The following Extracts from the Reports of the Examiners will show the character of the Examination, and may be useful guides to future Candidates. Mathematics-Rev. Canon Heaviside, M.A. I have the honour of forwarding my marks for the Examination for admission to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, just concluded, and I append to my Report, for the information of the Council, a comparative statement of the results of the Examination in July 1867, and in January 1868. In Section I. it will be seen that the average of marks obtained has fallen from 421 to 400-8; but this is due, in great measure, to the fact that seven candidates failed to obtain 100 marks. It need hardly be said that these Candidates had no pretensions to present themselves at this Competitive Examination. In the highest part of the scale the comparison is in favour of the present Examination-ten Candidates obtaining upwards of 700 marks in January 1868, and five only coming up to that standard in July 1867. Variations of this kind, however, do not very materially affect the results, and, upon the whole, I am inclined to consider that, as respects Section I., no material change has taken place in the qualifications of the Candidates (at least of those who are likely to be successful) for many past Examinations. In Mixed Mathematics, a gradual improvement is taking place in the attainments of the Candidates; several cases occurred in which the papers were very well done, and there was a much greater absence of wild writing on the questions on Mechanics than I have observed in former Examinations. I do not think much improvement has taken place in the study of the Differential and Integral Calculus-the papers on these subjects are not generally satisfactory. In Section II. and Mixed Mathematics, out of 750 marks allowed for my distribution, the average obtained in January 1868 has risen to 2016, whilst in July 1867 that average was 1857. The increase is, I think, almost entirely due to the improvement in the Mixed Mathematical paper. Mathematics.-Rev. W. N. Griffin, M.A. In the following Table I compare some results in this Examination with those in the six Examinations preceding it. In the Examinations held in { Jan. July Jan. July Jan. July Jan 1865. 1865. 1866. 1866. 1867. 1867 1868. The number of Candidates was 122 114 123 129 125 123 114 And of these Candidates, in Section I: I cannot make my Report this time with the satisfaction which I have been hitherto able to express. The Candidates who stand highest in mathematics among those recommended for admission may be as well qualified as their predecessors to advance in the scientific studies of the Academy; but the marks of the Candidates, regarded as a whole, are lower than they have been in former Examinations. There are more Candidates than heretofore who can hardly have hoped to reach the qualifying minimum, or must have greatly misapprehended what is expected of them; but when these are passed over it will be observed that there is a distinct falling off in the number of Candidates who show fair preparation in the subjects of Section I, by gaining at least half marks. I cannot ascribe this result to any increase of difficulty in my questions. If a Candidate can produce correctly the text of Euclid, and work accurately calculations by methods which all the common books teach, without any original mathematical power or invention being required from him, he could gain, as I estimate, 530 marks from my questions in Section I. I cannot therefore feel content in having to return 83 Candidates with marks below this value. Pure Mathematics, Section II., and Mixed Mathematics. The necessity of gaining a minimum of marks in these subjects before any are counted has had the effect of reducing the number of Candidates who attempt to send up answers on very limited knowledge, and of producing a marked improvement |