogger, freelance journalist, photographer, artist, musician, DJ
  • Become an air-traffic controller (2 years training, can earn over 80K)
  • Travel – Spend a year abroad working with a charity or teach English abroad
  • Wait! – Consider returning to education at 23 as a mature student
  • Diversify – Consider doing a degree now and applying for a post grad diploma or degree in your chosen field such as medicine, teaching, veterinary, psychology
  • Get advice – Talk to your Guidance Counsellor
  • Avail of supports – Ring the NPC helpline for guidance 1800 265 125