CAO Points Calculator
Use this CAO points calculator to add up your Leaving Certificate grades: the best six results from one sitting, with the Higher Level maths bonus and LCVP.
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Rules as of CAO points grid on cao.ie, 2027 entry cycle. Last reviewed 2026-11-04.
Rule set: CAO points grid on cao.ie, 2027 entry cycle, for Leaving Certificate grades from 2017 on. Enter the results of one sitting: CAO counts the best six from one sitting only.
H is Higher Level, O Ordinary Level and F Foundation Level. Foundation grades are for maths only, as on CAO's grid. Struck-through points are not in your best six.
LCVP Link Modules count in place of a sixth subject, so they count when they beat your sixth best result.
Rule set: CAO points grid
CAO points = your six best results from one sitting, with 25 bonus points on Higher Level maths at H6 or better
Rules as of CAO points grid on cao.ie, 2027 entry cycle. Leaving Certificate grades from 2017 on (H1 to H8, O1 to O8), for CAO applications. Status: confirmed against the two CAO pages below on 4 November 2026.
- CAO: Irish Leaving Certificate Examination Points Calculation Grid. Opened 4 November 2026.
- CAO: Irish Leaving Certificate Examination Points. Opened 4 November 2026.
- Higher Level: H1 100, H2 88, H3 77, H4 66, H5 56, H6 46, H7 37, H8 0.
- Ordinary Level: O1 56, O2 46, O3 37, O4 28, O5 20, O6 12, O7 0, O8 0.
- Foundation Level maths: F1 20, F2 12. Some colleges may not award points for Foundation Level maths.
- 25 bonus points for Higher Level maths at H6 or better. The bonus counts only when maths is in the best six after it is added.
- LCVP Link Modules: Distinction 66, Merit 46, Pass 28, in place of a sixth subject.
- The six best results in one examination count, from one sitting only. Minimum entry requirements apply separately from points.
GradeCat's own steps: CAO's grid lists points for F1 and F2 only, so GradeCat counts F3 to F8 as 0. The most anyone can score, 625, is worked out from the grid: CAO does not print it.
Not covered: Leaving Certificate results from before 2017, because CAO scores them on a separate page, which GradeCat has not checked. QQI FET (PLC) awards, because CAO's scoring scheme for them is in a PDF that could not be read.
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How to use this CAO points calculator
- Pick your maths grade in the first row: H1 to H8 at Higher Level, O1 to O8 at Ordinary Level, or F1 to F8 at Foundation Level.
- Pick the grade for each other subject. Names are optional. Add subject gives you more rows.
- If you took the LCVP, pick your Link Modules result.
- The calculator adds up your best six results. Points struck through in a row are not in your best six.
Know only a percentage, from a mock for example? The Leaving Cert Grading Scale turns it into a grade: 73% at Higher Level is a H3, worth 77 points. Copy link shares your grades, and Export CSV saves them with their points.
How CAO points are worked out
CAO's points grid gives each Leaving Certificate grade a number of points. Its page on Leaving Certificate points says the six best results in one examination count, from one sitting only.
CAO points = your six best results from one sitting, with 25 bonus points on Higher Level maths at H6 or better
| Higher Level | Points | Ordinary Level | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| H1 | 100 | O1 | 56 |
| H2 | 88 | O2 | 46 |
| H3 | 77 | O3 | 37 |
| H4 | 66 | O4 | 28 |
| H5 | 56 | O5 | 20 |
| H6 | 46 | O6 | 12 |
| H7 | 37 | O7 | 0 |
| H8 | 0 | O8 | 0 |
Foundation Level maths scores 20 points for an F1 and 12 for an F2. CAO notes that some colleges may not award these points. The grid lists no points for F3 to F8, so the calculator counts them as 0.
LCVP Link Modules score 66 for a Distinction, 46 for a Merit and 28 for a Pass, and count in place of a sixth subject.
Worked example: 404 points, or 424 with LCVP
This made-up example comes from GradeCat's research on the CAO rules. The student sat seven subjects, with maths at Higher Level.
| Subject | Grade | Points | In the best six |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maths | H4 | 66 + 25 = 91 | Yes |
| Subject 2 | H2 | 88 | Yes |
| Subject 3 | H3 | 77 | Yes |
| Subject 4 | H5 | 56 | Yes |
| Subject 5 | O2 | 46 | Yes |
| Subject 6 | H6 | 46 | Yes |
| Subject 7 | H7 | 37 | No |
91 + 88 + 77 + 56 + 46 + 46 = 404. The H7 is the seventh result, so it does not count.
