The QQI/FET Further-Education Route into Irish Universities

An alternative to the Leaving Cert

Not everyone enters Irish higher education on Leaving Certificate points. The QQI/FET route lets you progress to a university or college course using a further-education and training award — a Post-Leaving-Certificate (PLC) or similar course graded by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) at Level 5 or Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications.

This is a recognised pathway, not a back door: it is used by school-leavers who want a year of focused study in a subject area, by people returning to education, and by those who did not get the points or subjects they needed first time round. You still apply for the higher-education course through the CAO, just on the basis of your QQI award rather than the Leaving Cert.

What award you need

To use this route you generally need a full major award at QQI Level 5 or Level 6 — a complete certificate made up of the required component modules, not just a handful of standalone components (minor awards). Individual component certificates on their own are usually not enough to apply for higher education.

Specific courses also require particular component modules within your award, and may set additional conditions (for example a maths or language component). The exact award and modules each course will accept are listed in the CAO's QQI/FET requirements look-up and on each college's own admissions pages — always check both for your target course.

• You typically need a full major award at QQI Level 5 or Level 6.
• Minor awards / single components alone are usually not sufficient.
• Many courses require specific component modules within the award.
• Check the CAO QQI/FET look-up plus the college's own course requirements.

How QQI awards are scored for the CAO

QQI/FET applicants are scored on a separate system from Leaving Cert points. Each component module is weighted by its result band (a higher band is worth more), and the weighted scores of your best modules are combined up to the required credit value of the award to give a total score used for ranking.

This QQI score is then used to rank QQI/FET applicants for the places available to them. Because the scoring grid, weightings and maximum are set by the CAO and can be reviewed, read the current QQI/FET scoring information sheet on cao.ie rather than relying on a fixed maximum figure.

Reserved places and progression

Many higher-education institutions reserve a number of first-year places specifically for QQI/FET applicants, so you are often competing against other further-education applicants rather than directly against Leaving Cert school-leavers. Some institutions also operate named progression links from particular FET courses into related degrees.

Because the number of reserved places, the courses they apply to, and any progression agreements vary by college and by year, confirm the current arrangements with the specific institution. Some courses admit QQI/FET applicants only to certain levels (Higher Certificate, Ordinary or Honours Degree), so check what your award opens up.

• Many colleges ring-fence first-year places for QQI/FET applicants.
• Some run named progression links from specific FET courses.
• Available places and links vary by college and year — verify directly.
• Your award may open Higher Cert, Ordinary or Honours Degree entry — check each.

How to apply

You apply through the CAO in the normal way, listing your higher-education course choices and indicating your QQI/FET award. The standard CAO application deadlines apply, so do not wait until your FET results are out — apply on time and your award is matched to your application later.

Keep evidence of your award and component results, and confirm with each college whether it needs any supplementary documentation. If you are weighing this route against repeating the Leaving Cert, the further-education year can also be valuable in its own right as preparation for degree-level study.