E.—B.

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The results of the Junior National Scholarship Examination were made known on the 20th January, those of the Civil Service Junior Examination on the 23rd January, those of the Civil Service Senior Examination on the 12th February, those of the examination for the Education Boards' Senior Scholarships and for Senior Free Places on the 23rd January, and those of the teachers' examinations on the 19th February. To get the results ready for the Gazette notice at the earliest moment every effort has always been made ; but various causes —chiefly the large increase in the number of candidates and the varied applications of the examinations for which separate schedules are necessary—have made it increasingly difficult to furnish the more distant centres with reliable information in good time for all the purposes required. It has been decided accordingly to bring the Civil Service Junior Examination forward in future by a few weeks. At the close of the current year it will be hel<l immediately before, not, as hitherto, immediately after, the Matriculation Examination of the University, in which a number of Civil Service candidates are also commonly engaged. Of the total number of candidates that sat for the Junior National Scholarship and Junior Free Place Examinations, 1,304 were candidates for scholarships, and 461 for free places only. On the result of the examination 645 attained a scholarship qualification, and (including this number) 869 qualified for free places in secondary schools. The highest percentages of marks gained in the various subjects of this examination were as follows: English, 86; arithmetic, 100; geography, 98; general paper, 89; drawing, 88. The highest percentage gained by any one oandidate on the whole examination was 83. Of the 2,158 candidates examined for the Civil Service Junior Examination in its varied applications, 1,411 were candidates under the provisions of the Civil Service Eeform Act. In this class 896 of the number passed, the examination, 272 of them with credit. Pupil-teacher candidates in the service of Education Boards numbered 83, and there were also 363 competitors for Senior Board Scholarships, inclusive of 9 and 125 respectively who were at the same time candidates for the Civil Service. In the whole of the examination the candidates that passed, and thereby, whether so specially desired or not, satisfied the examination requirements for Senior Free Places in secondary schools or district high schools, totalled 1,35(5. Of the 373 Civil Service Senior candidates, 64 came up to complete examinations in which they had already been partially successful. In all 64 passed the whole examination (two of them with distinction), and the work of 218 in addition was accepted by the Department in two or more subjects towards the full qualification. The numbers of candidates that entered for different stages of the Teachers' Certificate Examinations, with their status at the time of entry, are shown in the subjoined table : —

[Note. —The columns of the table are not mutually exclusive, a number of the candidates being entrants for more than one class of certificate.] Of the total number of candidates in this group, 430 completed the requirements as follows: 15 for Class B, 181 for Class C, and 234 for Class D ; 367 others obtained " partial pass"—4 for Class A, 5 for Class B, 126 for Class C, 232 for Claae D. There were 204 whose work in a section consisting of one or more separate subjects was accepted towards Class C by the Department, and 262 candidates, besides 153 absentees, failed to improve their status. The joint expenses of both groups of examinations amounted to £4,483 7s. Bd., exclusive of the cost of printing and of clerical work. The fees paid by candidates totalled £3,375 15s. Attached to this report are lists of the examiners, and of the successful and partially successful candidates. The examination-papers, with an appendix containing criticisms and suggestions made by the examiners, have been printed separately. I have, &c, G. Hogben, Inspector-General of Schools.

Examinations previously passed. toil i iiiil III til O fe fe pS| pi) a! d O ft Nil Matriculation ... Partial pass for Class E Class E Partial pass for Class D ... Class D Higher examinations 18 243 30 4 2 50 220 ... 1 1 11 9 12 ... 81 ... ... 229 4 181 ... ... 393 6 ... 42 2 297 271 3 21 314 181 443 Totals 733 482 31 276 8 733 482 31 276 1,530