--- title: "China's 2027 Civil Service Exam Offers 35,700 Places" canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/china-opens-35700-civil-service-jobs-2027" language: "en" author: "drashtigarach" published: "2026-10-13T11:10:40.000Z" modified: "2026-10-13T11:15:52.961Z" --- [Back to Blog](/blog) [News](/blog/tag/news)[China](/blog/tag/china)[Government Jobs](/blog/tag/government-jobs)[Jobs](/blog/tag/jobs)[University](/blog/tag/university) # China's 2027 Civil Service Exam Offers 35,700 Places, With Registration Opening October 14 China plans to hire 35,700 civil servants for central agencies and their affiliated bodies in 2027. Registration opens Oct. 14. See who can apply and how. [![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach) [October 13, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/10)16 min read ![Rows of empty desks in a large sunlit examination hall before a test](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/final-10574.jpg) [https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=China's%202027%20Civil%20Service%20Exam%20Offers%2035%2C700%20Places%2C%20With%20Registration%20Opening%20October%2014&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fchina-opens-35700-civil-service-jobs-2027](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=China's%202027%20Civil%20Service%20Exam%20Offers%2035%2C700%20Places%2C%20With%20Registration%20Opening%20October%2014&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fchina-opens-35700-civil-service-jobs-2027)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fchina-opens-35700-civil-service-jobs-2027](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fchina-opens-35700-civil-service-jobs-2027)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fchina-opens-35700-civil-service-jobs-2027&title=China's%202027%20Civil%20Service%20Exam%20Offers%2035%2C700%20Places%2C%20With%20Registration%20Opening%20October%2014](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fchina-opens-35700-civil-service-jobs-2027&title=China's%202027%20Civil%20Service%20Exam%20Offers%2035%2C700%20Places%2C%20With%20Registration%20Opening%20October%2014)[mailto:?subject=China's%202027%20Civil%20Service%20Exam%20Offers%2035%2C700%20Places%2C%20With%20Registration%20Opening%20October%2014&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fchina-opens-35700-civil-service-jobs-2027](mailto:?subject=China's%202027%20Civil%20Service%20Exam%20Offers%2035%2C700%20Places%2C%20With%20Registration%20Opening%20October%2014&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fchina-opens-35700-civil-service-jobs-2027) China's central government plans to recruit [35,700 civil servants](http://edu.people.com.cn/n1/2026/1013/c1006-40813765.html) through its 2027 national civil service exam, and online registration opens on [Oct. 14 at 8:00 and closes on Oct. 24 at 18:00](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), while [account sign-up and the real-name check close on Oct. 23 at 18:00](https://www.jiemian.com/article/15183110.html). The intake covers [central government agencies and the bodies directly under them](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html), and the written exam is set for [Nov. 29 in municipalities, provincial capitals, regional capitals and some other cities](http://edu.people.com.cn/n1/2026/1013/c1006-40813765.html). Hiring [continues to tilt toward the grassroots, and new university graduates remain a key group](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). For [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) readers who are [finishing a degree in China](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/china-college-graduates-job-market) or working in a local office, this guide sets out who can apply, the dates that matter, how the exam is scored and how fierce last year's race was. ## What Exactly Did China Announce for the 2027 Intake? The [National Civil Service Administration](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html) published the formal recruitment notice for the 2027 intake, which covers [civil service jobs](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/civil-service-types-of-jobs) at the first-level principal staff member grade and equivalent grades and below in central agencies and their directly affiliated bodies. The plan is to hire [35,700 people](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), and applications go through the [dedicated exam portal, bm.scs.gov.cn/kl2027](https://www.news.cn/politics/20261013/0187230deca94baa8053060067412549/c.html). The round has [four main features](https://www.news.cn/politics/20261013/0187230deca94baa8053060067412549/c.html). The first is political standards, and the aptitude test [keeps a separate political theory section](https://www.jiemian.com/article/15183110.html). The second is fairness, with candidates required to complete [real-name identity checks through tools such as the electronic social security card](https://www.jiemian.com/article/15183110.html) before they can apply. The third is a grassroots focus, with hiring plans and policies that [continue to tilt toward the grassroots](http://edu.people.com.cn/n1/2026/1013/c1006-40813765.html). The fourth is precise selection through [tiered and categorised testing](https://www.news.cn/politics/20261013/0187230deca94baa8053060067412549/c.html), where exam papers differ by job category and by the level of the hiring office. These are [planned recruitment places](https://www.news.cn/politics/20261013/0187230deca94baa8053060067412549/c.html). Each hiring agency's exact numbers, posts, exam category, requirements and contact phone are in a separate [recruitment brochure](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html), and policy and exam-day rules are in an application guide, both published on the exam portal. ## How Does 35,700 Compare With Earlier Years? The 2027 plan of [35,700 places](https://www.news.cn/politics/20261013/0187230deca94baa8053060067412549/c.html) is smaller than the [about 38,100 civil servants planned for the 2026 intake](https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202510/1345594.shtml). The year before that, [39,700 vacancies were open for the 2025 civil servant intake](https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202410/27/content_WS671d770bc6d0868f4e8ec589.html), so the plan has fallen from [39,700](https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202410/27/content_WS671d770bc6d0868f4e8ec589.html) to [about 38,100](https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202510/1345594.shtml) to [35,700](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml) over three rounds. The number of graduate-focused places is lower too. For the 2026 intake, approximately [26,000 positions were reserved for recent university graduates](https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202510/1345594.shtml) in municipal and lower-level institutions, while the 2027 plan sets [24,600 places at prefecture level and below](https://www.news.cn/politics/20261013/0187230deca94baa8053060067412549/c.html) that mainly recruit new graduates. The administration describes that graduate intake as [broadly stable](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). County-level hiring is also lower on paper. The 2026 plan set aside [over 28,000 positions to strengthen the grassroots civil service at county and lower levels](https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202510/1345594.shtml), against [26,900 places for county-level and lower bodies](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml) in 2027. ## Which Posts Mainly Target Fresh Graduates and Grassroots Offices? The 2027 plan sets [26,900 places for directly affiliated bodies at county (district) level and below](http://edu.people.com.cn/n1/2026/1013/c1006-40813765.html). There are [24,600 places in prefecture-level and lower bodies that