Circular 1260 (revised) Matriculation examination exemptions (1922)

A Circular about the recognition of Second Examinations, and listing changes in the universities' regulations about exemption from matriculation examinations.

The text of 1260 (revised) Matriculation examination exemptions was prepared by Derek Gillard and uploaded on 8 December 2025.

I am grateful to Paul Newton, who found this Circular and sent photographs of the pages from which this text was created.

London: His Majesty's Stationery Office 1922
© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

Circular 1260 (revised).
18th May, 1922.

Circular to Local Education Authorities
(Pt. II) and Secondary Schools.

All communications should be address to:
"THE SECRETARY".

BOARD OF EDUCATION,    
WHITEHALL, LONDON, S.W.1.

1. The Board of Education have received from the Secondary School Examinations Council the Reports of the Investigators of the eight Second Examinations named below. On the recommendation of the Council they have confirmed the provisional recognition given in Circular 1166 to the following Examinations:-

The Higher Certificate Examination of the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board.
The Higher School Certificate Examination of the Oxford Delegacy for Local Examinations.
The Higher School Certificate Examination of the Cambridge Local Examinations and Lectures Syndicate.
The Higher School Certificate Examination of the University of Bristol.
The Higher Certificate Examination of the University of Durham.
The Higher School Certificate Examination of the University of London.
The Higher School Certificate Examination of the Northern Universities Joint Matriculation Board.

2. The recognition as an approved First Examination of the Senior Certificate Examination of the Central Welsh Board, announced in Circular 1166 as given until the end of the Calendar Year 1921, has now been made definitive.

3. The Board understand from the Council that since the issue of Circular 1166 the conditions under which Certificates awarded on approved "First Examinations" are accepted by the Universities of England and Wales as exempting from their Matriculation Examinations have been materially modified. The existing conditions are briefly summarised below. In most cases the effect of them is that the Universities accept for Matriculation purposes the Certificates of other Examining Bodies, under conditions similar to those which they require for matriculation through the examinations conducted by themselves. As however the syllabuses of the several examinations are in no case precisely the same, and subjects practically identical in content are not always described by the same title, reference should always be made for more precise information to the

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actual Regulations of the various Examining Bodies. In particular, some (but not all) Universities accept Second Examination Certificates, or allow the requisite Credits to be obtained in more than one First Examination held by the same Examining Body, or a defective First Examination Certificate to be supplemented by a Second Examination Certificate. (a) Oxford University. - Exemption may be obtained from Responsions at Oxford by any First Examination Certificate of the -

Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board,
Oxford Local Examinations Delegacy,
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate,
University of Bristol,
University of Durham,
University of London, and the
Northern Universities Joint Matriculation Board,

(b) Cambridge University. - Exemption may be obtained from the Previous Examination at Cambridge by a First Examination Certificate awarded by any of the above Examining Bodies, or by the Central Welsh Board provided that it shows either (a) Credit in five subjects; or (b) Credit in four subjects of which one at least is taken from each of the Groups I, II and III.

(In either case one such Credit must be in either Latin or Greek.)

(c) Bristol University. - Exemption may be obtained from the Matriculation Examination by -

(i) the First Examination Certificate of the -

University of Bristol,
University of Durham,
University of London, and the
Northern Universities Joint Matriculation Board,

provided that the Certificate satisfies the conditions required by those Universities for their own Matriculation.

(ii) the First Examination Certificate of the -

Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board,
Oxford Local Examinations Delegacy, and the
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate,

provided that Credit has been obtained in five subjects taken from Groups I, II and III, two being taken from one of these Groups, two from another, and one from a third.

(iii) the First Examination Certificate of the -

Central Welsh Board,

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under certain specified conditions, provided it includes two subJects from each of two of the three Groups I, II and III, and one subject from the third.

(d) Durham University. - Exemption may be obtained from the Matriculation Examination by any First Examination Certificate of the -

Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board,
Oxford Local Examinations Delegacy,
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate,
University of Bristol,
University of Durham,
Northern Universities Joint Matriculation Board, and the
Central Welsh Board,

provided that the Certificate satisfies the requirements of the Faculty which the holder desires to enter; i.e., if the holder has passed with Credit in six subjects taken from detailed lists, which at present are different for each Faculty.

(e) London University. - Exemption may be obtained from the Matriculation Examination by the First Examination Certificate of the -

Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board,
Oxford Local Examinations Delegacy,
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, and the
Northern Universities Joint Matriculation Board,

under conditions for which reference should be made to the published "Regulations of the University relating to the admission of students without passing the Matriculation Examination (Statute 116)."

Exemption may also be obtained by the General School Examination Certificate of London University, provided that at one and the same Examination passes with Credit in five subjects, in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations for matriculation, are obtained.

(f) The Northern Universities Joint Matriculation Board.

(i) Until 1st July 1923 the Board will accept as exempting from the Matriculation Examination any First Examination Certificate, provided it shows credit in six subjects chosen in accordance with the Board's Matriculation Regulations at present in force. Of these subjects, English, History and Mathematics are compulsory.

(ii) After 1st July 1923 the Board will accept for Matriculation purposes a School Certificate of the -

Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board,
Oxford Local Examinations Delegacy,
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate,
Northern Universities Joint Matriculation Board,
University of Durham,
University of Bristol, and the
Central Welsh Board,

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provided it shows a pass with Credits in five subjects of which either English Composition and English Literature or English Composition and History and either Mathematics or Latin are compulsory.

The General School Examination Certificate of London University will also be accepted provided that it carries the right of Matriculation in the University of London.

(g) University of Wales. - Exemption may be obtained from the Matriculation Examination by a First Examination Certificate of the -

Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board,
Oxford Local Examinations Delegacy,
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate,
University of Bristol,
University of London,
Northern Universities Joint Matriculation Board, and the
Central Welsh Board,

provided that it shows Credits in six subjects, of which English, the History of England and Wales, and Mathematics are compulsory. A Certificate which does not satisfy these conditions may nevertheless be accepted under certain conditions, as excusing the holder from examination in any subject or subjects in which Credit has been obtained.