More than 56,000 students are getting their Junior Certificate results throughout the State today.
The results are being made available from schools or from the online examinations service from 4pm.
Amid fears over excesses at tonight's Junior Cert celebrations, teachers' unions and drinks industry bodies have called on publicans and off-licence retailers to be careful they do not sell alcohol to under-age students.
High failure rates in maths, science and in several language subjects are the most striking feature of the results. They mirror the pattern in the Leaving Cert results last month and show a high failure rate across virtually all subjects at ordinary level.
Seven per cent of students failed ordinary level science and another 5 per cent failed the higher level paper despite the introduction of a new syllabus designed to arrest the decline in numbers taking science subjects at Leaving Cert level.
The figures will be seen as further evidence of a crisis in maths. Last month, more than 4,000 students failed Leaving Cert maths, making them ineligible for most third-level courses.
The failure rates in several language subjects at ordinary level in this year's Junior Cert will also cause concern. A high failure rate was also evident in technology (13 per cent), woodwork (7 per cent) metalwork (15 per cent) and technical graphics (8 per cent).
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin congratulated students and said she was glad to see large numbers of adults continuing to go back to studying.
"The Junior Certificate provides an important record of students' progress while equipping them with valuable skills for their future," she said.
"Overall, I am happy to see that the results and trends are broadly on a par with previous years."
She called on students to enjoy their achievements and celebrate their results sensibly while not putting themselves or others at risk.
ASTI President, Sheila Parsons, also sent a message of congratulations to students, parents and teachers involved in the 2005 Junior Certificate Examinations.
"I hope that reaching this important milestone in your life will encourage you to make the most of your individual talents and skills in the coming years," said Ms Parsons.
Meanwhile, the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (Digi) chairman Richard Dunne has warned bars and nightclubs to be on the lookout for underage drinkers following the publication of the Junior Cert results.
The Chief Executive of MEAS (Mature enjoyment of alcohol in society) Ms Fionnuala Sheehan called on all licensees to be vigilant and to check ID carefully.
She also called on the Government to introduce a tamper-proof, universal ID card, to help parents, publicans, off-licensees and the Gardaí to enforce the current law.
A garda spokeswoman advised students to celebrate their exam results "sensibly".