Sit for the exam, fight for the rank

The imperial examination (科举 kējǔ), like the civil service examination nowadays, was designed to select the most outstanding candidates, in hope of recruiting them for the nation's bureaucracy. Established in the 7th century during the Sui Dynasty, and then abolished in 1905 in the Qing Dynasty, the imperial examination has a history stretching back over 1300 years. During all of these years (except for some periods of interruption), the exams made a great contribution to promoting social mobility; being the major method for adult males to get hired by the government and realize their political aspirations. But at the same time, exams also brought about many problems, such as the rigid mindset of the intellectual.

Throughout its long history, the imperial examination took different forms, with the rules being edited several times over different dynasties. In the Sui Dynasty, when the exam was first established, it was a process of qualifying candidates who had been recommended by the local elites, and was based on questions on policy matters, followed by an interview. Later, during the Tang Dynasty, the examination system became much broader and more systematic. Through the Song Dynasty, the inspection of the imperial examination became much stricter, and the exam developed into the dominant means of recruiting officials. Finally, the imperial examination reached maturity in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, when the process of the exam became more stylized.

The preparation for the imperial examination was time-consuming. In most dynasties, the highest level exam was held every three years, which meant that candidates who failed had to wait for another three years before they could try again. Some people even devoted their whole life to studying for the exam. It would not have been unusual to glance around the examination hall and come across several gray-haired men sitting alongside you. In fact, some would even die during the exam, and have to be carried out by the supervisors. The preparation itself was also costly, as people often needed to hire tutors for their study. It was no wonder that most of the candidates came from wealthier, better-off families.

There were three levels of exams; the county level, the provincial level and the palace level. The inspection of the exams was very strict. Candidates were required to sit in cells, getting no opportunity to peep at others' papers. Submission of papers was kept anonymous, a practice introduced in the Song Dynasty. In the higher level exams, in order to prevent bias by revealing the candidate by his calligraphy, the supervisors would recopy the papers. Because of this, the exam period usually lasted for three days.

The standard of evaluation was also very strict. Regardless of performance in the exams, the candidates might be eliminated for other reasons. If one of their ancestors was found to have had an occupation such as a barber or actor, the candidate could be considered for disqualification.

The result was announced three weeks after the exams. The candidates would receive different degrees according to their exam results. A person who only got administered at exams held in the county level was called Xiucai (秀才), whilst a person who ranked first in the 'palace exam' would be widely admired and honored with the name Zhuangyuan (状元). Bangyan (榜眼) and Tanhua (探花) were the terms for those who came in second and third. The exam was fierce, especially at the provincial level, with a success rate of just 2 percent. Sometimes people would only succeed quite late in life, like Fanjin （范进）in The Scholars (《儒林外史》), who was administered at the provincial level when he was already 54 years old.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the shortcomings of the imperial exam trickled in. To prepare for the exam, intellectuals wasted a lot of time writing the Eight-part Essay (八股文), with the effect that their creativity was stifled and their mindset rigid. Some current scholars even think that it is the imperial exam that resulted in China falling behind the Western world during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 1905, the imperial examination was finally abolished. However, from the fanatic candidates of the Civil Service Exam (公务员考试 gōngwùyuán kǎoshì) and the College Entrance Examination (高考 gāokǎo), we can see its looming shadow.