Amid the many deadlines and decisions facing sixth-year students, one often-overlooked task carries unexpectedly high stakes: ensuring the CAO is aware of any language exemptions you hold.
It may seem like a small administrative detail, but if it’s not handled correctly, it can lead to huge disappointment, even for students who achieve the points for their chosen course.
All colleges have minimum entry requirements, sometimes called general matriculation requirements, as well as course-specific requirements.
Languages, whether English, Irish or a third language, feature in these requirements in one way or another.
Every college requires English; many require Irish; and some expect applicants to have English, Irish and a third language for general entry.
Others are more flexible and accept English plus any one other language, while a small number require English only.
With such variation across institutions, it’s essential that you understand exactly how a language exemption works within the CAO system.
Many students assume that because they have been exempt from Irish or a third language for years, and the Department of Education already has it on record, there is no need to tell anyone else.
This is not the case. The CAO does not automatically receive this information. You must inform the colleges you are applying to, and those colleges then confirm the exemption with the CAO.
Only when the CAO records it on your account can it be used to meet entry requirements.
Technically, you have until early July, but the CAO strongly recommends completing this step by March 31 so that your exemption appears on your Statement of Application in May.
Exemptions explained
There are many reasons you might have a language exemption, for example, a diagnosed learning difficulty in the case of Irish or a third language, or being born or educated outside the Republic of Ireland in the case of Irish.
It’s also worth remembering that you don’t need Higher Level to meet most college language requirements.
An O6 in Irish or a third language is enough for many courses, and the subject doesn’t need to be counted in your top six, it can simply sit on your results.
However, exemptions do have limits. If a course has a specific Irish requirement, such as a H4 for Primary Teaching, you cannot apply without Irish.
The same applies to third-language requirements. For example, Trinity’s European Studies degree requires a H3 in a European language.
An exemption from studying a modern language in school cannot replace a required grade in a particular subject. Exemptions remove general matriculation requirements; they do not override the subject-specific grades a course may need.
Checking Course Requirements
It’s always essential to check the minimum entry requirements for each course on your CAO list. Even if you achieve well above the points needed, you will not receive an offer if you don’t meet the specific subjects or grades a course requires.
A really useful tool for this is the Qualifax Subject Requirements page, which lets you look up the exact minimum entry requirements for every course offered through the CAO. It’s a brilliant resource and one worth using early and often.
Because colleges differ so much in what they require, it’s important to be clear about how these rules apply to you.
Assuming the CAO will “already know,” or discovering only at offer time that a course has a specific language requirement, can cause real difficulties.
Every year, students are caught out by this. They have the points, but are deemed ineligible because an exemption wasn’t recorded or doesn’t meet the course requirement.
What Different Colleges Require
NUI Colleges
(UCD, UCC, University of Galway – including Shannon College of Hotel Management -Maynooth University, RCSI, and NCAD)
NUI colleges always require English and Irish, and many also require a third language for general entry.
If you have been granted a language exemption at school, you must take the additional step of applying to the NUI for an exemption; NUI then informs the CAO.
This process, previously done by post, is now completed online. Download the application form here.
Trinity College Dublin
Trinity requires English and one other language for minimum entry. You apply directly to Trinity for a language exemption here
University of Limerick (UL)
UL also requires English and one other language. You apply to UL for a language exemption here.
Mary Immaculate College (Mary I)
Mary I requires English and one other language, and you apply directly for the exemption here.
Important note: A language exemption cannot be used for Primary Teaching programmes at Mary I, where a minimum H4 in Irish is required.
However, exemptions can be used for the following programmes:
- BA (MI002)
- Psychology (MI003)
- Early Childhood Care and Education (MI007)
- Drama and English (MI010)
If you study a foreign language instead of Irish
Please note: for the colleges that require a second language if you do not take Irish but do take another language apart from English (e.g. French, German) you do not need to apply for a language exemption.
In summary
- NUI colleges require English and Irish, and often a third language.
- Trinity, UL and Mary I require English and one other language, which can be Irish or a foreign language.
- You apply to the colleges or NUI, not the CAO, and the colleges update the CAO on your behalf.
- Technically you have until early July, but the CAO recommends applying by March 31 so your exemption appears on your Statement of Application in May.
- All exemption applications require a school declaration form. Getting this from your school before the Christmas break allows you to complete the process during the holidays – another task ticked off the list in a year packed with deadlines.
Further information on exemptions is available on the CAO website.
With the UCAS deadline for Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales falling on January 14, these weeks before Christmas are also ideal for getting the school-based elements – references, predicted grades and so on – completed, while the Christmas break itself is a perfect opportunity to work on your personal statement. See here for recent UCAS article.
This is also a great time to begin gathering documentation for DARE and HEAR; I’ll be covering those in next week’s article. Scholarships are another area worth exploring, and I’ll be writing about those soon as well.
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.
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