More than 140,000 students received a GCSE in biology today, with 90.4% receiving an A* to C grade.

Although there has been a slight drop in the numbers taking GCSE biology, the percentage of students who received top grades has increased, with 42.2% of the total GCSE biology cohort receiving an A or A* grade, compared to 41.4% in 2016.

Additional science entries have increased, with 376,347 students sitting the subject this year, compared to 368,033 in 2016. More than 219,000 students – 58.2% of the total number of entries – achieved an A* - C grade.

The overall number of GCSE entries increased this year, rising 3.9% to just over 5.4 million.

This is the final year in which science GCSEs will be graded by letter; next year, science subjects will be graded in accordance with the new numbered system which has already been rolled out across GCSE subjects exams in English language, English literature and mathematics.

This new system is designed to allow for better differentiation of students receiving top grades, with an A being roughly equivalent to a 7, and a C grade equivalent to a 4.