A-Level pupils from across Fermanagh picked up their results this morning (August 15), marking the beginning of the next chapter of their lives as they go on to either university, higher education, travel or work.

This year there was a strong performance from Northern Ireland students overall, with small increases across all grades. There was a slight increase in those awarded the top grade, with 8.8 per cent of entries receiving an A* Grade, up 0.6 percentage points from 2018. A* - A Grade increased 0.5 percentage points to 30.9 per cent. The A* - E pass rate remained stable with a 0.1 percentage point increase to 98.3 per cent.

The rise at the A* Grade has been mainly driven by an increase in female outcomes, up 1.2 percentage points. Grade A also increased by 1.4 percentage points for females. Male outcomes decreased slightly, with A* Grade down 0.1 percentage points and Grade A down 0.6 percentage points.

Commenting on this summer’s GCE results, Justin Edwards, Chief Executive of the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) said: “Congratulations to all those receiving their A-Level results this morning. The results are a testament to the hard work and dedication shown by students over the past two years."

He added: "Once again students in Northern Ireland have performed well. We are delighted for the students and all those that helped them achieve their results.”