Outline of XIXth-Century Chinese
Civil Service Examinations

(Terms worth memorizing: tóngshēng, shēngyuán (xiùcái), jŭrén, jìnshì)

The terms "early" and "late" refer to the 50-year periods before and after 1850. Population is assumed to be about 410,000,000 in the first half of the XIXth century. My students find it easiest to think about these by equating them with American university degrees, based roughly on age at passing the relevant exams. However the proportion of individuals with academic degrees is much higher in modern America than in XIXth-century China.

When they differ, simplified characters are red and traditional ones are blue.

Level A (lowest = tóngshēng 童 生)

EXAM NAME:

Type 1: Zhōu-xiàn Shì 州 县 试 (州 縣 試) (District Exam)

Type 2: Fŭ-zhōu Shì 府 州 试 (府 州 試) (Prefectural Exam)

PLACE:

Type 1: Zhōu 州 or Xiàn 县 (縣) level

Type 2: Fŭ 府

QUOTA:

Type 1: none

Type 2: almost none after early Míng dynasty.

STATUS AFTER PASSING: Tóngshēng 童 生

INTERVAL: varied between provinces

NUMBER IN POPULATION AT ANY ONE TIME:

2% (varies between early .7% in Ānhūi province to 3.5% in Yúnnán province and late .6% to 5%)

GRADER:

Zhōu 州 and Xiàn 县 (縣) magistrates.

REMARKS:

Candidates initially called Jùnxiù 俊 秀. Passers were still considered commoners.

Level B ("BA" = shēngyuán 生 员 (生 員) or xiùcái 秀 才)

EXAM NAME: Tóng Shì 童 试 (童 試) or Yuàn Shì 院 试 (院 試)

PLACE: native districts & prefectures

QUOTA: Early: .1 to .15% or 25,089. Late: 30,113

STATUS AFTER PASSING: Shēngyuán 生 员 (生 員) (colloquial: xiùcái 秀 才)

INTERVAL:

civilian exam: 2 in 3 years;

military exam: 1 in 3 years.

PRODUCTION IN 3 YEARS: civilian: 50,000; military: 21,233

NUMBER IN POPULATION AT ANY ONE TIME:

Early: civilian: 526,869; military: 212,330, total: 738,199 (=.18% of the population, or slightly under 2 per thousand of population)

Late: total: 210,597 (=.24% or slightly over 2 per thousand of population)

AVERAGE AGE AT PASSING: 24

GRADER: Provincial Director of Studies REMARKS:

The degree of Jiànshēng 监 生 (監 生) was available by purchase at this level, permitting one to take the Level C exam without passing this one. Passers (and Jiànshēng degree holders) were considered lower gentry.

Level C ("MA" = jŭrén 举 人 (舉 人))

EXAM NAME: Xiāng Shì 乡 试 (鄉 試) = Provincial Exam

PLACE: Province capital

QUOTA: 1,439

STATUS AFTER PASSING: Jŭrén 举 人 (舉 人)

(plus one Fùchē 副 车 (副 車) or "honorable mention" per 5 jŭrén)

INTERVAL: 1 every 3 years

PRODUCTION IN 3 YEARS:

Early: 1,400 civilian, 1,011 military.

Late: 1,500 civilian, 1,011 military.

NUMBER IN POPULATION AT ANY ONE TIME:

Early: civilian: 15,500, military: 11,500, totaling .0065% of the population, or about 6 per hundred thousand of population.

AVERAGE AGE AT PASSING: 31

REMARKS: Passers were considered upper gentry.

Level D ("PhD" = jìnshì 进 士 (進 士))

EXAM NAME: Hùi Shì 会 试 (會 試) = Metropolitan Examination

PLACE: Bĕijīng

QUOTA: yes

STATUS AFTER PASSING: Gòngshì 贡 士 (貢 士)

This title was seldom used, since a subsequent pro forma examination called the Diàn Shì 殿 试 (殿 試) or "Palace Examination" was held immediately afterward conferring the coveted title of Jìnshì 进 士 (進 士).

INTERVAL: 1 every 3 years

PRODUCTION IN 3 YEARS: 550

NUMBER IN POPULATION AT ANY ONE TIME:

2500 civilian, 1500 military, 4000 total (=.0009% of the population, or 9 per million of population)

AVERAGE AGE AT PASSING: 35

REMARKS: Passers were considered highest gentry.

Sources:

The table is based largely on Chang Chung-li 1955 The Chinese Gentry. Seattle: University of Washington Press. I am indebted to William Parish of the University of Chicago for useful discussions of this material.

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