Whither the points system?

The Central Applications Office (CAO) was set up in 1976 by the Irish universities to provide a common application system for students applying for university places. A system of allocating places on the basis of students’ results in the Leaving Certificate was developed and this system has become known as the Points System. In recent years, criticism of the Points System as a mechanism for selecting third level students has gained impetus. Newspapers and social media have condemned the system and have argued that points alone are no longer a sufficiently reliable arbiter as to who is best suited for a role in a rapidly changing future. Does the points system deserve this criticism? Is there a better way to select students for higher education? This article will explain how and why the points system developed and will discuss its strengths and weaknesses.