The bonus points awarded for sitting Leaving Cert honours maths are the key to securing the most sought-after college places.

According to the Irish Independent, new CAO figures show the number of students with higher-level maths who were offered college places has doubled since 2012, when the bonus point system came into effect.

96 per cent of last year's candidates who received bonus points were offered a place on a Level 8 college course.

That compares to the average 68 per cent success rate among 2014 Leaving Cert students.

Students offered a place on pharmacy courses were most likely to have bonus points (65 per cent), followed by physiotherapy (57 per cent).

The bonus points scheme has been remarkably successful in encouraging students to pursue higher maths, with numbers sitting the exams almost doubling since 2011.