absolutely fixed for a pass. In the Regulations it is stated that "candidates shall not be approved by the Examiners unless they have shown a competent knowledge” in the subjects therein distinctly specified. As to what constitutes that "competent knowledge" in any particular case the examiners must necessarily be left to form their own judgment, and this they can do, so far as a mere pass is concerned, without a fixed minimum of marks. But it should be emphatically impressed upon the minds of our readers that a candidate must satisfy the examiners in each subject of his examination; and that, with regard to the requirement for a pass, each subject is considered to be of equal value and importance.

THE USE OF NUMBERS.

We may also observe that examiners are not supposed to know anything of the personality of the candidates. The authorities do not communicate to the examiners, before or during the time of their estimating the merits of the different answers, any information concerning the name, position, place of instruction, or previous efforts of the candidates, who are known only to the examiners by their number, and by their number only are reported to the Senate as having passed or failed. So that all that an examiner has to go by in his estimation of candidates is their actual work at the time of the examination.

It is quite evident from the foregoing statements, on the substantial accuracy of which our readers may rely, that, so far as the University is concerned, all candidates, both private and collegiate, have the same chance of passing, and that every possible precaution is taken to secure justice and impartiality in the conduct of the examination. Nay, the chief care seems to be that no candidate shall be unfairly, carelessly, impatiently, or rashly rejected.

DECIDING THE RESULTS.

It may be of interest for the candidate to read the following summary of the process of deciding the results of the examination. We take it from Mr. Dodds's Complete Guide to Matriculation at the University of London. Third Edition, Enlarged. (1s., J. Heywood, Manchester.) We have no reason to doubt the general accuracy of what is said, except that, instead of "the names of the candidates being read over in alphabetical order," we believe that only the examination-numbers of the candidates are now read over. soon as the examination is over the candidates' answers are read and marked by the respective examiners, of whom there are two or more in each subject. If an examiner is satisfied on the whole with the work of the candidate he adds up the marks given for each answer, in order to determine his position on the

"As

class-list, and lays aside the paper as corrected. But if he considers that it does not come up to the standard which, in his judgment, should be required, he must refer the paper to his colleague; and if he, too, is dissatisfied with it, they agree to report the candidate to the Registrar as having failed in that subject. On the day before the list is issued a meeting of all the examiners is held, the Registrar presiding. The names of the candidates are read over in alphabetical order, and, if no examiner objects, each is passed' without further remark. If, however, any examiner has reported a candidate as rejected in his subject, the merits of his other papers are discussed, and if these are, on the whole, well done they are allowed to atone for the deficiencies of the weak subject, and the objecting examiner withdraws his rejection. There is no actual minimum of marks required for a pass; this is left to the discretion of the examiners, who are instructed to take into account the difficulty of the paper, and the candidate's success in his other subjects. If, however, any examiner absolutely rejects, the candidate is 'plucked,' notwithstanding the general excellence of his other work. The papers of those who are rejected in single subjects are then referred to a committee of the Senate for further consideration."

We may add, that when the examiners deliver their final report to the Senate, and declare the total number of the candidates who have passed in comparison with the total number who were examined, they are expected to give up, in sealed packets, and in an unimpaired condition, the papers they have examined.

MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION.

As candidates or their friends may be tempted to write to the examiners for advice in preparing for the examination, in selecting books, and in relation to the results of the examination, we may observe that the Senate is very strict on this point. It does not permit the examiners to answer such questions, but requires them to submit all such applications to the Registrar, who is the only person authorised to receive them. Our readers may rely upon a courteous reply from the Registrar to all reasonable and fitting questions which are addressed directly to him. But the University does not pretend to give advice as to the selection of books, the methods of study, or the best mode of preparing for the examinations.

PRINTED PAPERS.

Another point merits attention. Although the examiners are not precluded from putting vivá voce questions to the candidates, yet we have never heard of their exercising the right. Practically speaking, the examination is wholly conducted by means of printed papers.

Undoubtedly this is the best and fairest method as a general rule. The majority of candidates will have the most calm and complete self-possession and the strongest hold of their subject in a written, rather than in an oral, examination. At the same time we would venture the suggestion that it would be well for the examiners to exercise their reserved privilege in the case of those candidates who have twice failed in only one or two subjects, varying each time, and who may possibly fail, through some untoward slip or unlucky accident, in a single subject even a third time. Certainly those who have had the mischance to fail thrice in one or two subjects only, different each time, are more likely to be fully competent in general knowledge of their subjects, and in well-tried ability, than those happy creatures whose facility in answering questions, or whose good fortune in having unexpectedly favourable examination-papers, may enable them barely to pass in the Second Division the first time they present themselves. However, we have to do with matters as they stand rather than as they might be; and experience tells us that the examination is conducted, we believe invariably, by means of papers lithographed or printed in the manner peculiar to the University. No doubt one strong reason for this is, that the test may be the same for all candidates, and that all may be treated in the same way without regard to individual preferences or peculiarities.

