Commentary: China’s Civil Service Exam Is the New ‘Gaokao’
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On Nov. 30, China held its 2026 national civil service examination. Nearly 3.72 million people registered to compete for 38,100 positions, a slight decrease in openings from the previous year. With 2.83 million ultimately sitting for the test, the acceptance ratio climbed to a staggering 74-to-1, up sharply from 65-to-1 a year earlier.
Looking back at the past decade, the competition has only grown fiercer. If we consider the number of registered applicants against available posts, the ratios for the past three years are 77-to-1, 86-to-1, and an astonishing 98-to-1. Securing a government job has truly become a one-in-a-hundred proposition.
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- In 2026, 3.72 million applicants competed for 38,100 Chinese civil service jobs, with the acceptance ratio soaring to 74-to-1, reflecting growing competition amid limited career options.
- University degrees have lost value due to massive higher education expansion; nearly everyone can now attend college in China.
- The civil service exam has become the primary route for social mobility, but job security comes with demanding work schedules.
- 1977：
- China's gaokao (national college entrance exam) was reinstated.
- 1980s：
- University students paid no tuition or housing fees and received a living stipend from the state; employment within the state system was mandatory upon graduation.
- 1990s：
- A “two-way selection” process for graduate employment began to emerge.
- As late as 1998：
- Graduates of one of Beijing’s top universities had to pay a hefty fine if they wished to pursue a career outside the state apparatus.
- 1998：
- China’s colleges and vocational schools enrolled 1.08 million students.
- 1999：
- The great expansion of higher education in China began.
- 2023：
- The ratio of registered applicants to available posts for the civil service exam was 77-to-1.
- 2024：
- The acceptance ratio for the national civil service exam was 65-to-1.
- 2024：
- The ratio of registered applicants to available posts for the civil service exam was 86-to-1.
- 2024：
- China’s colleges and vocational schools enrolled 10.69 million students (excluding transfers and other pathways).
- 2024：
- The number of new postgraduates in China surpassed 1.08 million.
- 2025：
- The ratio of registered applicants to available posts for the civil service exam was 98-to-1.
- 2025：
- China’s colleges and vocational schools enrollment makes it harder not to get into a university than to get in.
- Nov. 30, 2025：
- China held its 2026 national civil service examination.
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