BE.—ls^

7

NUMBEB OF CANDIDATES EXAMINED. Auckland, 34; Thames, 8 ; New Plymouth, 5; Tauranga, 1; Napier, 3; Wanganui, 22; Wellington, 57; Nelson, 29; Greymouth, 6; Beefton, 1; Charleston, 1; Holritika, 7; Christchurch, 18; Oamaru, 2 ; Dunedin, 31. Since the establishment of the Board the number of candidates examined has been,—

SUBJECTS OF EXAMINATION. The Board has had under consideration the question of making changes in the subjects of examination, and has recommended, for His Excellency the Governor's approval,— 1. That drawing (freehand, geometrical, model, and perspective) should be added to the optional subjects of both Junior and Senior Examinations. 2. That the branches of physical science should be made separate subjects, with the option to candidates to take up more than one of them. 3. That book-keeping should be eliminated from the subjects of examination. The Board has also fixed the following as the Latin and Greek authors for the examinations of the year 1886 :— Latin. —Horace, Odes, Book 111., and Ars Poetica; Sallust, Jugurtha. Greek. —Homer, Iliad, Book I.; Xenophon, Anabasis, Book I. N.B.—Candidates who take up either of these languages will have to pass in both verse and prose author.

CIVIL SEEVICE LITEEAEY PEIZE. The subject for the Civil Service Literary Prize, 1884, was " Land Laws, and their Effect, Social and Economical, upon the Condition of the People." Five essays were sent in, and the Board has awarded the prize to Mr. Edward Gordon Allardyce, lately of the Telegraph Department.

BECEIPTS AND EXPENDITUEE.

Beceipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. Voted by Parliament ... ... 250 0 0 Examiners'fees ... ... 110 10 0 Fees ... ... ... ... 11- 0 0 Supervisors' fees ... ... 123 18 0 Attendance fees ... ... 25 0 0 Incidental ... ... ... 35 16 7 Balance ... ... ... 68 15 5 £364 0 0 £36_ 0 0

EXAMINATION PAPEES. I append copies of the examination papers used at the November, 1884, and April, 1885, examinations. I have, &c, G. S. Coopee, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Chairman

Year. 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 ... ... Examined 12 16 11 39 57 56 65 103 164 199 d. Passed 6 10 5 18 38 47 50 57 75 96 d. Year. 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 (half-year) Examined. Passed. 211 107 222 80 155 41 179 72 213 106 245 121 78 26 2,025 955