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CAO Change of Mind 2027

When CAO Change of Mind opens and closes in 2027, how replacement lists work and the limits for restricted and mature choices.

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Change of Mind lets existing applicants change their course lists, not make a new application. For 2027, the handbook gives 5 May at noon as the expected opening and 1 July at 5pm as the closing deadline. It is free. The February €10 amendment facility is a different window. CAO Handbook 2027, timetable and printed pages 20 and 27.

Which window should you use?

Window for 2027 entryCostPurpose
Until 1 February, 5pmNo extra chargeAdd and change choices before the normal deadline
5 February, noon, to 1 March, 5pm€10Amend an existing application, including eligible restricted or mature choices
Expected 5 May, noon, to 1 July, 5pmFreeSummer changes, subject to restrictions

The first two windows do not make an assessment deadline disappear. Check the college's additional requirements. Handbook, printed pages 3 and 20.

Save the whole replacement list

  1. Log in to My Application on CAO.
  2. Choose the Level 8 or Level 7/6 course-change option.
  3. Enter every course you want to keep on that list, in genuine preference order.
  4. Submit and read the acknowledgement email.
  5. Reopen your account and confirm the saved codes and order.

A change replaces the earlier choices in the category changed. It is not an extra list appended underneath. You can use the facility repeatedly while open. The two course lists remain independent. Handbook, printed pages 20 and 27.

Restricted courses and mature applicants

You can reorder a restricted course already listed, but normally cannot introduce a new restricted course in summer. A possible exception is a course sharing the exact same assessment procedures with one you applied for by 1 February 2027 at 5pm; consult the college before using that exception. Mature applicants can reorder existing choices, but introducing new ones may be restricted. Handbook, printed pages 3 and 27.

Use the restricted-entry guide or mature-entry guide before changing a sensitive choice. Do not assume a course is restricted merely because it has a test; check its official designation.

Example: keep the course you still want

Suppose your old list is A, B, C, and you want to put D between A and B. Your new list is A, D, B, C, not just D. If you leave C off the replacement list, it is no longer one of those choices. This is an illustration of the replacement-list rule, not real course codes.

Do not reorder courses by predicted points. Put the course you actually prefer first; see preference order and the two lists.

After the deadline

The ordinary Change of Mind facility ends at the published deadline. Available Places is a separate offer-season process with its own eligibility and preference rules, not an extension for all courses. Handbook, printed pages 27–29.

Sources and verification

Checked 7 September 2026 against CAO Handbook 2027, timetable and printed pages 3, 20 and 27–29. The opening is labelled expected in the timetable. See all 2027 application dates.

Related

Working out your points is the quickest way to know where you stand. Use the CAO points calculator.