Delighted Principals were quick to praise the hard work and dedication of their pupils, teachers and parents throughout the year.
After the waiting period over the summer months, many A Level students are now planning to go to university, take a gap year or enter the world of work.
David Knox, Principal of Ballyclare High School told the Times: "This year brought another excellent set of results, probably our best ever. I am absolutely delighted. 76% of our candidates gained A and B grades, eleven students got four A grades and 28 got three A grades. 39 pupils got straight A grades."
He added: "The average UCAS point score was 350 which is our best effort ever. Quite a number of our pupils are going on to study Medicine or Law."
Across the town at Ballyclare Secondary School, Principal Uel McCrea was full of admiration for his hard-working pupils.
"Congratulations to our pupils and the staff involved," he said. "I'm delighted with the results and I know that a lot of hard work and dedication has gone into these exams.
"The A-Level pass rate is up on last year and 70% of entrants gained grades A to C. At AS Level there were some outstanding results with 99% pass rate, and 80% of pupils gaining grades A to C."
Glengormley High School's new Head, Lex Hayes, said: "The results have been excellent with 80% of pupils gaining grades A to C at A Level and 99% of our pupils achieved passes.
"Twelve out of 16 subjects have improved their results and that is testament to the hard work of the pupils, teachers and parents.
"Our ICT specialist status has also helped enhance the learning experience for our pupils. I must also say that our AS Level results were also fantastic."
At Belfast High School Principal Lynn Gormley said she was extremely pleased with an excellent set of "hard earned and well deserved" results.
"The pass rate is 100%," she said. "There has been a marked increase in the number of pupils achieving A and B grades. These results are hard earned and well deserved. They are the best ever in the history of the school. They are a tribute to the sheer hard work and commitment of the pupils, the staff and the support of parents and governors."
Across Northern Ireland the percentage of entries gaining an A grade has risen by 2.2% to 35.4%. Girls have again performed better than boys overall although the gap has decreased at the A grade this year.
And, once again, Northern Ireland students have outperformed their counterparts in England and Wales
CCEA's Director of Qualifications, Anne Marie Duffy commented: "The amount of work that is involved in preparing for A Level examinations cannot be underestimated. Students in Northern Ireland are to be congratulated for their exceptional performance this year and credit must be given to the teachers and parents who have supported them."
Education Minister Caitriona Ruane said: "Congratulations to all the young people who have received their A and AS Level results. I firmly believe that they result from the hard work, enthusiasm and dedication of our young people. The results are also a credit to the professionalism, passion and commitment of teachers and parents.
"There will be young people who did not get the results that they hoped for in order to pursue their career. However, you have come this far and I would urge you not to give up pursuing your goals, there are many options available to you and I would urge you to explore these.
"I wish you all every success for the future on whatever your chosen career route. This is an exciting time in your life and I would advise that you consider all avenues open to you and make your own decision as to what goal you wish to achieve."
A dedicated support helpline has been set up by CCEA so guidance is available for the thousands of students who have received their A-Level results, as well as for those those getting GCSE results today, August 21.
The helpline provides information on accessing CCEA's post results services such as Enquiry about Results.
The helpline is now in operation from 9am to 5pm until Thursday, August 28. Anyone with any queries regarding CCEA's examination results can call 028 9026 1260, email helpline@ccea.org.uk, or log onto the CCEA website www.ccea.org.uk to search for answers from the Frequently Asked Questions section.
The contact telephone for the Careers Service meanwhile, is 028 9044 1781.