E.—B

3

The examinations were held from the 19th to 28tli November, 1919, and from the sth to 19th January, 1920. The following places were centres of examination : The nine towns which are the seats of Education Boards, and Alexandra, Aratapu, Ashburton, Malclutha, Blenheim, Carterton, Collingwood, Coroniandel, Dannevirke, Darfield, Eketahuna, Eeilding, Oisborne, Gore, Greymoufli, Hamilton, Hastings, Hawera, Hokitika, Kohukohu, Lawrence, Levin, Marton, Masterton, Oamaru, Pahiatua, Palmerston North, Paparoa, Patea, Petone, Pukekohe, Rangiora, Reef ton, Rotorua, Stratford, Takaka, Taihape, Taumarunui, Tauranga, Te Kuiti, Thames, Timaru, Waihi, Waimate, Wnipawa, Wairoa, Warkwoith, Westport, Whakatane, and Whangarei. There were seven centres in Auckland City and two in Christchurch. The following are the numbers of candidates who entered for the various examinations mentioned above as compared with the numbers of the preceding year:— Number who entered 1918-19 .. .. .. .. .. 9,054. 1919-20 .. .. .. .. .. 9,071 Increase of candidates entered in 1919-20 .. .. .. 17 Number actually present at examination, 1918-19 .. .. .. 6,516 1919-20 .. .. .. 7,739 Increase of candidates present in 1919-20 .. .. .. 1,224 Number who did not present themselves, 1918—19 .. .. .. 2,539 1919-20 .. .. .. 1,332 A certain proportion of the absentees is accounted for by the operation of a clause in the Regulations for Senior Free Places under whicli 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 embodied in the Regulations for Training-colleges also accounts for a certain proportion of the number. Approximately 1,800 candidates were thus given exemption from the Intermediate Examination, of whom 796 are not included in the total of examination entries given above. In the several examinations the numbers shown below were present; figures for previous years are also given : — Junior National and Education Board Scholar- 1915-16. 1916-17. 1917-18. 1918-19. 1919-20. ships and junior free places .. .. 3,973 4.403 3.122 1.917 2,170 Public Service Entrance. Senior National Scholarships, and Intermediate . . .. .. 3,022 3,839 3,315 2,422 3.063 Teachers'D and C .. .. .. 1,720 1.941 2,102 1,912 2.234 Public Service Senior .. .. . . 675 653 226 78 50 Typists' Examination .. .. .. 51 50 60 46 Special Public Service Entrance (June) .. .. .. .. 1.33 189 Other examinations .. .. 12 8 5 7 33 Totals .. .. .. 9,453 10,894 8,830 6.515 7,739 The numbers for 1919-20 show a considerable increase compared with the numbers for 1918-19, although, for the Junior National Scholarship Examination, head teachers were required to make a. selection from their pupils and present only those who had good prospects of qualifying. The, fact that influenza, was prevalent at the time of the 1918-19 examinations largely accounts for the difference in numbers. In addition to the usual examination held in November a special Public Service Entrance Examination was this year held in June. Girls were admitted to both these examinations. Entries for the Public Service Senior Examination of January, 1919, were limited to returned soldier candidates who had previously obtained partial success towards the examination. Of the total number of candidates who sat for the Junior National Scholarship Examination — The number of candidates for scholarships was .. .. .. 1,909 The number who obtained a scholarship qualification was .. .. 217 The number who qualified for a tree place; in the; scholarship examination was 1,031 The number who failed was .. .. .. .. .. 661 The number of candidates for free places was .. . . .. 261 The number of these who qualified for a free place was .. .. 48 The number who failed was . . . . . . . . 213 The highest percentages of marks gained in the various subjects of this examination were as follows : English, 94-6 ; arithmetic, 100 ; geography, 82 ; history and civics, 90 ; elementary science and nature study, 89; drawing, 1, 86; drawing, 11. 100; The highest percentage" gained by any one candidate on the whole examination was 83-625. 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 .. .. 3.063 (b.) Candidates for the Public Service Entrance and Senior National Scholarship tests .. . . . . .. .. . . ..1.757 (c.) Candidates for the intermediate tests (senior free places and drawing only) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,306