Irish grading system
In Ireland, Leaving Certificate grades at higher level run from H1 (90–100%, best) to H8 (below 30%), and H7 is the lowest grade that counts as a pass for university entry. Ordinary level Leaving Certificate grades: O1 to O8, 0 to 100%, lowest pass O6. UCD module grades: A+ to F, 0 to 4.2 grade points, lowest pass D−.
Example · Average of 3 subjects
88 CAO points
A pass: 80–89% of the marks. H7 is the lowest pass.
Each subject counts the same. Add weights to count some subjects more.
Higher level Leaving Certificate grades: H1 to H8, 0 to 100%
Leaving Certificate subjects taken at higher level, the final school exams used for college entry. Higher level maths adds 25 bonus CAO points to grades H1 to H6.
| Grade | Meaning | Marks | Pass? |
|---|---|---|---|
| H1 | 100 CAO points | 90–100% | Pass |
| H2 | 88 CAO points | 80–89% | Pass |
| H3 | 77 CAO points | 70–79% | Pass |
| H4 | 66 CAO points | 60–69% | Pass |
| H5 | 56 CAO points | 50–59% | Pass |
| H6 | 46 CAO points | 40–49% | Pass |
| H7 | 37 CAO points; lowest pass | 30–39% | Pass |
| H8 | no CAO points; fail | 0–29% | Fail |
Ordinary level Leaving Certificate grades: O1 to O8, 0 to 100%
Leaving Certificate subjects taken at ordinary level. An O1 earns the same 56 CAO points as an H5.
| Grade | Meaning | Marks | Pass? |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 | 56 CAO points | 90–100% | Pass |
| O2 | 46 CAO points | 80–89% | Pass |
| O3 | 37 CAO points | 70–79% | Pass |
| O4 | 28 CAO points | 60–69% | Pass |
| O5 | 20 CAO points | 50–59% | Pass |
| O6 | 12 CAO points; lowest pass | 40–49% | Pass |
| O7 | no CAO points; fail | 30–39% | Fail |
| O8 | no CAO points; fail | 0–29% | Fail |
UCD module grades: A+ to F, 0 to 4.2 grade points
Modules at University College Dublin; other Irish universities use their own scales.
| Grade | Meaning | Pass? |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | excellent | Pass |
| A | excellent | Pass |
| A− | excellent | Pass |
| B+ | very good | Pass |
| B | very good | Pass |
| B− | very good | Pass |
| C+ | good | Pass |
| C | good | Pass |
| C− | good | Pass |
| D+ | acceptable | Pass |
| D | acceptable | Pass |
| D− | acceptable; lowest pass | Pass |
| F+ | fail | Fail |
| F | fail | Fail |
| F− | fail | Fail |
Irish grades and a US GPA
This page gives no US equivalents for Irish grades: we found no table for them on Wikipedia or from an official source, and we do not make one up. A US university reads a foreign transcript itself or through the credential evaluation service it names, and its conversion is the one that counts.
Send your grades as they are, with the scale above. When a form asks for your average, give it on your own scale and say which scale it is: the converter’s average does exactly that, weighted by credits when you enter them.
What to know about grades in Ireland
- College places are allocated by CAO points from a student's best six Leaving Certificate subjects, up to 625 with the higher level maths bonus.
- The National University of Ireland's minimum entry standard is H5 or better in two higher level subjects and at least H7 or O6 in four more.
- The H and O grades replaced the old A1-to-F letter grades from the 2017 exams, widening each band from 5 to 10 percentage points.
- Trinity College Dublin marks in percentages: a first is 70% and above, a 2.1 60–69%, a 2.2 50–59% and a third 40–49%, and most modules pass at 40%.
- UCD classes an honours degree by its award GPA: 3.68 or above is a first, 3.08–3.67 a 2.1, 2.48–3.07 a 2.2 and 2.00–2.47 a pass.
Sources: Wikipedia, Academic grading in the Republic of Ireland; Wikipedia, Grading systems by country: Ireland; Citizens Information, Leaving Certificate; Central Applications Office, Leaving Certificate points grid; National University of Ireland, Entry requirements FAQs; National University of Ireland, NUI Matriculation Regulations 2023–2024; University College Dublin, Grades; University College Dublin, Award classification; Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Joint Honours: assessment.