A QQI award can provide a route into higher education, but the award must match the course. A full QQI FET/FETAC Level 5/6 major award is required; individual component certificates are not enough. Check the accepted major award and essential components against the intended CAO course code before choosing a PLC. CAO Handbook 2027, printed pages 8–9.
Start with the destination course
Use the official QQI course search. Record the accepted award code, compulsory components and any grade requirements. Also inspect the Notes codes: they distinguish standard entry, quotas and whether results from different assessment sessions can be combined. A high score does not fix an incompatible award. Handbook, printed page 9.
QQI points and a worked example
For eligible awards, count up to 120 credits, taking distinctions first, then merits, then passes. Multiply each counted credit value by the grade weight: Distinction 3, Merit 2, Pass 1. Add the products, multiply by 13/12, and round to the nearest whole number. Maximum: 390. CAO QQI scoring method, pages 1–3.
Example: eight 15-credit components, with six distinctions and two merits:
| Calculation | Result |
|---|---|
| Six distinctions: 6 × 15 × 3 | 270 |
| Two merits: 2 × 15 × 2 | 60 |
| Weighted total | 330 |
| Scale: 330 × 13 ÷ 12 | 357.5 |
| Rounded score | 358 |
This example assumes the major-award and course requirements are met. A score is not an offer. Component credits are not always 15; use the actual values on your award.
Qta and Std are different competitions
| Code | What it means | First considered |
|---|---|---|
| Qta | QQI applicants ranked for a reserved quota | Round Zero |
| Std | QQI applicants ranked alongside school leavers in standard entry | Round One |
| One | Best score in a single QQI assessment session | Check the course's entry type |
| Cmb | Best score across a permitted combination of sessions | Check the course's entry type |
| Art | QQI assessment combined with an institutional assessment | Check the college |
A quota is not the default. Check the course rather than assuming every QQI applicant competes in a separate group. Handbook, printed page 9.
Results and the 2027 timeline
The normal closing date is 1 February 2027 at 5pm. Late eligibility depends on the course and applicant category; check the institution before relying on a later application. See application dates. Handbook, printed pages 3 and 6.
CAO uses your PPS number to obtain relevant QQI results. The handbook says current-year results are usually received in June, when applicants receive an email instructing them to check their record. If earlier results need combining, contact QQI and confirm the college permits that combination. Handbook, printed pages 8–9.
If no QQI offer arrives
The course's entry type matters. A filled QQI quota is not automatically another standard-entry place. Applicants who also present Leaving Certificate or other school-leaving qualifications may continue to compete on those results in later rounds. Without a reserved quota, the handbook describes first consideration in Round One on the highest relevant qualifying result set. Handbook, printed pages 9 and 28.
Sources and verification
Checked 7 September 2026 against CAO Handbook 2027, printed pages 3, 6, 8–9 and 28, and the official scoring document linked above. Specific awards, modules and quotas require the current course-level record. Compare other routes into college if this award does not match your intended programme.