A restricted-entry course needs attention before results day. Alongside your application, the college may require a portfolio, audition, interview or another assessment. Putting the course on a list is not the same as completing those requirements.
Start with the right application year
This guide uses the published 2027 CAO Handbook. Its application dates are below. Individual college assessment schedules must be checked separately for 2027 entry; an older audition date is not a current invitation.
How to recognise a restricted course
Look for the restricted designation beside the course in the official CAO listings, using the restricted filter, and check the relevant year's handbook. Search by course code, not just a subject name. Similar titles can have different requirements.
CAO explains that restricted-application courses have early assessments. Read the college's course page and prospectus before finalising your choices. Do not assume every music or design course follows the same process, or that an assessment for one course covers another.
Application dates for 2027 entry
See CAO key dates 2027 for the full calendar, including the expected date for Change of Mind opening. All times are Irish local time.
For a restricted course, apply by 1 February 2027 at 5pm. Include the choice then, or use the paid amendment facility before 1 March 2027 at 5pm. This does not extend a college's assessment deadline. Dates may change; recheck the handbook before acting.
Already applied, but left a course out?
CAO's course-choice amendment guidance explains the €10 facility. This is an amendment to an existing application, not permission to make a late restricted-course application. Contact the college promptly about its assessment arrangements rather than waiting for the amendment window to end.
Can a late application include a restricted course?
CAO's restricted-course rules say restricted choices in late applications are invalid. The existence of a late-application window does not make every course available. Institutions may also impose restrictions for particular applicant categories, so check your own route with admissions.
Change of Mind: adding is different from reordering
The CAO Change of Mind rules normally prevent introducing a new restricted course. There is a narrow exception where it has exactly the same assessment procedures as a course applied for by 1 February. Consult the institution before introducing it. Similar subject matter is not enough.
You can change the preference order of existing choices. When replacing a list, include every choice you want to retain in that category and check the acknowledgement. Level 8 and Level 7/6 lists are separate. Mature applicants should also check any institution-specific restrictions.
What an assessment can change
Trinity's Music Education, TR009, is a verified example, not a complete course list. The official Music Education course page identifies it as restricted entry. It describes an interview/audition score of up to 200 which is added to the indicative points score for CAO applicants. Follow Trinity's admissions instructions for your entry year; do not reuse an old appointment date.
This is why a Leaving Certificate total alone cannot tell you whether you qualify or will receive an offer. You must satisfy the relevant academic and assessment requirements, then compete for the available places. A previous cutoff is a historical result, not a promise. Our points explanation and offers guide explain the distinction.
Your application checklist
- Write down the exact course code and entry year.
- Open its official college page. Record the assessment type, submission method, deadline and contact details.
- Check academic requirements as well as assessment requirements. Note anything that needs separate registration.
- Put the choice on your CAO application on time and save the acknowledgement.
- Prepare the requested work or performance. Check email, spam and your application correspondence for instructions.
- After any list change, confirm every intended choice is still there. Ask admissions about uncertainties before the deadline.
Use CollegeRoute's course guide to explore subject areas, then return to the institution's own requirements. The CAO key dates page covers 2027 entry; the previous cycle is kept in the 2026 archive.
Official sources and checking the details
Checked on 7 September 2026. The 2027 handbook supplies this guide's annual dates; some CAO web guidance still displays 2026. Use the handbook for the stated cycle and check for subsequent updates.
- CAO Handbook downloads and updates
- 2027 CAO Handbook: timetable and restrictions
- CAO restricted-application courses
- CAO course-choice amendments
- CAO Change of Mind
- Trinity Music Education admissions requirements
If a college's instructions and a general summary appear to differ, contact its admissions office and CAO for clarification. CollegeRoute is an independent guide, not an admissions decision-maker.