Imperial examination

Imperial examination
Imperial examination candidates gathering around the wall where results were posted, an announcement known as 'releasing the roll' (放榜; fàngbǎng) – by Qiu Ying (c. 1540)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	科舉
Simplified Chinese	科举
Hanyu Pinyin	kējǔ
Literal meaning	subject recommendation
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin kējǔ Wade–Giles k'o1-chü3 IPA [kʰɤ́.tɕỳ] Wu Suzhounese khou-ciù Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization fōgéui Jyutping fo1-geoi2 IPA [fɔ˥kɵɥ˧˥] Southern Min Tâi-lô kho-kú
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	khoa bảng khoa cử
Chữ Hán	科榜 科舉
Korean name
Hangul	과거
Hanja	科擧
Transcriptions Revised Romanization gwageo McCune–Reischauer kwagŏ
Japanese name
Kyūjitai	科擧
Shinjitai	科挙
Transcriptions Romanization kakyo
Manchu name
Manchu script	ᡤᡳᡡ ᡰ᠊ᡳᠨ ᠰᡳᠮᠨᡝᡵᡝ
Möllendorff	giū žin simnere

The imperial examination 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, but using written examinations as a tool of selection started in earnest during the Sui dynasty^[1] (581–618), then into the Tang dynasty (618–907). The system became dominant during the Song dynasty (960–1279) and lasted for almost a millennium until its abolition during the late Qing dynasty reforms in 1905. The key sponsors for abolition were Yuan Shikai, Yin Chang and Zhang Zhidong. Aspects of the imperial examination still exist for entry into the civil service of both China and Taiwan.

The exams served to ensure a common knowledge of writing, Chinese classics, and literary style among state officials. This common culture helped to unify the empire, and the ideal of achievement by merit gave legitimacy to imperial rule. The examination system played a significant role in tempering the power of hereditary aristocracy and military authority, and in the rise of a gentry class of scholar-bureaucrats.

Starting with the Song dynasty, the imperial examination system became a more formal system and developed into a roughly three-tiered ladder from local to provincial to court exams. During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), authorities narrowed the content down to mostly texts on Neo-Confucian orthodoxy; the highest degree, the jinshi became essential for the highest offices. On the other hand, holders of the basic degree, the shengyuan became vastly oversupplied, resulting in holders who could not hope for office. During the 19th century, the wealthy could opt into the system by educating their sons or by purchasing an office. In the late 19th century, some critics within Qing China blamed the examination system for stifling scientific and technical knowledge, and urged for some reforms. At the time, China had about one civil licentiate per 1000 people. Due to the stringent requirements, there was only a 1% passing rate among the two or three million annual applicants who took the exams.^[2]

The Chinese examination system has had a profound influence in the development of modern civil service administrative functions in other countries.^[3] These include analogous structures that have existed in Japan,^[4] Korea, the Ryukyu Kingdom, and Vietnam. In addition to Asia, reports by European missionaries and diplomats introduced the Chinese examination system to the Western world and encouraged France, Germany and the British East India Company (EIC) to use similar methods to select prospective employees. Seeing its initial success within the EIC, the British government adopted a similar testing system for screening civil servants across the board throughout the United Kingdom in 1855. The United States would also establish such programs for certain government jobs after 1883.