With an LCVP Distinction as well, its 66 points take the place of one of the 46s: 91 + 88 + 77 + 66 + 56 + 46 = 424.
How the maths bonus works
CAO adds 25 bonus points to Higher Level maths at H6 or better. The bonus counts only when maths is one of your best six results after the bonus is added.
Made-up example: H6 in maths and H4 in six other subjects. Maths is 46 + 25 = 71, so it is in the best six: 71 + 5 × 66 = 401. Without the bonus, the best six would be the six H4s, 396. So the bonus raised the total by 5 points, not 25.
Made-up example: H6 in maths and H1 in six other subjects. Maths at 71 is not in the best six, so the total stays 600 and the bonus does not count.
Foundation maths
Foundation Level maths is the only Foundation subject on CAO's grid: F1 is worth 20 points and F2 12. Because some colleges do not award these points, the calculator also shows your total without them whenever they count.
Made-up example: F1 in maths and O2, O3, O3, O4 and O4 in five other subjects give 20 + 46 + 37 + 37 + 28 + 28 = 196 points. At a college that does not award Foundation maths points, the same results give 176.
The 625 maximum
The most anyone can score is 625: five H1s at 100 points, and a H1 in Higher Level maths at 100 + 25. CAO does not print this number. GradeCat works it out from the grid.
Points and entry requirements
CAO says minimum entry requirements apply separately from points, so a points total does not show whether you meet a course's requirements. The points needed for a course change every year, so GradeCat does not list them. Check each course on cao.ie or with the college.
What is not verified yet
- Leaving Certificate results from before 2017: CAO scores them on a separate page, which GradeCat has not checked. This calculator takes the H1 to H8 and O1 to O8 grades used since then.
- QQI FET (PLC) awards: CAO's scoring scheme for them is in a PDF that could not be read.
- Changes from the redeveloped Senior Cycle: the SEC and NCCA sites could not be opened, so GradeCat could not check whether it changes grades or points in coming years.
- Foundation maths at each college: CAO says some colleges may not award these points. Check with the college.
A levels are scored on a different CAO scale, set out on CAO's A level page. This calculator covers the Leaving Certificate only; the A Level to CAO Points Calculator covers A levels.
CAO points FAQ
How many CAO points is a H1?
100 points. A H2 is 88 and a H3 77. At Ordinary Level, an O1 is 56 points.
How do the maths bonus points work?
Higher Level maths at H6 or better gets 25 extra points, so a H4 counts as 66 + 25 = 91. The bonus counts only when maths is in your best six after it is added.
Does the LCVP count for CAO points?
Yes. The LCVP Link Modules count in place of a sixth subject: 66 points for a Distinction, 46 for a Merit and 28 for a Pass. In the worked example above, a Distinction raises 404 points to 424.
Do Foundation maths points count?
On CAO's grid an F1 is worth 20 points and an F2 12. CAO notes that some colleges may not award them, so the calculator shows your total both ways.
What is the maximum number of CAO points?
625: six H1s, one of them in Higher Level maths with its 25 bonus points. CAO does not print this number; it follows from the grid.
Can I add results from two sittings?
No. CAO counts the six best results from one sitting only, so enter the results of one sitting.
Is this the CAO points scale for 2026?
It is the grid on cao.ie when GradeCat checked it on 4 November 2026, during the 2027 entry cycle. The grid itself states no year. It is for the grades used since 2017; CAO has a separate page for earlier results.
Related tools
- Leaving Cert Grading Scale: percentages, grades and points, with a lookup, and TU Dublin's grades.
- How CAO points work: a guide to the grid, the best six, the maths bonus and LCVP, with worked examples.
- Grade Calculator: your percentage from marks out of any total, such as a mock exam.
- All tools for Ireland
Sources
- CAO: Irish Leaving Certificate Examination Points Calculation Grid (opened 4 November 2026)
- CAO: Irish Leaving Certificate Examination Points (opened 4 November 2026)
- Nuffic: Grades and study results (Ireland) (opened 4 November 2026)
Cite this page
GradeCat. (2026, November 4). CAO Points Calculator. https://gradecat.com/ie/cao-points-calculator/
This is an estimate, not an official result. Your university or board decides the official one. Found a wrong result? Report it.