Whereas in 1962 the Royal Commission on the Police expressed its concern at not finding a recent instance of a college graduate entering the police service, at the end of 1981, 2,610 officers serving in England and Wales (including 295 women) had college degrees, with 521 having entered the service in 1981. The rapid increase in college graduates entering the service in recent years is due partly to the increases in police pay since the Edmund-Davies recommendations were accepted in 1978, along with the greater difficulty in finding other jobs. The change can also be attributed to the service's giving greater encouragement to the officer of high quality. In the early 1960's, the Government made some policy changes designed to upgrade the quality of police recruits. A national system of selection was instituted, based on adaptation for police needs of the civil service system of 'extended interview,' which consists of 2 1/2 days of varied tests. By the end of the 60's, a recruit coming into the service could take the standard qualifying examination for promotion to sergeant after 2 years of probation and then, if successful, compete for selection for the Special Course, with temporary promotion to sergeant. On successful completion of the course, the officer returns to the force for a year of service as substantive sergeant. If this service is satisfactory, promotion to inspector follows. This system provides early promotion for gifted officers. In 1968, the 'Graduate Entry' policy was introduced, whereby college graduates without police experience may compete annually for 25 places as graduate entrants, selected through the same extended interview process as the Special Course candidates who are already serving as police officers. The graduate entry scheme has been instrumental in familiarizing undergraduates with the possibilities offered by the police service.