The rapid growth of the Moral Sciences Tripos since its re-construction in 1861 has fully justified the action of the University in assigning to it an independent position which it had not before held. During the previous ten years, from 1851 to 1860, it would seem from the class-lists to have enjoyed but an uncertain tenure of existence. The increasing number of candidates for honours, and the greater encouragements given to philosophical studies in the appointment of College lecturers and the distribution of College rewards, may fairly be taken as tokens of success and guarantees of permanence.

The Tripos is open to two classes of Candidates:

I. Any Undergraduate or Bachelor Designate in Arts or Law may present himself for Examination if he has entered upon his eighth term at least, having previously kept seven terms, provided that not more than nine terms shall have passed after the first of the said seven terms ; provided also that he has passed the Previous Examination with the additional mathematical subjects. All students who pass the Examination for the Moral Sciences Tripos are entitled to admission to the Degree of B.A.

II. Any student, who has obtained honours in the Classical, Mathematical, Natural Sciences, Law, or History Tripos, may be admitted to the Examination in the following Michaelmas Term.