3

E.-8

This difference of 959 between those who entered for examination and those who actually sat is accounted for partly on the usual grounds, and partly by the operation of a clause in the Regulations for Senior Free Places, introduced in 1908, under which a number of candidates recommended on an accrediting principle therein embodied were exempt from examination, and accordingly did not present themselves. A provision on a somewhat similar principle recently embodied in the Regulations for Training Colleges also accounts for a certain proportion of the number. In the several examinations the following were the numbers present:— Junior National Scholarship and Junior Free Place Examinations .. 2,564 Civil Service Junior and allied examinations .. .. .. .. 2,563 Civil Service Senior Examination .. .. . . . . .. 518 Teachers' Certificate Examinations .. .. .. .. .. 1,626 The following table gives a comparative statement of the number of candidates examined under the principal groupings during the past five years : — 1907-8. 1908-9. 1909-10. 1910-11. 1911-12. Junior National and Education Board Scholarships and Junior Free Places .. .. .. 1,475 1.765 2,214 2,383 2,564 Civil Service Junior, Senior Free Places, Education Board Senior Scholarships, First Pupil-teachers 2,173 2,158 2,369 2,375 2,563 Teachers D and C .. .. .. .. 1.223 1.482 1,626 Civil Service Senior .. .. " .. .. 231 373 443 390 518 Totals .. .. .. 5,063 5,519 6 ; 508 6,682 7,271With respect to the Civil Service Junior group, it is of interest further to note that during the same period the average proportion of the candidates making application to be examined in terms of the Civil Service Act, whether with the special view of gaining admission to the Civil Service or not, was 608 per cent, of the whole, the proportion being substantially uniform except in 1908, when through readily explainable causes it was greater than usual. On the results of the examination in this restricted sense the following are the numbers who have qualified during the past three years for inclusion in the order of merit list as annually published, boys and girls, respectively:—

The results of the Junior National Scholarship Examination were made known on the 11th January, those of the Civil Service Junior Examination on the 17th January, those of the Civil Service Senior Examination on the 19th February, and those of the Teachers' Examinations on the 23rd February. Of the total number of candidates that sat for the Junior National Scholarship and Junior Free Place Examinations— The number of candidates for scholarships was .. .. .. 1,607 The number who obtained a scholarship qualification was .. .. 847 The number who failed was .. .. .. .. .. .. 760 The number of candidates for free places was .. .. .. .. 957 The number who qualified for a free place was .. .. .. 556* The number who failed was . . .. .. .. .. .. 401 The highest percentages of marks gained in the various subjects of this examination were as follows : English, 86 ; arithmetic, 100 ; geography, 93 ; general paper, 80 ; drawing, 92. The highest percentage gained by any one candidate on the whole examination was 84. The following are details of candidature in regard to the Civil Service Junior and Intermediate Examination, in its varied applications : — (a.) Total candidates presenting themselves for examination .. .. 2,563 (b.) Candidates under the provisions of the Civil Service Reform Act . . 1,552 (c.) Candidates for Education Board Senior Scholarships .. .. 374 (d.) Candidates included in both (b) and (c) .. .. .. .. 134 (c.) Candidates for Education Board Scholarships only .. .. .. 240 (/.) Candidates for first examination of pupil-teachers .. . . .. 53 (g.) Candidates for Senior Free Places only .. .. .. .. 597 (h.) Candidates for drawing only .. .. .. .. .. 121 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,563 * Also the 847 above who gained a scholarship qualification, thus making a total of 1,403 who qualified for a free place

Year. I Candidates who qualified. . T , Candidates , 4 umbei examined. ! i °^, taa ?. 1 ! 1 f, Boys. Girls. Total. Credit. 1909 1910 1911 [ j " I 1,421 520 280 800 220 1,389 480 287 767 210 1,552 500 373 873 193 i _!