B.— 8

4

The following table gives a comparative statement of the number of candidates examined under the principal groupings during the past six years : — 1912-13. 1913-14. 1914-15. 1915-16. 1916-17. 1917-18. Junior National and Education Board Scholarships and junior free places 2,934 3,154 3,562 3,973 4,403 3,122 Public Service Entrance, Senior National Scholarships, and Intermediate ... ... ... 2,770 2,756 2,739 3,022 3,839 3,315 Teachers' D and C ... ... ... 1,753 1,524 1,576 1,720 1,941 2,102 Public Service Senior ... ... 574 871 804 675 653 226 Typists' Examination ... ... 46 51 50 60 Other examinations ... ... ... ... ... 12 8 5 Totals ... ... 8,031 8,305 8,727 9,453 10,894 8,830 An increase took place in 1917-18 in the Teachers' Certificate Examinations (in Class D of 269 and in Class Cof 89). Otherwise the numbers are for the most part smaller than for the year before. In the Public Service Entrance Examination both boys and girls were admitted. In the Public Service Senior Examination the number of candidates dropped substantially. No further opportunity of taking the whole examination will be given, as the Public Service Commissioner proposes to admit next year only those candidates who have already obtained partial success and wish to complete, their examination. The number of candidates in January, 1919, will therefore be still smaller than in 1918. Of the total number of candidates that sat for the Junior National Scholarship Examination— The number of candidates for scholarships was ... ... ... 2,677 The number who obtained a scholarship qualification was ... ... 240 The number who qualified for a free place in the scholarship examination was ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 883 The number who failed was ... ... ... ... ... 1,916 The number of candidates for free places was ... .... ... 445 The number of these who qualified for a free place was ... ... 83 The number of these who failed was ... ... ... ... 362 The highest percentages of marks gained in the various subjects of this examination were as follows: English, 91-6; arithmetic, 100; geography, 82; history and civics, 79; elementary science and nature-study, 87 ; drawing, I, 96; drawing, 11, 98. The highest percentage gained by any one candidate on the whole examination was 88. 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 ... ... 3,315 (b.) Candidates for the Public Service Entrance and Senior National Scholarship tests ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,644 (c.) Candidates for the intermediate tests (senior free places and drawing only) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,671 Of the 678 candidates who sat for the Senior National Scholarship Examination 623 were examined on the Scheme A (General) Course, and 55 on the Scheme B (Eural and Domestic) Course. The numbers of candidates who qualified for scholarships in the two divisions were 119 and 8 respectively. Of the Public Service Senior candidates — The number present at examination was ... ... ... ... 226 The number who passed the whole examination was... ... ... 81 The number who gained a pass in two or more subjects without completing the whole examination was ... ... ... ... 79 The number who failed was ... ... ... ... ... 66