Imperial examination

Civil service examination system in Imperial China

The imperial examination (Chinese: 科舉) was a civil service examination system in Imperial China administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by merit rather than by birth started early in Chinese history, and the first earnest use of written examinations as a method of recruitment appeared under the Sui dynasty (581–618). Its systematic implementation began during the Tang dynasty (618–907), when examinations became a regular channel for bureaucratic appointment and the dominant path to high office.

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