A date to remember

January 20th (5.15pm): Closing date for the CAO Early Bird online application. The €25 fee increases to €40 after this, until February 1st deadline.

This is the final date for standard €115 early fee for HPAT medical aptitude test. For this you need a CAO number, which you get by CAO application.

HPAT registrations continue with additional €70 late fee until 5.15pm February 1st, in addition to €115 registration fee. Exceptional late registration until February 4th, for €105 plus registration fee of €115.HPAT tests held around the country on Saturday March 1st. Postal applications to the CAO in Galway cannot be for medicine as paper applications won’t be processed in time for HPAT assessment.

February 1st (5.15pm): Standard closing date for normal CAO applications for first year undergraduate places. Restricted application courses must be listed on CAO application by this date.

Feb 15th : Paper applications get a statement of course choices by this date, with CAO application number, and courses listed in your initial application.

March 1st (5.15pm): Closing date for amending choices to include a restricted application course not listed on initial application (€10).

Also the final date for HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) or DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) applications online at cao.ie.

HEAR is for school leavers who for social, financial or cultural reasons are under-represented in third-level education. DARE offers places on reduced points to those with disabilities.

April 1st (5.15 pm) : The latest date for supporting documentation for HEAR or DARE schemes. Each year, 40 per cent of those who initially apply miss this deadline, and cannot be considered.

March -April 2014: Interviews and portfolio presentations for restricted application courses.

April 2014: Leaving Cert oral tests in Irish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Japanese.

Late April 2014: Mature applicants who sat the HPAT in March receive results.

May 1st, 2014 (5.15 pm): Closing date for late CAO applications. Online application

up to this is €50 (€80 for paper); from now, no further applications accepted for 2014 entry.

May 5th: CAO change-of-mind facility opens. Candidate get statement of application record from CAO before end of May with their application to date.

June 4th: Written papers in the Leaving Cert begin, and continue until Friday June 20th.

June 23rd : Applicants under 23 who sat the HPAT in March get results.

July 1st (5.15pm): Final date for change of mind (course and/or order of preference) for entry in 2014.

First week of July : CAO makes 6,000-plus offers on website to mature applicants and deferrals from 2013.

One Week Later: Closing date for accepting places offered in first week of July. Mature and deferred applicants away from home should ensure any offer is dealt with, as it will lapse if not accepted.

July 22nd: Exceptional closing date for third-level students wishing to drop out of a course and re-apply for another.

Early August: CAO starts round zero offers with about 2,000 places for applicants in graduate medicine, and those with FETAC awards seeking courses with a quota of places for such applicants.

One week later 2014: Closing date for receipt of acceptance of round zero offers.

Wednesday August 13th: The State Examinations Commission delivers Leaving Cert results to over 700 schools and at examinations.ie from noon.

Monday August 18th: CAO releases round one offers online at 6am. Offer notices sent by post also arrive on Monday 18th. Minimum points required for each course are on the CAO website from 6am, and in The Irish Times.

Tuesday August 19th: Leaving Cert

students who wish to view their exam scripts must return application form to their school by this date.

Monday August 25th: Closing date for acceptance of CAO round one offers.

Wednesday August 27th: CAO posts round two offers to arrive on Thursday 28th. The minimum points for entry to each course also appears on the CAO website at 6am on Thursday 28th.

August 30th and 31st 2014: Students, along with one

person of their choice, have an opportunity to view their scripts in school. The scripts cannot be viewed by anyone unless the student is present.

Wednesday 3rd September (5.15 pm): The closing date for acceptance of CAO round two offers. It is also the closing date for receipt of Leaving Cert appeal applications from those who want papers rechecked.

October 7th : The release of the results of Leaving Cert appeals by the SEC. Final offers of places by the CAO will be made up to October 15th.

October 15th: The CAO makes its final offers based on Leaving Cert appeals results.