Leaving Cert Study Plan: How to Maximise Your CAO Points

October 2026  ·  10 min read

The Leaving Cert can feel enormous: seven or more subjects, two years of course, and a single June that decides your CAO offer. But the points system itself is simple, and once you understand exactly how it turns grades into points, you can plan sixth year around the marks that matter most rather than trying to revise everything equally.

This guide explains how CAO points are calculated, how to decide between Higher and Ordinary level, how to use the State Examinations Commission's past papers and marking schemes properly, and how to structure sixth year month by month, from the first week of September to the last paper in June.

How are Leaving Cert CAO points calculated?

Since 2017, Leaving Cert results use an eight-grade scale at each level. At Higher level the grades run from H1 (90–100%) down to H8 (below 30%), in 10% bands. Ordinary level uses the same bands, labelled O1 to O8. Each grade converts to CAO points as follows:

Only your best six subjects count, in a single sitting. On top of that, Higher level Mathematics carries a 25-point bonus for an H6 or above, so an H6 in Higher Maths is worth 71 points and an H1 is worth 125. That makes the maximum 625 points. The LCVP Link Modules can also count as one of your six (Distinction 66, Merit 46, Pass 28).

Points are not the whole story, though. Courses also have minimum entry requirements: university matriculation rules (often English, Irish and a third language, depending on the institution), plus course-specific grades such as an H4 in a science or an O4 in Maths. Medicine also requires the HPAT. Check every course on your list on the CAO website and the college's own page, because a points total that misses a subject requirement does not count.

Should I take Higher or Ordinary level?

The table makes the maths clear: there is a big overlap between the levels. An O1 (56 points) is worth exactly the same as an H5, and an H7 (37 points) is worth the same as an O3. Because H7 now earns points, a student who scrapes 30–39% at Higher still gets more than most Ordinary grades.

So the decision is about where you will land, not where you feel safe. A student averaging around 45% at Higher in mocks earns an H6 (46 points); dropping to Ordinary only pays if they would reliably get an O1. For Maths, the 25-point bonus tips the balance further: an H6 in Higher Maths (71 points) beats any Ordinary grade. Make the call with your teacher after Christmas mocks, using real marked papers rather than how a subject feels.

One caution: courses that require a Higher level grade in a subject (common for science, engineering and some language degrees) close the door if you drop. Check your CAO list before changing level.

How do I use past papers and marking schemes?

The single most valuable free resource for the Leaving Cert is the State Examinations Commission (SEC) website, examinations.ie. Its exam material archive holds past papers and, crucially, the marking schemes examiners actually used. The SEC also publishes Chief Examiner's reports for many subjects, which describe common mistakes and what strong answers did.

Past papers show you what is asked. Marking schemes show you how marks are awarded, which is where most students find easy points. Many subjects reward specific structures: the number of points expected in a Biology definition, the marks for correct units and working in Maths and Physics, or the purpose, coherence, language and mechanics (PCLM) criteria used for English composition. Use this routine for every paper:

1. Sit it timed. Use the real time allocation, for example two and a half hours for each Higher Maths paper. No notes.
2. Correct it against the marking scheme, not your notes. Be strict. If the scheme wanted a unit or a step and you skipped it, take the marks off.
3. Log every lost mark by cause. Content gap, misread question, missing working, timing, or answer structure.
4. Fix the top cause. Spend your next session on the single biggest source of lost marks, not on the topics you already like.
5. Redo the question a week later. If you get it fully right without help, it is fixed.

Work through papers by topic first (all the probability questions from the last several years, say), then move to full papers from spring onwards. Be aware that some subjects have new specifications, and the Senior Cycle redevelopment is bringing in additional assessment components for some subjects over the coming years. Always check that older papers match your current course; your teacher will know which sections no longer apply.

What does a month-by-month sixth year study plan look like?

The plan below assumes exams start in early June, mocks fall around February, and orals and practicals run around Easter. Your school will confirm exact dates; shift the plan to fit them.

The shape matters more than the exact months: audit, close gaps, rehearse, review the mocks honestly, then finish with full papers under real timing.

How should I use the mocks?

