Press Release
Date: Wednesday 18 August 2004 (NR/21/04)
Northern Ireland top of the class as more students than ever sit A level examinations
As thousands of students receive their eagerly awaited A level results this morning, figures released by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) show that the performance of Northern Ireland students across all exam boards has continued to improve, with 30 % of A level entries achieving a grade A, an increase of 1.5% on last year’s figure.
Again, Northern Ireland students have outperformed their peers in England and Wales, where 22.4% of entries achieved an A grade.
The figures also show that A levels are continuing to grow in popularity, with a record number of 30,081 entries for this summer’s examinations, a 5% increase on last year. This compares to a rise of 2% nationally.
Commenting on this year’s results, CCEA Chief Executive, Gavin Boyd, said:
“Northern Ireland students have yet again performed exceptionally well in their A level examinations and they should be heartily congratulated on all their efforts. Their hard work and commitment, and that of their families and teachers, has certainly paid-off and we are all extremely proud of their achievements.
It is important that we realise exactly what these young people have accomplished. A levels are, and will remain for some time, well-established, highly valued, world-class qualifications. A level examinations are highly demanding and the rigorous awarding process ensures that each student is awarded the grades that truly reflect their effort and ability.
Our young people are increasingly better prepared for A level examinations, thanks to the improved support and guidance available to teachers and students. As a result, their performance continues to improve and they consistently outperform their peers in England and Wales.
These students have been examined to the highest possible standard. Their achievements are a worthy reflection of two years of intensive study and will act as a passport to a world of opportunity in either further learning or employment.”
Students who have decided to cash-in for their AS levels also receive results today.
As with A levels, the popularity of AS levels continued to rise this
year, with a 5.8% increase in entries compared to 2003. This figure is
notably higher than the under 1% increase in entries nationally.
Increased numbers of AS grades is also good news for Northern Ireland
students applying to university as they will count towards their university
admissions score.
Across all exam boards in Northern Ireland there are 37,503 cash-ins with 30.4% of entries achieving a grade A. This figure is up 2.1% on last year and remains well-ahead of the national figure of 17.5%.
GCSE results will be issued to students next week. CCEA GCSE results will be issued on Tuesday 24 August, whilst results from English Awarding Bodies will be made available to students on Thursday 26 August.
2004 GCE A Level Results Analysis (2003 figures in brackets)
Please note the figures below are provisional and subject to enquiry and appeal
2004 |
NATIONALLY |
NI ONLY |
ENTRIES |
766,247 (750,537) |
30,081 (28,650) |
%A |
22.4 (21.6) |
30.0 (28.5) |
%A - E |
96.0 (95.4) |
97.4 (97.2 ) |
In Northern Ireland:
• 30,081 A Level entries
• 97.4% passed (grades A – E), with 30.0% at grade A
• Females outperform males by 3.9% at Grade A ( 31.7% female, 27.8% male)
• Females outperform males by 0.8% at Grades A-E (97.8% female, 97.0% male)
GENDER ISSUES – A LEVELS
(2003 figures in brackets)
A levels |
NATIONALLY |
NI ONLY |
||
Males |
Females |
Males |
Females |
|
%A |
21.0 (20.0) |
23.7 (22.9) |
27.8 (26.2) |
31.7 (30.2) |
%A - E |
95.0 (94.3) |
96.8 (96.4) |
97.0 (96.8) |
97.8 (97.4) |
• Nationally the difference at grade A is 2.7%, in NI it is 3.9%
• Nationally the overall pass rate difference is 1.8%; in NI it
is 0.8%.
• In NI, females are 8.0% ahead of the National figure at grade
A, and 1% ahead at grades A – E. Males are ahead of the National
figure at grade A by 6.8%, and 2.0% ahead at grades A – E.
