Thomson defends examinations, discussing their impartiality, fairness, and showing their importance in a democratic society where individuals progress by merit rather than nepotism.

Additionally, Thomson also acknowledges the problems of examinations – namely nerves; chance and luck; time pressures on both examinees and examiners; and the inconsistent relationship between examination performance, the school record, and teachers' own ratings. He discusses possible solutions to these problems, citing the marking of the eleven-plus examination in Darlington and Brighton respectively as solutions to the latter. Thomson also touches briefly on the processes involved in making a test.