These examinations are very thorough, and require from the cadet a close and persevering attention to study, without evasion or slighting of any part of the course, as no relaxations of any kind can be made by the examiners.
VI. A sound body and constitution, a fixed degree of preparation, good natural capacity, an aptitude for study, industrious habits, perseverance, an obedient and orderly disposition, and a correct moral deportment are such essential qualifications that candidates knowingly deficient in any of these respects should not, as many do, subject themselves and their friends to the chances of future mortification and disappointment, by accepting appointments to the Academy and entering upon a career which they can not successfully pursue.
Method of Examining Candidates for Admission into the Military Academy.
Candidates must be able to read with facility from any book, giving the proper intonation and pauses, and to write portions that are read aloud for that purpose, spelling the words and punctuating the sentences properly.
In ARITHMETIC they must be able to perform with facility examples under the four ground rules, and hence must be familiar with the tables of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and be able to perform examples in reduction and in vulgar and decimal fractions, such as—
Add 2/3 to 3/4; subtract 2/5 from 5/6; multiply 3/4 by 7/8; divide 2/5 by 3/8;
Add together two hundred and thirty-four thousandths (.234), twenty-six thousandths (.026), and three thousandths (.003).
Subtract one hundred and sixty-one ten thousandths (.0161) from twenty-five hundredths (.25).
Multiply or divide twenty-six hundredths (.26) by sixteen thousandths (.016).
They must also be able to change vulgar fractions into decimal fractions, and decimals into vulgar fractions, with examples like the following: