Outline of 19th-Century Chinese Civil Service Examinations

by David K Jordan

14 September 2005

Overview

The following is a word for word transcription of an article of the same name, originally published on the Internet at anthro.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/chin/hbcivilservice-u.html.

It has been lightly edited solely by myself, and is used with permission and is the copyright of the author.

The Article

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 19^th century. The number of individuals in the population who have such degrees is much higher in modern America than in 19^th century China.

Level A (Lowest = tóngshēng 童 生)

EXAM NAME:

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

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

PLACE:

Type 1: Zhōu 州 or Xiàn 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:

2.0%. Varied between early 0.7% in Ānhūi province to 3.5% in Yúnnán province and late 0.6% to 5.0%.

GRADER:

Zhōu 州 and Xiàn 縣 magistrates.

REMARKS:

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

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

EXAM NAME:

Tóng Shì 童 試 or Yuàn Shì 院 試

PLACE:

Native districts & prefectures.

QUOTA:

Early: 0.1 to 0.15% (i.e. 25,089). Late: 30,113.

STATUS AFTER PASSING:

Shēngyuán 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. Equal to 0.18% or slightly under 2 per 1000 of the population.

Late: Total - 210,597. Equal to 0.24% or slightly over 2 per 1000 of the population.

AVERAGE AGE AT PASSING:

24.

GRADER:

Provincial Director of Studies.

REMARKS:

The degree of Jiànshēng 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 舉 人)

EXAM NAME:

Xiāng Shì 鄉 試 (Provincial Exam).

PLACE:

Province capital.

QUOTA:

1,439.

STATUS AFTER PASSING:

Jŭrén 舉 人. Plus one Fùchē 副 車 or "honourable mention" for each five.

INTERVAL:

1 every 3 years.

PRODUCTION IN 3 YEARS:

Early: Civilian - 1,400. Military - 1,011.

Late: Civilian - 1,500. Military - 1,011.

NUMBER IN POPULATION AT ANY ONE TIME:

Early: Civilian - 15,500. Military - 11,500. Total - 27,000. Equal to 0.0065% or about 6 per 100,000 of the population.

AVERAGE AGE AT PASSING:

31

REMARKS:

Passers were considered upper gentry.

Level D ("PhD" = jìnshì 進 士)

EXAM NAME:

Hùi Shì 會 試 (Metropolitan Examination).

PLACE:

Bĕijīng.

QUOTA:

Yes.

STATUS AFTER PASSING:

Gòngshì 貢 士.

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

INTERVAL:

1 every 3 years.

PRODUCTION IN 3 YEARS:

550.

NUMBER IN POPULATION AT ANY ONE TIME:

Civilian - 2500. Military - 1500. Total - 4000. Equal to 0.0009% or 9 per 1,000,000 of the population.

AVERAGE AGE AT PASSING:

35

REMARKS:

Passers were considered highest gentry.

Sources

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

Taishan Genealogy
Copyright: ©2005 David K Jordan, San Diego & Jon Kehrer, Canberra