From further education and training (FET) to higher education (HE): Performance of CAO candidates with QQI FET awards

On average about 12,000 of CAO applicants each year include reference to QQI FET awards in their application. Many of these applicants have both a QQI FET award and a Leaving Certificate. 

This analysis focuses on a subset of this group of learners: QQI FET learners who achieved a level 5 or 6 major award in a single sitting (i.e. within one academic year) and applied to the CAO in the same academic year. 

The analysis presents the CAO points attained by these learners from their QQI FET awards in 2018 – 2025 and provides an insight into how, and in what subject areas these QQI learners may potentially progress to HE through the CAO using their QQI award.

Key findings from this analysis:

• There is an upward trend in the overall number of learners with this profile in the past three years. The 2025 figure (5,485) is the highest number of these learners recorded in the past eight years.
• The decrease in number of these CAO applicants observed in 2022 is partly explained by a reduction in the number of QQI awards in ‘nursing studies’, which represents a large proportion of all awards achieved by this cohort of applicants. For further information of QQI awards made and trends visit: Our Data | Quality and Qualifications Ireland (qqi.ie)
• In 2020 and 2021, 48% and 52% of these learners respectively, earned the maximum CAO points possible (i.e., allowed under the Higher Education Links scheme, 390 points), the greater proportion of higher grades observed in the period of analysis. These high proportions are likely to be related to factors associated with the COVID-19 experience.
• The most common major QQI award attained by these learners is the NFQ Level 5 award in ‘nursing studies’.
• The top two QQI major awards in terms of numbers of these learners have been almost the same since 2018, namely: ‘nursing studies’ and ‘business studies’. In 2024, the award ‘software development’ was for the first time part of the top 5 award group and continued in 2025.

You can view more detailed information in our interactive graphic below.