NORTHERN IRELAND students have registered another strong performance in the GCSE exams, with the percentage of top grades up once again.
Results out yesterday showed that 8.9 per cent of entries in the North achieved the top A* grade, compared with 8.5 per cent in 2011. There was also a small increase in the A*-C bracket, with 75.6 per cent of entries achieving these grades – up 0.8 per cent on last year.
About 32,000 pupils sat GCSEs in Northern Ireland this year. Girls are still outperforming boys when it comes to results – at the A* level by 3.8%, at A*-A by 9.4 per cent and at A*-C by 7.3 per cent.
The results were published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).
This year saw strong Northern Ireland performances in the sciences, maths and technology. The percentage of entries achieving A*-C in chemistry was 93.6 per cent (93.3 per cent in 2011), in physics 93.7 per cent (92.6 per cent in 2011), and in biology 90 per cent (91.4 per cent in 2011).
Entries in biology and chemistry remained steady. Physics saw a fall of 2.8 per cent in entries from 2,966 in 2011 to 2,884 in 2012.
In mathematics and design and technology, there were also rises in the percentage of entries gaining top grades.
In mathematics 62.9 per cent of entries achieved grades A*-C (60.9per cent in 2011). In design and technology, performance at A*-C rose to 73.9 per cent (from 71.3 per cent in 2011).
The JCQ noted a fall in modern languages entries. After gains last year, 2012 saw a drop in entries for most modern language subjects. French, Irish and Spanish all saw a fall in entry figures. In contrast, entries for German rose 6.2 per cent to 1,138. The most popular language remained French, with 6,402 entries. – (PA)