While the pass mark for GCSEs remained the same as last year at 97.6%, top grades showed the biggest increase since 1999.
A* to C passes were up from 58.1% last year to 59.2% this year. While A* to A grades increased at a similar level up from 16.7% last year to 17.4% this year.
In the war of the sexes, girls won the day. At grades A-C they topped the boys by 8.4% and by 5.3% at grades A*-A.
More students entered the exam for maths and science with pupils achieving an increase of 1.6% for the top grade A* to C in maths.
Chemistry entries were up 5%, while physics and biology rose 5.1% and 4.4% respectively.
The government welcomed news that maths and science entrants were up. Schools minister, David Miliband said: “It is encouraging more pupils are taking maths and gaining good grades. It is also good to see more pupils taking science.”
Entrants for languages were down, however, with fewer students taking French and German.
