Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c32.s1.27

c32.s1.27

Considering the character of the Entrance Examination, the age of the students at admission must have been very high. It was as high as 20, considering their previous studies. According to I-tsing, a student at 15 had to study *Vritti-sūtra* which he finished at 20, after which he studied Philosophy for two or three years at advanced institutions like Nālandā or Valabhī [Takakusu, ed. I-tsing, pp. 175, 177, 181]. At the same time, it must be noted that this high age of admission applied only to the post-graduate section of Nālandā, and for advanced and external students. Nālandā also had its Department of Secondary Education for regular internal students for whom the above tests of admission did not apply. It admitted youngsters, the Brahmachārīs and Māṇavakas, freely, as already stated.