Routes into third level
The points race is the loudest way in, not the only one. These four routes put thousands of people through college every year and get a fraction of the attention.
Two of them run through the CAO on the same 1 February deadline, one has its own documentation deadline weeks later, and one does not touch the CAO at all. Knowing which is which in November is worth more than any amount of revision in May.
The PLC and QQI route
How a PLC year converts into college entry, including the QQI scale that works out of 390 rather than 625.
Applying as a mature student
Applying at 23 or over, where points usually stop being the deciding factor.
HEAR and DARE
The two access routes, who they are for, and the paperwork that trips most applicants up.
Apprenticeships in Ireland
Earn while you qualify, at levels that now reach honours degree. The route nobody explains properly.
Which one applies to you
- 23 or over on 1 January of the year you would start: mature entry, where points usually stop deciding it.
- A disability, or a background the access schemes cover: HEAR and DARE, applied for inside your CAO application.
- Points did not land, and another exam year sounds unbearable: a PLC year, scored out of 390 on its own scale.
- You would rather be paid while you qualify: an apprenticeship, which is a job application rather than a CAO one.