CAO Points
Calculator
Work out your Leaving Certificate points in a few seconds, then see how many CAO courses that number reached in 2026. Six subjects count, and the maths bonus does not work the way most CAO calculators say it does.
Put your grades in and find out how many doors your points open.
Free, no sign up, and nothing you type leaves your phone.
Your points
| Subject | Points | Counted |
|---|---|---|
| MathematicsH4 | 66 +25 | Yes |
| EnglishH3 | 77 | Yes |
| IrishO2 | 46 | Yes |
| Subject 4H4 | 66 | Yes |
| Subject 5H4 | 66 | Yes |
| Subject 6H5 | 56 | Yes |
This is an estimate worked out with the official points scale. Once your results issue, the CAO calculates the score itself from your examination results, using the HEI Common Points Scale.
Points calculated. What comes next?
Find the right steps for applications, course choices, offers and entry routes.
How your points are worked out
Six subjects count, from one sitting of the Leaving Certificate. Sitting seven or eight is common and it gives you more chances at a good result, but only the best six are added up. The most you can score from subjects alone is 600, and the maths bonus takes the ceiling to 625.
Each grade is worth a fixed number of points, set out in the CAO points grid (opens in a new tab). Higher level is worth more across the points-bearing grades, and the gap is wider than most people assume. A H7, which is a pass at higher level scraping past 30 per cent, is worth 37 points. An O3, a strong result at ordinary level, is worth the same 37. That single comparison is why guidance counsellors push students to stay at higher level where they can. The exception is the bottom of each column, where the scale stops paying at all: a H8 and an O8 are both worth nothing, and so is an O7.
The maths bonus, and the part people get wrong
Higher level maths at H6 or better earns 25 bonus points. The detail that matters is where those points go. They are added to your maths result first, and your best six subjects are picked after that.
So a H6 in higher maths is not 46 points, it is 71, and that 71 is what competes for a place in your six. Three things can happen from there:
- Maths was already one of your best six. The bonus is worth the full 25.
- The bonus is what pulls maths into your six. It is worth less than 25, because the subject it pushes out was already counting. If bonused maths comes to 81 and it displaces a H4 worth 66, you gained 15.
- Maths still misses the six even with the bonus. It is worth nothing at all.
Any calculator that simply adds 25 to your total is wrong in the second and third cases, and those are not rare. The calculator above tells you which of the three happened to you.
There is more detail, with worked examples, in how CAO points work.
What else counts
The LCVP Link Modules can take one of your six places, worth 66 for a distinction, 46 for a merit and 28 for a pass. A distinction is worth the same as a H4, so for a lot of students it quietly replaces a weaker subject. Tick the box in the calculator and you will see whether it counts for you.
Foundation level maths is treated differently. It is worth 20 points at F1 and 12 at F2, and only some colleges award them at all, so the calculator flags it rather than folding it in silently. Check the course before you rely on it.
Questions students ask
How many subjects count towards my points?
Six, from a single sitting. Sitting more than six gives you more chances at a strong result, but only your best 6 are added together.
Do I get the maths bonus if I do ordinary level maths?
No. The bonus is for higher level maths only, and only at H6 or better. A H7 in higher maths earns no bonus either.
What is the highest score possible?
625. Six H1s come to 600, and the higher level maths bonus adds the last 25.
Are my grades saved anywhere?
Only on your own device, so you can come back to them. Nothing is sent to a server and there is no account. Use Clear to wipe them.
Can I share my result?
Yes. Copy link puts your grades into the address, so you can send it to a parent or a friend and they will see the same result.
Is this the official CAO calculator?
No. CollegeRoute has no connection to the Central Applications Office. This works to the published points scale, and cao.ie is where you apply and where your final points come from.
Where to go next
Last verified .