Pupils have shared their happiness at reaching the next stage of their education after receiving their AS and A-level results.
The years have flown by since the students returned to in-person schooling post-Covid and, as expected, results have returned to pre-pandemic levels, with the reintroduction of more traditional exam arrangements.
In 2019, 29.4% of students received the top grades — and on Thursday morning it was confirmed that, again, almost a third of pupils in Northern Ireland were awarded a A/A* grade.
It does represent a fall in top grades after the years of the pandemic saw a significant rise in results when teachers calculated grades for students.
Aaron Weir (17) said he was “a bit worried” when studying for his AS exams, as he knew this would be the first normal exam year to take place since the Covid outbreak began.
However, with three As secured in his subjects of biology, chemistry and history, he is excited about beginning his final year at Belfast High School.
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“I do look forward to getting back,” he told The Belfast Telegraph.
“It was stressful this year, but it’s going to be even more stressful next year.”
Aaron’s friend Jovial Vincent Gigy (17) was awarded AAC grades for his AS exams in biology, chemistry and maths.
He has also been enjoying academic life and said that he hasn’t found the jump from GCSEs to A-levels too hard, as the reduction in the number of subjects has helped.
Both teens, who are delighted with their results, still aren’t sure what they want to do once they leave school.
Meanwhile, those in the year above them, who have now completed their time in secondary education, already know whether or not they have got in to the universities of their choice.
Ruairidh Davis (18) and Adam Patterson (18) of Belfast High School. 15/08/2024
Adam Patterson (18) received an astounding four A*s in his A-levels (maths, chemistry, biology and history) and found out on Thursday that he has been accepted into Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) to study medicine.
He said: “I got in this morning. Mum was doing little dances.”
His friend Ruairidh Davis (18) will also be joining him at QUB.
“I was really happy with my results,” said Ruairidh.
“I didn’t exactly get the offer I wanted for Queen’s, but I did get into Queen’s anyway, to study a degree in geography, so I’m pretty happy. I got a BBC in maths, biology and geography.
“I’m going to see Two Door Cinema Club in concert tonight to celebrate as well.”
Leah Horan (17), Lily Behzadi (17) and Jazmin Marrow (17) of Belfast High School. 15/08/2024
AS pupil Lily Behzadi (17) noted that she and her peers are relieved to have the stress of this year’s exams and results over them, and she has been pleasantly surprised by her grades.
“I was actually devastated [coming out of my English exam]. I had a really bad headache during it, so I had to get special consideration and everything. I thought: ‘Oh, my God, this has gone terribly.’ But it apparently didn’t: I got a B.
“I think I want to do law and history [when I do leave school], but I’m not sure exactly what university to go to yet. I’m going to look at a few in September.”
Lily’s friend Leah Horan (17) is hoping to study medicine at QUB, but if not, she will instead aim to attend university in England to pursue her dreams of being a doctor.
Their other schoolmate Jazmin Marrow (17), meanwhile, is stuck between wanting to study primary school teaching at Stranmillis or psychology at QUB.
Niamh Davis Wilson (right), of Bloomfield Collegiate School in east Belfast, receives a hug from a friend after opening her AAB results. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye
All three are pleased with how their results turned out, but for anyone who has been disappointed with their grades, Education Minister Paul Givan shared that he took a “very different path” to his career.
“My results had taken me down a different path to what I had thought, because I had hoped to go straight into university, but I didn’t quite get the grades that I needed,” he said, speaking at Belfast High.
“But I persevered. And that’s one of the messages today: maybe not everyone has got the results that they wanted, but there are other pathways open to you, and if you just keep working hard you will get to that end destination that you want.
“Some people might not want to go to university as well. They might want to go straight into an apprenticeship or employment.”