MORE than 2.25 million people sat China’s annual civil service recruitment examination Sunday to compete for vacancies with the central authorities and their branches, according to the National Civil Service Administration.

The administration said this year’s exam attracted over 2.61 million applicants, and approximately one in 57 examinees could eventually be recruited.

The written exam was held simultaneously in 237 cities nationwide.

China plans to recruit 39,600 civil servants to work for central agencies and institutions directly attached to them in the 2024 civil servant recruitment.

Known as guokao, the test consists of two parts. In the first, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., test-takers must answer about 130 multiple-choice questions covering topics such as math, data analysis, science and economics.

In the second part, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., they are asked to write five essays of 200 to 1,000 words each on social issues and government policies.

The test is closely watched each year for its connection to some of the country’s most prestigious and most coveted government jobs.

Scoring highly on the guokao increases the chances of landing a government job, although getting hired also means passing a battery of interviews, background checks and other reviews.

The administration said the most coveted position this year was one at the National Bureau of Statistics, which has more than 3,500 applicants. In contrast, 137 positions had no applicants by late last month.

The administration said test results can be checked online in January. (Xinhua, China Daily)