A-level results return to pre-Covid levels in Northern Ireland

This year’s A-level results in Northern Ireland “complete the return” to pre-Covid levels with outcomes similar to 2019, exam boards have said.

Thousands of students in Northern Ireland received the results of AS and A-level exams on Thursday morning, as well as those who sat vocational qualifications such as BTecs.

This was the first year A-level students sat exams in pre-pandemic conditions, with no special arrangements due to Covid-19.

A total of 30.3 per cent of students received grade A or above, which was in line with the 29.4 per cent achieved in 2019, the last set of exams before the disruption of the pandemic, the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) said.

The proportion of students achieving higher A level grades rose during the pandemic, with 37.5 per cent receiving the top A and A* grades in 2023, and 44 per cent in 2022.

Gerry Campbell, the chief executive of Northern Ireland’s exam board, CCEA, congratulated students receiving A and AS level results on Thursday. He described the exams as “an important milestone for thousands of young people across the country and students should feel proud of their achievements … 2024 also marks a milestone for examinations as we have completed the first normal exam year since the pandemic began”.

“This would not have been possible without the collaboration and hard work of our schools and colleges, and I wish to especially thank them for their support and commitment to our students across Northern Ireland,” he said.

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The total number of A-level entries in Northern Ireland has remained stable with 32,873 entries this year, the JCQ has said.

Overall, 98.5 per cent of students in Northern Ireland achieved grades A* to E grade, similar to 98.4 per cent in 2019.

A total of 8.2 per cent of entries achieved the top A* grade, comparable to the 8 per cent awarded in 2019.

More than one third of A-level entries in Northern Ireland continue to be in STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] subjects.

Maths replaced biology as the most popular A-level subject, accounting for just under one in 10 entries.

At AS-level – which is typically taken halfway through the two-year period of A-level study – entries increased by 4.7 per cent, from 39,336 in 2023 to 41,180 this year, an increase of 4.7 per cent.

Overall, 96.4 per cent of students achieved grade A – E, and 26.7 per cent achieved the top A grade.

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Students in Northern Ireland typically study three or four A -levels in their final two years of secondary school, and have a free choice of subjects.

In 2024 top five subjects for boys were mathematics (accounting for 13.8 per cent of entries), business studies, history, biology and physics, which moved up to the top five spot this year.

For girls, the most popular subject was health and social care (11.8 per cent of entries) followed by biology, mathematics, English literature and chemistry.