The time of fall examinations has now come with unwelcome demands upon instructor and student. They are necessary perhaps - or at least some means is necessary to discover the quantity and quality of work done at the first of the year - and as they serve their purpose we must have them. But it seems a mistake to set them so early in the year, for the amount of work done in any course in a month is very small and hardly sufficient to base an examination upon. There are some courses in which this is particularly applicable, and certain professors, moreover, confess that it is difficult in such a short time to set any kind of a satisfactory test examination. It is true that instructors are often dilatory in holding examinations and in returning the results - even when there is a fixed time for it - and the earlier the examinations are set the quicker the returns are obtained. But nevertheless, considering the little progress made in most courses at this time, it seems to be more advantageous to have these fall examinations at a later date.