Melbourne High School
Melbourne High School is a fully selective, single-sex boys' government secondary school in South Yarra, on the north bank of the Yarra River. It was established in 1905 as the Melbourne Continuation School, was renamed Melbourne High School in 1912, and moved to its current Forrest Hill site in 1927. It is one of Victoria's four selective entry high schools, admitting students at Year 9 through a statewide entrance examination administered by ACER on behalf of the Department of Education. Its sister school is The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School.
Key facts
| Location | South Yarra, Inner Melbourne |
|---|---|
| Type | Selective Entry High School |
| Gender | Boys |
| Entry year | Year 9 |
| Places (approx.) | 336 |
| Applicants (approx.) | approx. 1,500 (first-preference applicants) |
Entry score history
Official minimum entry scores are not published for recent years. Historical figures use earlier scoring scales and are not directly comparable to current scores. Estimates are indicative only and labelled as such. Always confirm details with the school and the relevant Department of Education.
No officially published entry scores are available for Melbourne High School. Selection is based on performance in the Victorian Selective Entry High Schools Test.
Education departments no longer publish exact cutoff scores for recent years, so the only reliable strategy is maximising performance across every test section rather than chasing a target number.
The test you'll sit
Entry to Melbourne High School is decided by the Victorian Selective Entry High Schools Test.
Read the full VIC Selective Entry Test guide →How to prepare
- Free sample lessons — guided tutorials covering the reading, mathematical reasoning, thinking skills and writing sections of the Victorian Selective Entry High Schools Test.
- Practice books — downloadable PDF practice papers and drills.
- A personalised iClass study plan tracks mastery against Melbourne High School and tells you whether your child is on track to be ready by test day.
Common questions
Neither the Victorian Department of Education nor ACER publishes a cut-off or minimum entry score for Melbourne High School. Selection is by rank, not a fixed pass mark: about 85% of places go to the highest-ranked candidates on exam performance, up to 10% to candidates meeting equity criteria, and up to 5% at the principal's discretion (17 places were reserved in this category in the most recent published intake). Because places are awarded by ranking each candidate against that year's applicant pool, the standard required to gain entry varies from year to year and is never released as a single number.
Melbourne High School offers approximately 336 Year 9 places each year. Around 1,500 students who sit the entrance exam list Melbourne High as their first-preference school, though the school also receives offers-eligible candidates who listed it as a lower preference, so this first-preference figure is not the same as a simple applicants-to-places ratio.
Entry to Melbourne High School is primarily at Year 9, via the Victorian selective entry high schools exam sat in Year 8 (Term 2 of the preceding year). The school also considers a limited number of applications for Year 10 and Year 11 entry through a separate process, subject to place availability.
Entry to Melbourne High School is through the Victorian selective entry high schools exam, administered by ACER and sat in Year 8. The roughly three-hour exam covers Reading Reasoning, Mathematics Reasoning, Verbal General Ability, Quantitative General Ability, and a Writing task.
Aiming for Melbourne High School?
iClass builds a goal-driven study plan around your child's target school, tracks every practice session, and forecasts whether they will be ready by test day.
Sources
- Selective entry high schools (vic.gov.au)
- Victorian Selective Entry High Schools: Results and selection (ACER)
- Melbourne High School - Enrol (official school site)
- Melbourne High School — Wikipedia
Data last verified 2026-07-07.