Schools are inspected, and the course of instruction must be approved by the Scottish Education Department, but the examinations are conducted by external examiners with whom teachers are not associated.
The examiners are appointed by the Scottish Education Department.
VII. Nature of Examination and General Remarks.
The examination consists of a written examination and an oral examination, on which stress is laid. The length of the examination varies with the subjects selected. The periods of examination vary from 1 to 2½ hours. If the candidate selects on the higher grade, English, Latin, mathematics, and French, the examination extends over 19½ hours.
TABLE IV.--UNIVERSITY OF LONDON SCHOOL EXAMINATION, MATRICULATION STANDARD
School examination, matriculation standard (established in 1902).
_Note_--A higher school-leaving certificate is awarded to pupils who (i.) have pursued an approved course of study for a period of years at a school or schools under inspection approved by the University; and (ii.) being matriculated students, have passed the "higher school examination" in at least three subjects at one and the same examination.
The minimum age of entry is 15, but if the candidate is under 16 he must remain at school until he is 16 years of age in order to be qualified for the school-leaving certificate, and cannot be registered as a student of the University until he has reached that age.
The curriculum of each school is considered on its own merits.
Pupils must satisfy the examiners in not less than five subjects, as follows:--
(3) Latin, or elementary mechanics, or elementary physics--heat, light and sound, or elementary chemistry, or elementary botany, or general elementary science.
(4) and (5) Two of the following subjects, neither of which has already been taken under section (3). If Latin be not taken, one of the other subjects selected must be another language, either ancient or modern, from the list, and languages other than those included in the list may be taken if approved by the University, provided that the language is included in the regular curriculum:--Latin, Greek, French, German, ancient history, modern history, history and geography, physical and general geography, logic, geometrical and mechanical drawing, mathematics (more advanced), elementary mechanics, elementary chemistry, elementary physics--heat, light and sound, elementary physics--electricity and magnetism, elementary biology--botany, elementary biology--zoology, general elementary science (chemistry and physics).