The five most popular A level subjects cashed-in in Northern Ireland are:
OVERALL |
MALES |
FEMALES |
|
1 |
Biology (10.6%) |
Mathematics (9.9%) |
English (12.0%) |
2 |
English (9.6%) |
Biology (9.7%) |
Biology (11.3%) |
3 |
Mathematics (7.7%) |
History (8.1%) |
Religious Studies (7.7%) |
4 |
Geography (7.2%) |
Geography (8.0%) |
Geography (6.6%) |
5 |
History (6.9%) |
Physics (7.5%) |
History (6.1%) |
2004 GCE AS Level Results Analysis (2003 figures in brackets)
2004 |
NATIONALLY |
NI ONLY |
ENTRIES |
1,039,379 (1,030,919) |
37,503 (35,453) |
%A |
17.5 (17.4) |
30.4 (28.3) |
%A - E |
86.9 (86.7) |
94.0 (93.3) |
In Northern Ireland:
• 37,503 AS Cash-ins
• 94.0% passed (grades A – E), with 30.4% at grade A
• Females outperform males by 4.1% at Grade A ( 32.1% female, 28.0% male)
• Females outperform males by 2.0% at Grades A-E (94.8% female, 92.8% male)
GENDER ISSUES – AS LEVELS
2004 |
NATIONALLY |
NI ONLY |
||
Males |
Females |
Males |
Females |
|
%A |
15.8 (15.6) |
19.0 (18.9) |
28.0 (26.2) |
32.1 (29.7) |
%A - E |
84.6 (84.2) |
88.8 (88.7) |
92.8 (92.0) |
94.8 (94.3) |
• Nationally the difference at grade A is 3.2%, in NI it is 4.1%
• Nationally the overall pass rate difference is 4.2%, in NI it
is 2.0%,
• In NI, females are 13.1% ahead of the National figure at grade
A, and 6.0% ahead at grades A – E. Males in NI are 12.2% ahead
of the National figure at grade A and 8.2% ahead at grades A –
E.
The five most popular AS subjects cashed-in in Northern Ireland are:
OVERALL |
MALES |
FEMALES |
|
1 |
Biology (10.8%) |
Biology (9.7%) |
Biology (11.6%) |
2 |
English (8.9%) |
Mathematics (9.3%) |
English (10.8%) |
3 |
Mathematics (7.1%) |
Physics (8.4%) |
Religious Studies (6.9%) |
4 |
History (7.0%) |
History (8.0%) |
Geography (6.5%) |
5 |
Geography (6.9%) |
Geography (7.4%) |
Chemistry (6.3%) |
Results in vocational A and AS levels are also available today.
In Northern Ireland there was in general a steady rise in the numbers
taking these subjects:
Vocational A levels (single award)
This is normally taken after 2 years. 3010 candidates took sufficient exams to gain a qualification, 60.5% were female, and 39.5% male.
The largest entry subject was IT with 69.2% of the total exams sat.
The pass rate for Vocational A levels (single award), A – E, was 89.8%, with 14.1% achieving grade A. The equivalent figures for 2003 were 85.4% achieving a pass, and 10.4% achieving grade A.
Vocational A levels (double award)
2793 candidates gained a qualification. 56.5% were female, and 43.5% male.
The largest entry subject was Business Studies (25.6%) followed by Health and Social Care (25.3%).
The pass rate for Vocational A levels (double award), AA – EE was 88.8%, with 7.4% achieving grade AA. The equivalent figures for 2003 were 87.1% of entries achieving a pass and 5.8% achieving grade AA.
Vocational AS levels
This is the fourth year of the new 3 unit qualification – only 4 subjects are available at present. There were 1276 results – 57% female and 43% male. The largest entry subject was IT (69.2%).
The pass rate for Vocational AS levels, A – E, was 91.6%, with 19.4% achieving grade A. In 2003 the pass rate (A – E) was 89.3%, with 17.1% achieving grade A.
Media enquiries to Ruth Maguire on (028) 9026 1216, Mobile 07796947993. E mail rhmaguire@ccea.org.uk
ENDS
Note to Editors
CCEA is the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.
CCEA places learners and those who have a concern for their educational and personal development at the forefront of its thinking. CCEA's mission is:
"To enable the full potential of all learners to be achieved and recognised"
What we do
CCEA is a unique educational body in the UK , bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment.
Advising Government – on what should be taught in Northern Ireland ’s schools and colleges.
Monitoring Standards – ensuring that the qualifications and examinations offered by awarding bodies in Northern Ireland are of an appropriate quality and standard.
Awarding Qualifications
– as Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body we offer a diverse range of qualifications, such as GCSEs, including the new GCSE Double Award specifications in vocational subjects, GCE A and AS levels, Entry Level Qualifications, and Graded Objectives in Modern Languages.
- CCEA also offers a range of Awards and Certificates in Education, Training and Skills (ACETS) targeted at learners who want to get
the knowledge, understanding and skills needed
to hit the ground running in the world of work.
