ROUND ONE OFFERS from the CAO for third-level courses will be offered four days earlier this year than previous years, the government has confirmed.

Issuing the offers just 48 hours after students receive their Leaving Cert results will provide them with more time to appeal their results and secure the college place they are eligible for if their marks are upgraded.

It comes after the successful High Court action taken last year by student Rebecca Carter, where she won a judicial review case to have her amended results considered by the State Examinations Commission.  

Her results had been incorrectly totted up meaning her points score fell marginally short of achieving that necessary to earn a place studying veterinary medicine at UCD.

Carter claimed that under the current timeframe for processing appeals, she would have not been able to commence that course in the current academic year, but would have instead been required to accept a deferred offer for the following year. 

Her successful action meant she could take her role on the course in UCD.

Previously, students faced a five-day wait for the offers to arrive after receiving their Leaving Cert results.

Minister for Education Joe McHugh said the new system will be of benefit to students.

“The accelerated timeline is a significant step in improving the Leaving Certificate appeals and college entry process for the benefit of students,” he said. “We are helping to put the best interests and wellbeing of students first.”

We have learnt from past experiences and I hope faster offers and appeals will help to ease one layer of anxiety around progressing to third level.

In practice, the new changes will mean that students who challenge an exam result will be informed earlier of the outcome of their appeal, allowing most students to take up a course in that current year, rather than deferring for another year.

The results of appeals will be released to students in the week beginning 16 September this year, three weeks earlier than they were last year.

With reporting from Adam Daly