Successor agency/Agencies:
Public Examinations Board of South Australia
Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia

Administrative History: Under the original Statute Chapter V111 the University undertook the conduct of an annual Matriculation examination as the entrance requirement for students of the University.

These examinations were conducted from 1876-1887, when the Preliminary, Junior, Senior and Higher Public Examinations were introduced. University Primary examinations (subsequently Junior examinations) were also held from 1878 as an examination in general education on the model of the Oxford and Cambridge Local Examinations.

Notice of entry for these examinations was to be made to the Registrar and successful candidates were entitled to a certificate signed by the Dean of the Professorial Board ( later the Chairman of the Board of Examiners) and countersigned by the Registrar. The Board of Examiners, nominated annually by Council, were responsible for the conduct of the examinations and the preparation of class lists.

In 1901 a formal Public Examinations Board was appointed by Council to conduct the public examinations, its original members were the Professors and Lecturers of the Arts and Science Faculties and the Professor of Law, and its secretary the University Librarian, R.J.M. Clucas.

New regulations for public examinations came into force from 1902 (allowed Dec 1901) , with the replacement of the Preliminary Examination by the Primary Examination. A separate publication, the Public Examinations Board Manual, was established for the syllabus, class list, exam papers and results of the Public Examinations.

In 1924 the Registrar became secretary to the Board and retained this responsibility until the establishment of the Public Examinations Board of South Australia by Act of Parliament No. 53 of 1968 in December 1968 (came into operation Septmeber 1969). The new Board consisted of 32 members appointed by the Minister of Education, of whom only seven (subsequently six) were to be members of the academic or administrative staff of the University of Adelaide, nominated by its Council.

This Board was responsible for the conduct of public examinations until 1983, being abolished in February 1984 under the provisions of the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia Act (passed 1983 but not proclaimed until February 1984). An interim 29 member Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia was appointed in September 1983, on which the University had the representation of two members.