UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 12, 15 January 1929, Page 8

UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —The 1 letter appearing in your columns on university examinations, under the norn de plume "Handicapped," should certainly commend itself to the University authorities for their consideration.. It cannot be denied that the conditions under which Wellington students were compelled to sit last November contributed in no small degree to the failure of many candidates, in several instances by a very small margin. In two subjects in -which the writer sat for the final examination, 49 per cent.' and 47 per cent, respectively were the marks allotted by the examiner. On these figures it is not unnatural to assume that the candidate must have had a sufficient knowledge of his subjects to have gained him, under normal examination conditions, more than the required percentage for a pass (50 per cent.). I would also like to ask. the University Council whether the serious handicaps to wliich Wellington students were subjected were taken into consideration by the examiners when marking the papers. Through concentration on the papers last November was impossible under the conditions.

As your correspondent "Handicapped" suggests, the revival of the March Accountany Examination this year would go a long way to. erase from students' minds the regretful conditions prevailing last November.—l am, etc.,

"RECOMPENSE."

"Nervous" supports the request and adds: "As the examinations for law are held in March, surely it would be no great hardship on the council to revive the old regulations for this year,, and so give the AVellington students the same opportunities as other centres have had. The nominations for the March examinations close on the Ist of February, therefore if the council proposes to give these genuine triers a fair trial an early announcement should be made." -