368 REPORT—1904. 
The science examination is chiefly oral and practical ; at that in draw- 
ing, previous work at the school is taken into consideration. Both are 
conducted by inspectors or persons specially appointed, and are held at 
the schools themselves at convenient dates towards the end of the summer 
session. 
There is only one grade of examination in science and drawing. 
The Leaving Certificate examinations in these various grades are open 
to the pupils of all schools under the inspection of the Department—i.e. 
practically all schools, elementary or secondary, in Scotland; but the 
Leaving Certificate proper, subsequently referred to, is intended solely for 
pupils who do not propose to return to school. 
Two kinds of certificate are issued :— 
(1) The Leaving Certificate (proper). 
(2) The Intermediate Certificate. 
The certificates (a) show the subjects and grades of subject in which 
the examination has been passed ; (b) do not bear any special endorse- 
ment of ability to converse in a modern language ; but no certificate for 
modern languages is issued to the pupils of a school in which the inspector 
reports that this side of the instruction has been neglected, or in which 
pronunciation has been found to be unsatisfactory. 
The Leaving Certificate (proper) is intended to mark the completion 
of a full course of secondary education. It is limited to pupils above 
seventeen years of age on October 1 in the year in which they pass the last 
of the written examinations that would fall to be recorded on the face of 
the certificate. Applicants must also have received instruction at some 
recognised school for not less than four years. It may be regarded as 
about equivalent to Matriculation Standard, in some respects it is higher. ! 
Candidates must pass in four subjects of the Higher Grade Standard 
or in three of the Higher Grade Standard and two of the Lower. English 
and Mathematics are compulsory. At least one language other than 
English must be taken. 
Science only counts as one subject. 
The Intermediate Certificate is intended to meet the case of schools 
which are not able to retain their pupils long enough to enable them to 
complete a full course of secondary education. It is limited to pupils 
above fifteen years of age who have received instruction at some recognised 
school for not less than two years. 
Candidates for the Intermediate Certificate must have passed in four 
subjects, at least one of these subjects being in the Higher Grade Standard. 
Otherwise the conditions are similar to those prescribed for the Leaving 
Certificate (proper). 
The Leaving Certificate and the Intermediate Certificate are accepted 
in lieu of preliminary examinations by the following bodies :— 
The Lords of Council and Session (for the purposes of the Law Agents 
Act) ; 
The University of Oxford ; 
The University of Cambridge ; 
! Tt is acknowledged to be higher than the Preliminary Examination of the 
Scotch Universities, and in some subjects approximates to the standard required for 
the University degree. 
