CAO Change of Mind – Your Questions Answered

With the 1st of July deadline for CAO fast approaching lots of students and parents have been in touch with questions so I’ve put together the most common queries which will provide important reminders to everyone on the critical points to think about will using the Change of Mind facility. This deadline is absolutely final so whatever changes you wish to make must be done by 5.15pm on July 1st.

Do I have to fill up all 20 options on the Level 8 and Level 7/6 choices?

This is your own personal choice. By filling up all twenty choices you are giving yourself twenty chances to secure a place when the Round 1 Offers come out on September 7th or in subsequent rounds. My advice is to fill as many as you possible can on both lists. The two lists work completely independently of each other so the choices you make on one list will in no way impact on the choices on the other list. The only time you have to choose between them is if you receive an offer from both lists.

What is the difference between the courses on the Level 8 and Level 7/6 lists?

The levels refer to the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The courses listed on Level 8 are Honours Bachelor Degrees, Level 7 are Ordinary Bachelor Degrees and Level 6 are Higher Certificates. In the case of most Level 7/6 courses there are progression routes onto Level 8 courses as an ‘Add-on’ or once you achieve the required result in exams in the Level 7/6 programme. Often students only fill up Level 8 courses and this is a mistake, it is really important to add in at least some options on both lists.

Can I add in a ‘Restricted’ course on the Change of Mind facility at this stage?

In general you can’t introduce restricted courses now but exceptions may be made. In the case of a restricted course which shares the exact same assessment procedures with a course you had applied for by the February 1st deadline, you may be permitted to introduce it on the Change of Mind but you need to consult with the relevant Higher Education Institution (HEI) before doing so.

Why is the ORDER OF PREFERENCE so important?

This is the most common mistake made by students, where they make assumptions about how the exams (or accredited grades) will go or what they think the points will be. The golden rule of the CAO is that you must list your choices in order of preference not in the order of points. The reason for this is that the points each year are totally dependent on supply and demand and no one will know the points for 2021 until the day the Round 1 offers come out. For that reason it is a huge risk to try to second guess your own performance or what the points will be as points go up and down each year depending on how many students are interested in doing a course on any given year. So your favourite course in your favourite college should go in as number 1, second favourite goes in as number 2 and so on right down to your 10th choice. At the offer stage, you will receive an offer of the course highest up on you course list(s) that are eligible for. If you receive an offer of your first preference in Round 1, you will not be offered a course that is lower on your preference list in Rounds 2, 3 4 etc. However if you get an offer of your fourth preference in Round 1, you may still get offered your first, second or third preference, but never your fifth preference or lower.

There has been a lot of discussion about the points rising this year, do you think the points will go up in most courses?

As there is a higher number of applicants to CAO this year compared to previous years, it is likely to put pressure on points in certain areas. The pressure is higher in courses where places are more limited such as health based courses. This is further complicated by the need to have adequate clinical placements available for students.  But it won’t be the case that points will rise in all courses. There has already been a commitment to allocate at least 4,500 extra college places with the promise of more. That will help. It is also important to remember that there are lots of alternative routes into career areas. For example if you don’t get the points for Physiotherapy, consider doing a general or health science undergraduate and apply for a Masters in Physiotherapy here in Ireland or abroad once you have completed your degree. Alternatively do a Post Leaving Cert course in a College of Further Education that links to places in Physiotherapy courses in the UK or Europe, which you can apply for using your results from QQI/FETAC exams. The best approach to take is to include the courses you really want in the order that you really want them but make sure you have included courses that you know you are capable of getting in that mix. And filling in all 20 options gives you the best chance of securing a college place. Just make sure you have researched the detailed information on all courses before including them.