More boys than girls get top A-level grade for first time in NI
Michael Cooper More boys than girls have achieved the top A-Level grade in Northern Ireland for the first time.
A total of 8.4% of entries from boys resulted in an A* grade compared to 8% of entries from girls.
However, girls in Northern Ireland still outperform boys overall, though the gap is closing.
About 30,000 students received their A-level and AS-level results on Thursday.
A-Level entries declined by over 5% in 2018 though exam organisations said that was mainly due to a falling Year 14 population in schools.
The percentage of entries achieving A* or A grades remained unchanged from last year at 30.4%.
However, the overall A*-E pass rate at A-level in Northern Ireland decreased slightly by 0.1% to 98.2%.
BBC News NI will also be hosting a special Facebook Live to answer any questions that students and parents might have.
Please join us on Thursday 16 August at 19:00 BST and put your questions to our panel of experts.
Maths remained the most popular A-level subject overall with over one in 10 entries.
Biology, Religious Studies, English Literature and History complete the list of the top five most popular subjects.
The chief executive of the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) Justin Edwards said that Northern Ireland pupils had again performed well.
"The results are also recognition of the dedication and support provided by teachers and schools," he said.
"This year males achieved a higher percentage of A* grades."
PA"This is the first time males have performed better than females since the grade was introduced."
"The performance gap, between females and males, also narrowed at the other grades."
Students were able to access their exam results from 07:00 BST on Thursday, but many went to their schools to discover their grades.
Many of those getting their results have already applied to university and will have their place confirmed if they get the grades they need.
However, figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show there has been a 5% fall in Northern Irish students applying to go to university this year.
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Many pupils will pursue other options, including apprenticeships, entry into further education, employment or a gap year.
In recent years, Northern Ireland students have outperformed their counterparts in England and Wales.
In 2017, for instance, A* or A grades were achieved in over three in 10 (30.4%) Northern Ireland entries.
There have been big changes to A-levels in England with reduced or no coursework in many subjects and exams alone determining results.
AS-levels also no longer count towards the final A-level mark in England.
That is not the case in Northern Ireland, where AS-level results still count towards the final A-level grade.
Over three-quarters of Northern Ireland A-levels are taken through the CCEA.
The rest of the entries are through a variety of England and Welsh exam boards.
CCEA will operate an exams helpline on 028 9026 1260 from 07:00 on Thursday.
Universities, further education colleges and the careers service run by the Department for the Economy will also operate additional advice and help services.