Mock exams are the most useful checkpoint you will get, and the most misused. Mock papers are usually set by commercial providers or your school rather than the SEC, and they are often harder or marked more severely than the real exam. A disappointing mock grade is not a prediction. It is a detailed map of where marks are leaking.

• Prepare properly, but do not peak. Revise for them seriously so the results are meaningful, without abandoning your longer plan.
• Get every paper back and read the comments. Ask teachers which answers lost the most marks and why.
• Calculate a realistic points range. Convert each mock grade to points using the table above, then identify the subjects where one grade band up is closest. Moving an H4 to an H3 is worth 11 points; an O2 to an O1 is worth 10.
• Target the cheapest points. A subject sitting at 68% is two marks from an H3. That is often easier than lifting a struggling subject by a whole band.
• Remember the best six. If you take seven or eight subjects, your weakest may not count at all, so prioritise accordingly while still passing the subjects you need for matriculation.

How many hours a day should I study in sixth year?

There is no official number, and more is not automatically better. A sustainable pattern for many students is around two to three focused hours on school nights from autumn, rising at weekends and during midterms, then longer days over Easter and in May. What matters is that each session has one clear goal, such as one timed Chemistry question corrected against the marking scheme, rather than vague "going over notes".

Short, active sessions beat long passive ones. Test yourself rather than rereading, mix subjects within a day, and keep one evening a week completely free. Sport, sleep and time with friends are part of the plan, not a distraction from it.

How do I prepare for orals and languages?

The Irish oral is worth 40% of the total mark at both Higher and Ordinary level, and modern language orals also carry a substantial share. These are marks you can largely secure before the written papers start. Little and often works best: ten minutes of speaking practice a day from November does far more than cramming in the week before.

Prepare the predictable parts thoroughly (yourself, your school, your plans, your interests), practise the picture sequences or role-plays your course uses, and record yourself to catch hesitation and repeated errors. Our guide on how to practise speaking a language alone has techniques that suit oral prep, and the best way to learn vocabulary covers spaced repetition for the written papers. If motivation dips after Christmas, how to stay motivated learning a language has practical fixes.

A quick weekly checklist for sixth year

• At least one timed past paper question per subject, corrected with the SEC marking scheme.
• Your error log updated, with the top three causes of lost marks highlighted.
• One red topic moved to amber or green.
• Oral practice for Irish and any modern language, in short daily sessions.
• Your CAO list checked against current points and subject requirements, once a month.
• One full evening off.

If Maths is your biggest lever (and with the bonus it often is), Derstina's Leaving Cert prep includes timed mock exams and daily practice so you can see which topics are costing you marks before the real thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many CAO points is an H1 worth?

An H1 at Higher level is worth 100 CAO points, and it covers results from 90 to 100 per cent. In Higher level Maths, an H1 is worth 125 points because of the 25-point bonus for an H6 or above. The maximum total is 625 points, from your best six subjects plus the Maths bonus.

Is it better to get an H7 or an O3 in the Leaving Cert?

They are worth the same: an H7 and an O3 both earn 37 CAO points. The deciding factors are course requirements and Maths. Some courses require a Higher level grade in a specific subject, and in Higher Maths an H6 or above earns the 25-point bonus, which no Ordinary grade can match.

Where can I find Leaving Cert past papers and marking schemes?

The State Examinations Commission publishes past papers and marking schemes free on its website, examinations.ie, in the exam material archive. Many subjects also have Chief Examiner's reports explaining common mistakes. Correcting your own timed answers against the official marking scheme is one of the most effective ways to gain marks.

Do Leaving Cert mock results matter?

Mock results do not count towards your CAO points. Their value is diagnostic: they show which topics, question types and timing problems are costing you marks. Mock papers are often marked strictly, so use the feedback to plan your final months rather than as a prediction of your June results.

When should I start studying for the Leaving Cert?

Regular, structured study should start at the beginning of sixth year in September, with a topic audit and a weekly timetable. Fifth year matters too, because the courses run over two years. Starting early lets you close gaps steadily rather than cramming everything after the mocks.

How many subjects count for CAO points?

Your best six subjects from a single sitting of the Leaving Cert count for CAO points. Most students take seven, so their weakest result can be dropped. The LCVP Link Modules can count as one of the six, but you still need to meet the matriculation and subject requirements for each course.