About the
Civil Service examination
To become eligible
for Civil Service office, candidates must earn the chin-shih
degree by passing three exams. Candidates take the first exam, called
the forwarding exam, in their own prefecture. Those who pass
must make the journey to the capital in Kaifeng to take a second
test called the departmental exam. The departmental exam is given
only once every three years. Those who pass then take the palace
exam, and are assigned a ranking based on their performance.
The examinations
are extremely difficult. Of the tens of thousands who start the
examination process, only 200 to 300 men actually get the chin-shih
degree in a given year.
The tests include
demonstrating knowledge of classic texts by writing out portions
of them from memory. The candidates skills in reasoning and
in composition are tested by means of essay questions. Several complex
political questions might be posed, and the candidate must present
a solution based on his understanding of the standard texts. The
candidate also must compose a poem on an assigned theme.
|