[ARCHIBALD] MATHEMATICAL INSTRUCTION IN FRANCE 99 
examiners of the candidates from Premiére C are six in number, three 
of whom are university professors and three professors from the lycées 
or colléges; for Premiére D there are but two university professors in 
addition to three from the lycées. The examinations in all sections 
are both written and oral. Here is the scheme of examination which 
practically covers what the éléve has studied in earlier years. 
Première C (Latin-Sciences).—Written. 1st, a French composition 
(3 hours); (the candidate has a choice of three subjects); 2nd, a Latin 
translation (3 hours); 3rd, an examination in Mathematics and Physics 
(4 hours). Oral. (about three quarters of an hour). Ist, explanation 
of a Latin text; 2nd, explanation of a French text; 3rd, examination 
in a modern language—questions and answers being necessarily in this 
language. Questions in—4th, History; 5th, Geography; 6th, Mathe- 
matics; 7th, Physics; 8th, Chemistry. 
Première D (Sciences-Langues Vivantes).—Written. 1st, a French 
composition (3 hours); 2nd, a composition in a modern language 
(3 hours); 3rd, examination in Mathematics and Physics (4 hours). 
Oral (about three-quarters of an hour). Ist, explanation of a French 
text; 2nd, two tests in modern languages, one of which must be either 
English or German. Questions in—3rd, History; 4th, Geography; 
5th, Mathematics; 6th, Physics; 7th, Chemistry. 
On registering at the secretary’s office and paying the fifty francs 
necessary for the above examinations the student has the option of 
depositing his livret scolaire which contained a full record of his work 
in the lycée for two or three years previously. If the pupil thus shows 
a good record but fails to get the necessary fifty per cent on his written 
paper he is nevertheless admitted to the oral. Otherwise no éléve 
who has not passed the written examination can present himself for 
the oral. On the other hand if he has passed the written examination, 
but failed at the oral, he may try another oral examination (within a 
year), without repeating the written part. 
The searching character of the tests prepares us for a large number 
of failures. Here is the record for 1909. 







Number Number | ; ile. 
of Admitted to | Number Percentage 
Candidates Oral BSS asse 

July. | Oct. | July. | Oct. | July. | Oct. ar Oct. 






Latin-Gree........... 2506 | 1262 | 1423 | 759 | 1097 | 537 | 44 | 42 
Latin-Langues Vivantes. .| 3147 | 1683 | 1605 | 930 | 1293 | 708 | 41 | 42 
Latin-Science ....... 2717 | 1247 | 1619 | 729 | 1350 | 570 | 49 | 46 
Science-Langues Vivantes.| 4088 | 1860 | 2110 | 915 | 1741 | 731 | 42 | 39 
Philosophie ......... 5824 | 2639 | 3764 | 1911 | 3144 | 1572 | 54 | 59. 
3163 | 1128 | 1995 | 790 | 1762 | 642 | 56 | 57 


























Mathématiques. . ..... 


