The school’s archivist has recently discovered some exam papers of old. As today’s pupils are currently deep into their exam calendar it is fascinating to read what challenged the boys of 1920 - 1926.

The 1920 timetable illustrates just how busy the weeks of examinations were for these young men. Full days of English, Mathematics, History and Geometry. The week beginning the 29th March 1920 highlights the broad variety of languages offered by Heriot's at the time. French, Latin, German, Gaelic, Spanish, Italian and Greek! Today we may no longer offer Greek or Gaelic but we do teach Mandarin and continue to be known for our language department.  

The 1924 Grammar paper asks the pupils to answer five questions in 30 minutes, could you have a go at answering any of these? I certainly had to take pause just reading the questions.

Thankfully the 1926 paper allows for more time. For our Former Pupils who studied Chemistry more recently it would be fascinating to know if you could still answer these questions? Feel free to leave your answers in the comment section. 

I am certain each of us remember the nervousness and trepidation that surround exam days, it will be no different today, some 100 years later, than it was for the students in 1920's Heriots. However, I am sure you, like us will be sending your best wishes to all the Heriot's students experiencing their version of exams this month.