E.—B

4

The largest increase took place in the Junior National Scholarship and Junior Free Place Examinations, the number examined being over four hundred in excess of the number for the previous year. The Junior Free Place Examination alone is responsible for over three hundred and fifty of this increase. A fairly substantial increase in the numbers for the Public Service Entrance, Senior National Scholarships, and Intermediate series is also shown, the exact amount being 283. Nearly all of it is in the entrance and scholarship section, the intermediate candidature being about the same as before. In connection with the Public Service Entrance Examination of November next, the decision to charge candidates an admission fee of £1 (which will be refunded to those who pass and duly enter the Public Service) will tend to check the growth in the numbers, but the admission of girls to the examination again will operate in the opposite direction, and probably much more strongly. When, in November, 1912, the examination was last open to both male and female candidates, the atter formed 43 per cent, of the pass-list. In the C and D Examinations an increase occurred in Class D of 210, but the increase on the whole dropped to 144 in consequence of a slight decrease in the Class C section. Comparison with the previous year's figures shows that of the total increases of candidates who sat for Classes C and-D in January, 1916, no less than 92 per cent, was amongst the female candidates, the increase of male candidates being 8 per cent.—a fact for which the war is presumably responsible. In the Public Service Senior Examination tho falling-off of 129 in the numbers is partly an effect of the war, and is partly due to the requirement of practical certificates in science subjects, which applied to this examination in January, 1916, for the first time. A temporary drop is always experienced in the candidature for examinations to which this condition is applied. The results of the Junior National Scholarship Examination were made known on the 19th January, those of the Public Service Entrance Examination on the 15th January, those of the Public Service Senior Examination on the 17th February, and those of the Teachers' Examination on" the 26th 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 ... ... ... 2,191 The number who obtained a scholarship qualification was ... ... 204 The number who qualified for a free place in tbe scholarship examination was ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 735 The number who failed was ... ... ... ... * ... 1,252 The number of candidates for free places was ... ... ... 1,782 The number of these who qualified for a free place was ... ... 595 The number who failed was ... ... ... ... ... 1,187 The highest percentages of marks gained in the various subjects of this examination were as follows: English, 83; arithmetic, 100; geography, 85; history and civics, 88; elementary science and nature-study, 87 ; drawing, I, 94 ; drawing, IT, 100. The highest percentage gained by any one candidate on the whole examination was 76. The following are details of candidature in regard to the Public Service Entrance and Intermediate Examinations in their varied applications : — (a.) Total candidates presenting themselves for examination ... ... 3,022 (b.) Candidates for the Public Service Entrance and Senior National Scholarship tests ... ... ... ... . . ... 1,702 (c.) Candidates for the intermediate tests (senior free places and drawing only) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,320 Of the 695 candidates who sat for the Senior National Scholarship Examination 647 were examined on the Scheme A (General) Course, and 48 on the Scheme B (Rural and Domestic) Course. The numbers of candidates who qualified for scholarships in the two divisions were 108 arid 3 respectively. As the number of scholarships gained by students taking the S3heme B course was lower in proportion than it should have been, the question is being considered of revising the requirements so as to prevent any disadvantage to them. Of the Public Service Senior candidates — The number present at examination was ... ... ... ... 675 The number sitting to complete, having already been partially successful ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 268 The number sitting for the first time or without having gained any previous successes ... ... ... ... ... ... 407 The number who passed the whole examination ... ... 160 The number who gained a pass in two or more subjects without completing the whole examination ... ... ... ... 304 The number who failed ... ... ... ... ... ... 211