Around one in eight sixth-formers scored at least three top grades in their A-levels this year – despite changes to the exams which made them tougher.
New data shows 13 per cent of students achieved the equivalent of three A* or A grades – almost the same proportion as the previous year, when 12.9 per cent got these scores.
Meanwhile, over a fifth – 21.8 per cent – gained at least two As and a B, compared with 21.6 per cent the previous year.
The data, from the Department for Education, also showed fewer pupils studied for the EBacc this year at GCSE as increasing numbers shunned languages.
Around one in eight sixth-formers scored at least three top grades in their A-levels this year – despite changes to the exams which made them tougher
The changes this year at A-level stripped out modular AS-levels that had been examined after the first year of the course.
The new A-levels had less coursework and instead relied on final exam marks.
In several subjects, the new content was regarded by teachers as tougher, with subjects such as chemistry and physics having a heavier emphasis on maths.
Many people expected the results to go down because of the reforms – reversing the grade inflation that was seen under New Labour.
But the exams regulator Ofqual now makes sure the grade boundaries are set each year to produce the same proportions gaining each grade.
Critics have questioned what the point is of reforming exams when such tinkering is taking place and have branded it a ‘prizes for all’ mentality.
But Ofqual say it is fair because students should not be put at a disadvantage in comparison with those taking exams in previous years.
The DfE also released GCSE data yesterday which showed fewer teenagers are taking a key set of academic GCSEs.
The figures showed a drop in the proportion of students being entered for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), a group of GCSEs that includes English, maths, science, humanities (history or geography) and foreign languages.
In addition, fewer youngsters are scoring the equivalent of at least a C grade in this combination of courses.
The decline is being driven by a drop in pupils entering for language GCSEs, government statisticians said.
School leaders argued that the fall in languages was caused by a number of factors, including budget pressures and difficulties in recruiting teachers for the subject.
The EBacc was pioneered by Michael Gove when he was education secretary
In addition, the EBacc measure – which was introduced by former Education Secretary Michael Gove – was being overtaken by new government performance measures for schools based on pupil progress and eight GCSEs, which do not require students to enter for all areas of the EBacc, it was suggested.
Overall, 38.1 per cent of state school pupils in England were entered for all areas of the EBacc this year, down 1.5 percentage points on last year.
It was the first fall in entries since 2011.
The EBacc was pioneered by Michael Gove when he was education secretary, who hoped it would help phase out ‘mickey mouse’ subjects.
The falls are likely to be seen as a set back to the government’s aim for three-quarters of pupils – 75 per cent – to be taking the EBacc by 2022.
A DfE spokeswoman said: ‘We are disappointed that so many pupils are missing out on studying languages.
‘We are developing a number of initiatives to help schools recruit language teachers, including a partnership with Spain to help recruit high-quality candidates.’