Once again girls have netted most of the top grades.

The results were published by the local exams body, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.

The CCEA said the results painted a picture of steady improvement.

Lion's share

Some pupils got them by post, while others will be calling into schools to collect them.

What we are seeing today is the result of hard work by the students and teaching of the highest quality

Gavin Boyd, CCEA Chief Executive

Overall, the number of pupils who got the top Grade A* has gone up to 7%, with girls claiming the lion's share.

Nine per cent of them got an A* grade, compared to 5.3% of boys.

Girls achieved 10% more than boys in the two top grades.

But this only represents about 70% of results, with the rest done through the English examining bodies.

The CCEA results are published two days ahead of the English boards.

Until they are revealed on Thursday, comparative figures are not available but it is expected that the results among pupils in Northern Ireland will be better than in England and Wales.

CCEA Chief Executive Gavin Boyd said: "In Northern Ireland we are rightly proud of the consistently excellent performance of candidates in GCSE and other exams.

"What we are seeing today is the result of hard work by the students, teaching of the highest quality and consistent support from parents."

Counterparts

The early issuing of the results is done in recognition of the earlier start-back dates for schools and colleges in Northern Ireland.

Last week, Northern Ireland students gained more top A-level grades than their counterparts in England and Wales.

A record 48,000 grades were issued.

Results for the controversial AS courses for lower sixth pupils were also released last week and pupils did much better than those in England and Wales.

There were complaints that AS-levels had been rushed in and both teachers and pupils felt overworked.