ADVICE TO CANDIDATES.

In this section we shall simply attempt to give definite shape to a few obvious reflections, and to make such suggestions as will be of some practical service to our readers. We have already ventured to offer occasional hints as to methods of study in our remarks on the various subjects. What we have now to say bears chiefly on the order of study for the examination, the work and spirit of the candidate at the examination, and other matters which relate to his comfort and final success.

THE ORDER OF STUDY FOR THE EXAMINATION.

The candidate should first try to master the permanent subjects of the examination-Mathematics, Greek and Latin Grammar, Latin Composition, Roman History, French or German Grammar, and the Philology of the English Language. The first two of these are of ime importance, and the private student should go through a lete course of study on both, with occasional reading in others above subjects, before taking up the special Classical and

English subjects of the year in which he intends to be examined. We lay stress on a previous mastery of the Mathematics and the Classical Grammar required, both because they take up so much time, and because, if not thoroughly prepared, it is worse than useless to commence with special subjects which of themselves will occupy all the spare time and energy he can possibly command. During the months in which he is reading these special subjects he should have no need to do anything with Mathematics except to revise his previous investigations, refresh his knowledge, and work occasional examples.

One great advantage of first disposing of the permanent part of the programme of study is that the student, if necessity should arise, can postpone the time for his examination without that serious loss in his work which would occur if he had first begun to get up the special subjects and were then compelled, for any cause, to wait another year before he could present himself. A self-prepared candidate ought to have fully gone through all his work once or twice at least two or three months before the examination, in order that he may spend these months in uninterrupted and simultaneous revision of the whole of his work. Every candidate knows the difficulty of keeping up a detailed and complete knowledge of seven or eight subjects at a time, even when they have all been separately and previously mastered. How much greater and more harassing, then, must the difficulty be to prepare all these or more subjects when some of them are left to be hastily got up during the last few days or weeks. Such a plan as this is not only ruinous to health but productive of much confusion and nervous anxiety of mind, especially when the week of examination is drawing near, and the unready candidate is being tormented with fears and forebodings of failure.

The general plan of study for a private student who cannot command all his time for the work of preparation should be, to take first the permanent portion of the Regulations; next, to concentrate all his energy upon one subject at a time until that is fairly mastered, with a little diversion on some easier theme now and then, for the sake of relief; then to spend at least six months on the varying portions of the Syllabus and their associated themes, reserving ample time afterwards for frequent and contemporaneous review of all the subjects of the examination. The candidate should guard himself against the frequent error of giving disproportionate attention to those branches of study for which he may have a strong personal partiality, whilst he is neglecting, or suffering himself to forget, what is equally essential for the examination, though not such a favourite with himself.

THE CANDIDATE AT THE EXAMINATION.

PUNCTUALITY.

Our first counsel to the candidate is,—Be in time, seated calmly at your desk each morning and afternoon as the examination-papers are given out on the stroke of the hour. With most candidates it is a question of time as well as of ability, and of cool self-possession at the moment of examination as well as of careful preparation beforehand. Next to this careful preparation beforehand, nothing will so naturally conduce to calmness of mind as the consciousness of being in time and of having before one all the opportunity possible of availing oneself of the resources previously accumulated; on the other hand, nothing will so bewilder and confuse the candidate as the thought that he has lost time which he cannot possibly recover, and that he is thereby imperilling a result for which he has been toiling so hard for months-it may be for years. It is impossible to do one's work neatly, methodically, and accurately, amidst the nervous trembling and mental stupefaction which are not unfrequently the result of a scampering haste.

Many candidates remain in the corridors or lurk in corners rapidly scanning their note-books or getting up dates and formulæ long after the doors are open and the examination has commenced. No doubt they do it in the hope that they may thus go into the examinationroom with the subjects fresh upon their mind and be able to answer some technical question which but for this last hurried effort might go unanswered. We believe that such a system is simply suicidal both in the confusion of mind it engenders, in the inaccuracy to which it often leads, and in the wasting of precious time. Moreover, we believe that the experience of most candidates who have been addicted to this foolish practice would be, that in nine cases out of ten all the formulæ, facts, figures, and information with which they have been hastily cramming and bewildering their minds have no relation to the particular questions of the examination-paper, and that, independently of that hastily-acquired knowledge, they had more resources for answering the questions actually asked than they have had time to arrange and skilfully use. The examination-papers are usually so constructed as to require answers which do not depend so much upon formulæ and technical rules, which can be rapidly learnt at the last moment, as upon that general training and instruction of the mind which can only be attained by long, previous, and systematic study. It should be remembered that no candidate can on any ground be admitted into the examination-room after the first half-hour has elapsed from the commencement of the examination.