Overview of the School's academic results
Before reviewing Merchiston's track record it is worth noting a few key facts.
- Merchiston is a mixed-ability school. Entrance to the School is not wholly based on academic ability, and thus it is not a 'hot-house' for very bright boys.
- Merchiston does not pre-select a small cohort to take the key GCSE and A level exams. Some schools, especially in Scotland, do this, only selecting the most able students. This is not the case at Merchiston, where the vast majority of boys sit GCSE/A level exams.
- Merchiston is an all-boys environment. Most schools are co-educational. Girls often perform better in exams - UK statistics show this. Thus Merchiston starts at a disadvantage when directly compared with a girls' school or a co-ed school. However, as the results show, our boys hold their own and often excel. We believe this is accounted for by the power of an all-boys environment for the education of boys.
In 2011 we were the top independent school in Scotland for A level results. Our GCSE results for A*, A & B Grades are consistently above 80%.
GCSE and A level results 2006-2011
| GCSE | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Pass (A*-C) | 98 | 98 | 97 | 98 | 97 | 98 |
| A* Grades | 27 | 24 | 22 | 29 | 31 | 28 |
| A Grades | 32 | 33 | 34 | 39 | 29 | 32 |
| A*, A & B Grades | 81 | 84 | 81 | 90 | 84 | 89 |
| A level | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Pass (A-E) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| A* Grades | - | - | - | 21 | 24 |
| A Grades | 47 | 42 | 49 | 36 | 39 |
| A(/A*) & B Grades | 79 | 82 | 80 | 80 | 84 |
| A(/A*) - C Grades | 93 | 95 | 94 | 95 | 95 |
Click here to view the Academic Results Booklet for 2011.
