Northern Ireland's students have again performed extremely well according to GCSE results to be published on Thursday.

More than 30,000 students from the province are to learn the results of the exams which they took in June.

The grades have again improved with a 1% improvement in the number getting the top A* (star) grade.

This year's figure for A* - A went up to 22.2% compared to 20.6% in 1999, while 71.3% of entries achieved grades in the A* - C category.

A total 97.8% of those who sat the exam achieved grades in the A* - G range.

The chief executive of Northern Ireland's Council for Curriculum Evaluation and Assessment, Gavin Boyd, urged those who had completed the GCSE exam to continue in further education or training.

"The steady improvement we have seen this year and in previous years is not only welcome but I believe vital if we are to compete for investment and jobs in the future," he said.

Some school pupils will have their results posted out, while others will go to their schools to collect them.

But those who have done some or all of their exams with English-based examination boards, rather than the local CCEA, will have to wait until Thursday for those results.

Intermediate GNVQ results will be published on Thursday.

The latest results follow a top-class performance by Northern Ireland's A-level students who recorded the best grades in the UK when the results were published last week.