A-level results: Subject-by subject in Wales

Anastasia Arutyunyan and Kavan Hussein both got A* grades in Maths at Coleg Cambrian - one of the key subjects

Education Minister Huw Lewis praised the "high outcomes" for key subjects such as maths, further maths, and French.

But it is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to the Stem subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths).

Fewer pupils sat the biology exam, and the proportion gaining the top grades (A and A*) fell from 24.3% last year to 23.9% this year. Having said that, more pupils got an A*, up from 5.9% to 8.3% this year.

Chemistry entrants were also lower this year but the numbers getting the top grades stayed pretty much the same: 33.8% got an A or A* last year compared to 33.9% this year.

Again here there has been an increase in those gaining an A* grade: up to 9.3% from 8.9% last year.

In physics, the numbers sitting the exam stayed pretty much the same as last year. And while slightly more pupils got top grades, up to 28% from 27.8%, fewer of those got the very top, A* grade. That was down from 8.3% last year to 7.9% this year.

In maths there was a slight increase in the proportion of pupils gaining an A and A* as well as those gaining the top grade. The proportion getting an A* went from 17% last year to 19% this year.

Huw Lewis meeting A-level students at Bassaleg Comprehensive in Newport

Mr Lewis said: "I am particularly encouraged to see the increase of A*s at biology, chemistry and maths.

"These subjects are of real importance to a modern and highly skilled economy.

It was hit and miss when it came to modern foreign languages.

Those studying French did well, overall. More pupils got an A or A* and there was an increase in the A* too, from 4.1% last year to 5.7% this year.

However, German saw a serious decline in the top grades. The proportion gaining an A or A* fell from 34.2% last year to 22.3% this year. At the same time, those getting an A* went down from 7.9% to 4.1%

Only Spanish fares worse in terms of the top grade. The proportion of Spanish entrants gaining an A* went down from 9% last year to 4.1% this year.

It comes as there are fears about cuts to the funding of modern foreign languages.

Dr Philip Dixon, director of the union ATL Cymru said the results suggested the "disastrous decline" in modern foreign language take-up had been arrested.

The only other subject which saw a significant drop in top grades was Welsh as a first language. While there was an increase in the number sitting the exam, the proportion gaining an A and A* fell from 35.7% last year to 20% this year. At the same time, those getting an A* went down from 4.6% to 2.9%

English saw an increase in entrants, but a fall in the top grades. 16.7% gained an A or A* this year. That's down from 17.1% last year. And at A* the proportion fell from 5.3% to 5% this year.