Press Release
Date: Thursday 14 August 2008 (NR/17/08)
Excellent performance by Northern Ireland A Level Students
Northern Ireland’s awarding body, the Council for the Curriculum. Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) has released figures for the performance of Northern Ireland students in this summer’s GCE examinations.
The headline information is:
- For the third year running there has been a slight decrease in A level entries to 30,020
- The percentage of entries gaining an A grade has risen by 2.2% to 35.4%
- There has been excellent performance in mathematics, languages and sciences
- Traditional subjects remain the most popular with Northern Ireland students
- Girls have again performed better than boys overall although the gap has decreased at the A grade this year
- Once again Northern Ireland students have outperformed their counterparts in England and Wales
CCEA’s Director of Qualifications, Anne Marie Duffy commented:
The amount of work that is involved in preparing for A-Level examinations cannot be underestimated. Students in Northern Ireland are to be congratulated for their exceptional performance this year and credit must be given to the teachers and parents who have supported them.
For many years now Northern Ireland students have outperformed their counterparts in England and Wales and this year is no exception. The results show that they prefer, and perform well in mathematics, sciences and languages. Now is the time to celebrate their results and look forward to the future..
Northern Ireland’s A level entries have dropped slightly by 2.6% to 30,020. This compares to an overall national entry of 827, 737 which is up by 2.7%, tracking demographic trends.
Performance remains well ahead of England and Wales with 35.4% gaining a grade A as set against the equivalent national figure of 25.9%. The overall A-E pass rate in Northern Ireland is 98.2% compared to 97.2% nationally.
Biology is the most popular subject followed closely by English and Mathematics.
Gender Gap Narrowing
Girls again performed better than boys at GCE A level however at the A grade, this gap has decreased. Girls outperform boys by 2.5 % in comparison to 3.9% last year, while across the A – E grade range the gap is narrower with girls outperforming boys by just 0.5 %.
Once again Northern Ireland boys outperform both girls and boys in England and Wales at the A grade.
Popular Subjects
Mathematics and Sciences
Biology and Chemistry entries are up this year with Physics remaining fairly constant. Mathematics remains one of the most popular subjects and its entries are increasing year on year.
Languages
Languages also continue to do well with increased entries in French and German and a slight decrease in Irish and Spanish.
Students or parents with concerns over GCE results should contact
By telephone
Tel No. (028) 9026 1260
By website
Search for answers from the Frequently Asked Questions section.
By e-mail
Northern Ireland GCSE results statistics will be made available on Thursday 21 August 2008.
In the pictures below CCEA Chief Executive, Neil Anderson Celebrates with Lagan College students as they collect their A-level results.
Additional Information
Detailed tabulations for Northern Ireland GCE results are being sent along with this news release.
GCE A Level results at a glance 2008 (2007 figures in brackets)
Please note the figures below are provisional and subject to enquiry and appeal
| 2008 | NI | NATIONAL |
|---|---|---|
| Entries | 30,020 (30,815) | 827, 737 (805, 657 ) |
| %A | 35.4 (33.2 ) | 25.9 (25.3) |
| %A – B | 64.4 (62.8) | 50.8 (49.7) |
| %A – C | 84.4 (83.8) | 73.9 (72.8) |
| %A – D | 94.5 (93.9) | 89.6 (88.8) |
| %A – E | 98.2 (98.0) | 97.2 (96.9) |
Top five most popular A Level Subjects in N Ireland
| Overall | MALE | FEMALE |
|---|---|---|
| Biology (10.9%) | Mathematics (10.4%) | Biology (11.6%) |
| English (8.7%) | Biology (9.9%) | English (10.6%) |
| Mathematics (8.5%) | History (9.0%) | Religious Studies (8.8%) |
| History (8.1%) | Chemistry (6.8%) | History (7.4%) |
| Religious Studies (6.8%) | Geography (6.8%) | Mathematics (7.1%) |
GCE AS Level Results at a glance 2008
| 2008 | NATIONALLY | NI ONLY |
|---|---|---|
| ENTRIES | 1,128,150 | 37,017 |
| %A | 18.7 | 33.1 |
| %A - E | 88.2 | 95.2 |
The five most popular AS subjects in Northern Ireland
| OVERALL | MALES | FEMALES | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology (11%) | Mathematics (10.2%) | Biology (11.9%) |
| 2 | Mathematics (8.5%) | Biology (9.9%) | English (10.1%) |
| 3 | English (7.9%) | History (8.4%) | Religious Studies (7.7%) |
| 4 | History (7.4%) | Physics (8%) | Mathematics (7%) |
| 5 | Chemistry (6.6%) | Chemistry (6.8%) | History (6.6%) |
Media enquiries to Frances Logue on (028) 9026 1298, Mobile 07747 560516. E mail flogue@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.
