MORE than 1.1 million people took the National Civil Servant Exam, or guokao in China yesterday, a leap from last year’s 984,000, marking the second time the number has hit 1 million.
Over 28,000 positions are expected to be filled by the examinees, increasing by 1,472 from the previous year. Only one out of every 39 candidates is expected to get a government job this year.
This year’s exam saw an increase of 76,000 compared to last year in the number of applicants for grassroots positions in difficult and remote areas, perhaps the result of the lower application thresholds for such posts, according to an inspector at the State Administration of Civil Service.
In contrast, the most popular position had more than 2,000 candidates this year, much lower than the number for the hottest position last year, which was pursued by 9,837 applicants.
The written exam is being held yesterday, and the results will be announced in January 2018, along with a list of candidates who advance to interviews in March.
Civil servant jobs are sought after by many Chinese as they offer a relatively stable career, making the exam one of the most competitive tests in the country. Chinese citizens who are aged between 18 and 35 (under 40 for master’s or doctorate degree holders) are eligible for application.
There are 135 multiple-choice questions that candidates have to answer in two hours, which means there’s less than a minute to answer each question. But that’s not all. The questions cover wide range of topics, including math, world affairs, language, logic, data analysis, and general knowledge covering politics, law and culture.
The national selection of government employees was launched in 1994 and the civil service exam traces its roots to the ancient imperial examination known as keju, which was introduced in the seventh century.(Xinhua)