Almost 59,000 school students received the results of their Junior Certificate exams.
Numbers sitting the exam have risen this year by just over 3%, with numbers opting for the Higher Level Maths paper rising by 7%.
Overall, the results are in line with previous years.
Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn said he hoped the rise in numbers doing Higher Level Maths would be reflected in the Leaving Certificate cycle.
Congratulating the Junior Cert class of 2012, Mr Quinn said he hoped they would enjoy their celebrations this evening responsibly.
