Прочитать текст и выполнить задание History of School Examinations in Britain

The first regular examinations under examination boards took place for boys only in 1858 as a result of schools approaching Oxford and Cambridge universities for local means of assessment. Girls did not take school exams until 1867 monitored by Cambridge, and Oxford started from 1870.
In the 1860s examinations were monitored by presiding examiners who travelled from Cambridge to exam centres. They carried the examinations in a locked box. They wore academic dress and must have been a serious sight for pupils. Examinations were timetabled into blocks of six or seven consecutive days and held throughout the day, including in the evenings.
The first examinations stressed recall of information. Pupils had to remember the names of monarchs and their families, list historical events and draw maps. Science meant details of findings and Scripture examinations involved knowing biblical verses. Collecting and possessing basic facts was seen as the foundation of knowledge. Arithmetic was simple and straightforward.
Answers were uniform, reflecting the source of the learning. There was a lack of enthusiasm in the learning for the subjects.
As a result examinations introduced more analysis as well as factual recall. Understanding has been examined as well as simple knowledge.
National standards for examinations arrived in 1918 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This was the beginning of the School Certificate, for 16 year olds, and the Higher School Certificate for 18 year olds.
The next major change was in 1951, when the General Certificate of Education (GCE) began, divided into Ordinary Level for 16 year olds and Advanced Level for 18 year olds.