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The Conservatives are planning a radical revamp of school league tables.
Their changes would mean more weight given to 'hard' GCSEs and A-levels such as maths and physics and less to 'soft' ones such as dance and media studies.
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, shadow schools secretary Michael Gove said Labour's "meddling and micro-managing of exams had dumbed down the system".
Instead, the Conservatives propose that school league tables should have more points allocated for A-levels in 'hard' subjects.
And vocational qualifications such as the new Diploma should be removed from league tables as they are "nowhere near as academically demanding" as A-levels or GCSEs.
His criticisms came as an analysis revealed the A-level pass rate has soared over the last 20 years compared to other qualifications.
"Everyone from Sir Peter Williams, who carried out the government's maths review, to the Royal Society of Chemistry acknowledge that there has been deterioration of standards," Gove said.
"Ofqual, the exam regulator, has admitted that the current level of rigour in GCSE science is not good enough.
"There is objective evidence from people who care about academic standards that they are not what they should be."
He also claimed that some schools encourage pupils to take exams in subjects which may not be in their best interest but are easy to pass.
"Exams which are rigorous, such as the international GCSE (IGCSE), does not count at all in league tables," Gove said. "Which is why schools such as Eton and St Paul's, which favour the IGCSE, come bottom in the official league tables. This nonsense can't go on."
A Department for Children Schools and Families spokeswoman responded that the UK's examination system had not been dumbed down.
"GCSEs and A-levels are internationally respected qualifications and tired claims that they have been 'dumbed down' have been investigated and refuted on numerous occasions, first by Ofsted and then by Ofqual," she said.
"Reforms to GCSEs in September will ensure that more varied questions and opportunities for extended writing will continue to stretch young people.
"We are also making A-levels more challenging with the introduction of the A* to reward top performers, and the extended project which will give candidates the chance to develop research and thinking skills needed for university."
But Alan Smithers, professor of education at the University of Buckingham, said:
"If you are working to a standard you'd expect the pass rate to remain about the same. With the A-levels you see built-in inflation. It's becoming easier and easier to get the top grades."
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