Thousands of students in Northern Ireland to get results

Around 32,000 students in Northern Ireland will receive their GCSE and some vocational qualification results on Thursday.

As with last week’s A-level resultsIt is expected that the number of A* and A grades awarded could decrease compared to 2023.

The vast majority of students will collect their results from their school because, unlike A-level students, they cannot receive them online.

Northern Ireland’s exam board, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), has reported that results in 2024 are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels.

GCSE, AS and A-level exams have been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 Due to restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, students received grades calculated by their schools.

In subsequent years, students received assistance, including advance information about exam topics.

This has led to an increase in the number of top grades awarded, but GCSE results this year are expected to be similar to those in 2019.

Senan, 16, from St Malachy’s College in Belfast, is a keen musician and has already achieved an A* in music at the GCSE he took two years earlier.

“I had to do a performance, a composition and finally a written exam, listen to music, critique and evaluate,” he told BBC News NI.

“The music teachers have always been brilliant and really supportive and helped me a lot to get to where I am today.”

Besides music, he also enjoys languages ​​and mathematics, and he is quite confident about his results.

“I think everything went well. I did my best and I can only hope for good results. I hope maybe to get some A’s and B’s.”

He said the hardest thing about his GCSE exams was time management.

“The GSCEs really prepare you and teach you a lot about time management and commitment; those real-life skills,” he said.

Ariana, from Parkhall Integrated College in Antrim, says she feels “a bit nervous” about her results.

“I know I may not have done my best at the time,” she said.

“I found the examination process difficult and mostly had to adapt to an examination routine.

“I found that I was quite exhausted at the end.

“My school was able to offer me accommodations, so I have hope, but I’m not sure I did my best.”

Ariana wants to study politics, history and English literature at A level and hopes to one day become a politician or teacher.

“I’m not going to put myself down if I didn’t do well,” she said.

“It’s no use.”

“I’m happy for those who got the best grades, but people have to take into account the circumstances they were in at the time.

“I’m not going to compare myself to others because I know my brain works differently and I excel in areas where others don’t.”

Daisy, from Royal School Armagh, would like to study law or physiotherapy in the future.

She said: “I’ve been keeping busy all summer, but sometimes you suddenly remember you have to get those results right before you go to school.

“It’s nerve-wracking not knowing for a whole summer and having to wait until the very end.”

His message to the other students was: “There’s no point in being nervous because you can’t change what’s in this document.

“I hope all your hard work has paid off and you have enough money to do what you want to do. And if you don’t go back to sixth grade, there are other options.”

Ciara, from Our Lady and St Patrick’s College Knock, Belfast, will also receive her grades on Thursday.

Among her subjects, she studied mathematics, biology, Irish, history and geography.

“I think I’m aiming for A’s because it will be much easier to go from GCSE to A level with A’s,” she said.

“As long as my hard work is reflected in my grades, I will be happy.”

In the future, Ciara hopes to “do something that mixes biology and geography – either something to do with environmental science or earth and ocean science.”

But Ciara said it was difficult to choose what to do at such a young age.

She coped with the wait for results by trying to spend as much time as possible with her friends.

“When we spend time together, it relieves stress,” she said.

“I did my best to enjoy the break despite the weather ahead of us. I would hate to go back in September after wasting my summer worrying.”

“Everyone is very supportive and there is a good sense of community because the teachers support you.”

The vast majority of GCSEs in Northern Ireland are taken by pupils through CCEA.

Other students take exams in English and Welsh, so some students in Northern Ireland will receive results in both numbers and letters.

This is because GCSEs in England are numerically ranked from 9 to 1.

Students use their GCSEs and the results of other qualifications such as BTECs to progress to A levels, higher education courses, training or employment.

Additional reporting by Sarah Jane McEneny and Lili Busby.