Exam entry and sponsored places at staff college

Did German officers also fail mathematics before entering staff college?

The German comparison remains unanswered. British nomination could admit candidates whose exam results did not qualify them.

The answer does not establish whether German officers failed mathematics at a similar rate. It instead explains two British routes into staff college: passing the examinations and nomination by a senior officer. Candidates using the second route already possessed connections that could also help later promotion. Academic performance is explicitly treated as only one measure of command ability. Haig's high overall placing despite failing mathematics illustrates the difficulty of drawing a simple conclusion from one exam result.