The CAO 2026 Handbook has landed, and with it, the next stage of the Leaving Cert journey.
For many students, that handbook can trigger a sense of anxiety. It can feel like a bundle of choices, decisions and deadlines you’re not ready for.
While this is entirely understandable the reality is the handbook is not designed to intimidate you, but to help you. Think of it less as a maze, and more as a map.
Take the pressure off
The first step in approaching the handbook is to take the pressure off. Nobody is going to test you on its contents. You don’t have to read it cover to cover in one sitting.
What you do need, however, is to understand what it contains, why it matters, and how you can use it as a reference throughout the coming year.
In the handbook, you will find everything from application instructions and deadlines to course codes, restricted-entry details, and advice for students applying through the HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) and DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) access schemes.
It lays out the rules of the road, but also provides shortcuts, signposts, and reassurances along the way.
Finding yourself first
Probably the most important thing to stress is that right now you are not expected to know exactly what courses you will put on your CAO form.
That decision does not have to be made until 5pm on July 1, 2026. You have months to figure it out, and the Change of Mind facility ensures you can keep exploring options well into the summer.
What matters now is not the course list, it’s you. This is the stage to reflect on who you are and what drives you.
What brings you joy? What tasks or subjects make time fly? What values are most important to you? What aptitudes or natural abilities do you possess?
Careers built on your strengths and interests are far more likely to bring long-term satisfaction.
Once you understand yourself, it becomes much easier to imagine the types of careers that might suit. Only then should you begin linking those careers to the courses that could bring you there.
The CAO handbook, with its comprehensive listings, is the perfect tool for making those connections.
Exploring the Options
The handbook is not just a set of rules and regulations, it’s also an invitation to explore all Level 6 (Higher Certificate), Level 7 (Ordinary Degree) and Level 8 (Honours Degree) courses on offer at every participating third level institution in the Republic of Ireland for the 2025/26 year.
Many courses are broad, generalist programmes for those who want to keep options open, while others are highly specialised for students with a clear goal in mind.
It is important to pay close attention to the courses that are marked as “restricted.”
They typically require additional steps such as interviews, auditions, or portfolio submissions.
The handbook explains these requirements in detail, ensuring students don’t miss vital early deadlines.
It also lays out procedures for deferrals, exemptions, mature entry, and detailed information on how to apply for HEAR and DARE – the access schemes which provide a pathway to courses on lower points requirements for applicants with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds.
All of this information helps to level the playing field by ensuring that every student has access to the same information.
Don’t Miss the Dates
Every year students get tripped up through missed CAO deadlines.
The handbook is crystal clear about these timelines and deadlines, and it’s worth noting those key dates now.
The early-bird reduced fee (€35) application opens on November 5 at 12 noon, closing on January 20 2026 at 5pm.
The normal closing date is February 1 2026 at 5pm, (€50 fee), while late applications can be submitted from March 5 to May 1 (€65 fee), but restrictions apply here.
Supporting documentation for HEAR and DARE must be posted to the CAO office by March 10. The all-important Change of Mind facility ultimately closes at 5pm on July 1, 2026, but there are several time-blocks during which that facility will be available to you. See table below for details.
My advice is to mark these dates: write them on your calendar, print them off and put them on your fridge, screenshot them onto your phone – whatever works best for you. Knowing the CAO schedule and sticking to it is one of the simplest ways to remove stress later on.
Look for support
The CAO process is not something students have to navigate alone. Parents, teachers, and guidance counsellors all play vital roles in helping make sense of the system.
For parents there are excellent resources to lean on. The CAO website has explainer videos and demo application resources. This Guide for Parents and Guardians is an excellent resource too.
Download the 2026 CAO Handbook here.
Open Days – Don’t miss them!
From early October colleges throughout the country will hold Open Days. One of the most practical uses of the CAO Handbook at this time of year is deciding which open days to attend.
Scanning course lists can spark interest, but nothing beats walking through a campus, talking to current students, or sitting in on a taster lecture.
It can often confirm an instinctive “yes” or a surprising “no.” It’s worth scheduling visits to more than one college, even if you think you already know where you want to go. Sometimes, the feel of a place can outweigh what’s written on a page.
Next week’s article will give dates of upcoming Open Days and advice on how best to plan for them.
Final thoughts
In summary, the CAO handbook should be seen as a very useful starting point. It is there to make things clearer.
It puts everything in one place so that no student is disadvantaged.
As always, it is important to remember that the CAO is not the only ‘show in town’, with increasing numbers of Leaving Cert students looking beyond the traditional CAO route to pursue their career ambitions every year.
There are many alternative pathways as outlined here in previous articles Tertiary Degrees, PLCs, Apprenticeships, and Traineeships.
Martina Mulhall, Gold Star Careers offers one-to-one or small group career advice, in-person or online, to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.
Follow on Instagram for updates and reminders about all things careers, or head over to the website to book a personalised guidance session.
SEE ALSO – Check out all of Martina Mulhall’s pieces here
