Each year, over 200 Sydney Boys High School students sit the Higher School Certificate (HSC). Since the new HSC commenced on average 73% of students score an ATAR/UAI of 90 or greater, and 18% score 99 or greater. In 2012, 156 students scored an ATAR of 90 or greater and 49 students scored an ATAR of 99 or greater. Students are surveyed for their ATARs at the annual school brunch in the last week term 4 following the release of the ATARs. In the file below, students not in attendance have their ATARs estimated from their actual HSC results, using a reliable estimator program.

ATAR/UAI Breakdown 2001-2012

Each year the Principal, Dr K Jaggar, gives a presentation on the results of the previous year. In 2013 a less formal discussion of results took place on 11 February 2013.

A z-scores calculation, which measures the standardised difference between the school's mean results from the state mean, is available for each course. In small candidature courses, the z-score can be very high. In some small courses it may vary significantly from year to year. In larger courses, this analysis shows particularly strong results in 2012 for Legal Studies, Modern History and Chemistry, all with z-scores of greater than one standard deviation:

Z-Score Course Rank 2012

Another form of analysis is Challenge and Value. This shows for each course the number of candidates in the state in the top 1% of each course and the lowest HSC score per unit required to be included. It also compares the HSC scores and the ATAR calculated scores at the 90th and 75th percentiles for those courses. The performance in each course can then be compared as the average student’s ATAR score in each course against to the school standard score of 36.7 per unit:

Course Challenge and Value 2012

Overall, the school's strength continues to be Mathematics. In 2012, Students achieved, on average, a score 10.5 marks above the state average in Mathematics, 8 marks above the state in Math Extension 1 and 6.5 marks above the state in Maths Extension 2. The school is similarly strong in sciences, social sciences, history and industrial arts/technology. The school's English results have shown marked improvement over recent years with both English Advanced and English Extension 1 results now 7 marks above the state mean.

Subject HSC Results by Area (State vs School) 2001-2012
Subject ATAR/UAI Results by Area (State vs School) 2001-2012

Since the introduction of the New HSC in 2001, the number of "Band 6" results - scores of over 90 in a subject - have been steadily increasing across. This has been reflected in the school with an increase of in excess of 80% in the number of band 6 scores since the introduction of the New HSC.

Growth of Band 6 Results 2001-2011

Broken down subject by subject, in numerical terms Sydney Boys High sees the majority of its Band 6 results in Mathematics and the Maths Extension subjects followed by English, sciences (Physics and Chemistry) and Economics. Small candidature subjects can achieve high percentage band 6 results - languages, Music, Ancient History, Visual Arts, Engineering Studies and Software Design.

Band 6 Results by Subject 2004-2012

Each year students who score 90 or above in 10 or more units of study are placed on the HSC All-Round Achievers list. In the 2012 HSC, 40 students placed on this list: Jonathan Adhika, Christopher Chiam, Ming Chin, Timothy Chin, Sudam Dias, Krishnendu Dutta, Leo Fang, Lucas Fang, Shi Feng, Andrew Fong, Dhruv Guptaa, Harry Heo, Chun Ho, William Ho, Tejas Iyer, Kevin Krahe, Patrick Krakovsky, Brian Lam, Kenny Lau, Gary Liang, Richard Lin, Zafar Rizvi, Ronald Ngai, Michael Nguyen, Jason Pham, Michael Pham, Suman Prusty, Shubash Quazi, Jonathan Ren, Siddharth Sethi, Gavin Sutton, Jamison Tsai, Rukshan Useelananthan, Benjamin Wilcox, Andrew Wu, Hao Wu, Wade Yang, Chris Ye, Jerry Zhou and Jack Zou.

Additionally, the following students placed state order of merit with top 10 results in a subject: Christopher Chiam (1st in Classical Greek Continuers), Fred Meng (1st in Engineering Studies), Gary Liang (3rd in Mathematics Extension 2, 7th in Economics, 8th in Mathematics Extension 1), Chun Ho (3rd in Engineering Studies aeq), Derek Wei (4th in Engineering Studies), Shi Feng (4th in Heritage Chinese), William Ho (4th in Latin Continuers, 5th in Latin Extension, 9th in Mathematics Extension 2) and Michael Lee (5th in Mathematics Extension 2, 7th in Mathematics Extension 1).

Over 98% of Sydney High students go on to university education once they complete their HSC. Popular courses for students include business and commerce courses, various combined law degrees, medical sciences and engineering. The breakdown of degree programs for the Class of 2012 (entering university in 2012) follows:

Degree Programs - 2003-2012

The general trend is for at least one third (and up to a half) of students to attend the University of New South Wales, another third attend the University of Sydney and the remainder are spread primarily to the University of Technology, Sydney and Macquarie University, but some attending other universities around the state, inter-state and overseas. In 2012 (2013 entry), over 60% of Sydney Boys High School students chose to attend the University of New South Wales.

The full table of student destinations between 1995 and 2012 (entering university between 1996 and 2013) is also available:
Student Destinations 1995-2012

Noticeable trends for the 2013 entry include:

• Continued strong numbers of students studying combined law degrees.
• A very strong number of students pursuing a science degree
• A slight increase in the number of students studying Commerce/Business degrees
• Continued weak numbers of student pursuing straight Arts degrees
• Strong numbers of students undertaking a course at UNSW, primarily at the expense of Sydney. ANU outnumbered UTS, Macquarie and UWS.