mainly recruit new graduates](https://www.jiemian.com/article/15183110.html). And there are [more than 3,000 targeted places](https://www.news.cn/politics/20261013/0187230deca94baa8053060067412549/c.html) for people who served in grassroots service programmes and for university graduates who left the military after serving 5 years or more. The [26,900](http://edu.people.com.cn/n1/2026/1013/c1006-40813765.html) and [24,600](https://www.jiemian.com/article/15183110.html) figures together come to more than the [35,700 total](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), so many posts are counted in both. Adding them would overstate the intake. The grassroots programmes behind the targeted places include [college-graduate village officials, the three supports and one assistance plan, special-post rural teachers and the western volunteer plan](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). Time spent on secondment to county-level or higher offices or to enterprises and public institutions, or in full-time postgraduate study, during a service term does not count toward the service term, and anyone who has served [less than one full service term cumulatively](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml) cannot use the targeted route. Remote and hardship areas keep their own concessions. County-level and lower bodies in those areas can [adjust education, major, years of work and experience requirements and set a separate written exam pass line](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). The trade-off is time, because people hired through those concessions must serve [at least 5 years, including probation](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html), in hardship-area county and township offices within the prefecture they applied to. > The exam structure continues to show a strong preference for new graduates, with approximately 66.7 percent of the available positions reserved for recent graduates, according to [the December 2025 China Daily report on the 2026 exam](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202512/01/WS692ccf4da310d6866eb2c245.html). ## Who Is Eligible to Apply? Applicants must hold [Chinese nationality](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html) and generally be [aged 18 to 38, born between October 1987 and October 2008](http://edu.people.com.cn/n1/2026/1013/c1006-40813765.html). The limit is relaxed to [up to 43 for 2027 master's and doctoral graduates, born after October 1982](https://www.jiemian.com/article/15183110.html). They must also [support the Constitution, the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system, have good political quality and moral character, be physically and psychologically fit to perform their duties, have the work ability the post requires and meet any other conditions the central civil service authority sets for the post](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). The same limits applied last year, when the general cap was [raised from 35 to 38 and new master's and doctoral graduates became eligible up to 43](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202512/01/WS692ccf4da310d6866eb2c245.html). The minimum education is a [junior college (dazhuan) qualification or above](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html), but [each post sets its own education, degree, major and other requirements](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). Class of 2027 graduates apply with the [highest degree they are about to receive](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), while everyone else applies with the highest degree already obtained. Experience rules depend on the level of the office. Central agencies and their provincial-level bodies [mainly recruit people with 2 or more years of grassroots work experience](http://edu.people.com.cn/n1/2026/1013/c1006-40813765.html), apart from some special and highly specialised posts, while prefecture-level and lower bodies mainly recruit new graduates. Grassroots experience includes work in county and township Party and government offices, village or community Party organisations, village or residents' committees and [all kinds of enterprises and public institutions, except public institutions managed under the Civil Servant Law](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html), and it is counted up to [October 2026](http://edu.people.com.cn/n1/2026/1013/c1006-40813765.html). [Work in military units at regiment level and below, active service by discharged soldiers, and internships at grassroots trainee bases or project research at enterprises and public institutions by graduates who left school without a job can also count](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). For central agency posts, [work in prefecture-level government departments also counts](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). [Work in district or county offices of directly administered municipalities is treated as grassroots experience](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). [Student social practice does not count as grassroots work](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). Time on secondment to provincial-level or higher offices also does not count, nor does [full-time study for a degree taken after starting work](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). Some groups cannot apply at all. Serving military personnel, [current students who are not graduating this cycle, serving civil servants and staff of bodies managed under the Civil Servant Law](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html) are excluded, and [2027 graduates on directed or commissioned training places generally cannot apply](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). [People with criminal convictions, those expelled from the Communist Party of China or from public office, people on the joint punishment list for dishonesty, anyone found to have cheated or seriously broken recruitment rules in a civil service exam, civil servants and staff of bodies managed under the Civil Servant Law dismissed less than 5 years ago, and anyone else barred by law cannot apply either](https://www.jiemian.com/article/15183110.html). Applicants also [may not apply for a post that would create a conflict listed in Article 74(1) of the Civil Servant Law, or for a post at an employer where their spouse, a direct blood relative, a collateral blood relative within three generations or a close in-law is a leader](https://www.jiemian.com/article/15183110.html). Some police posts have their own age rules, generally [30 or under for municipal-level and lower public security police posts (35 or under for 2027 master's and PhD graduates and forensic posts), 25 or under for special police posts, and 30 or under for frontline prison and drug-rehabilitation officers (35 or under for 2027 master's and PhD graduates and special posts such as prison doctors and psychological correction)](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). ## Can 2025 and 2026 Graduates or Returnees Still Apply as Fresh Graduates? Yes, in some cases. Graduates of regular universities enrolled through national unified admission who have [not secured an employer when leaving school and within the two-year job-selection period set by the state](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), and whose household registration, personnel files and Party or Youth League membership records stay with their school or with a graduate employment authority, talent exchange service body or public employment service body, can be treated as fresh graduates. Graduates returning from study abroad have a similar route. Those who obtained a degree from outside the Chinese mainland [between Jan. 1, 2025 and the interview](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), completed the education authorities' credential check and have not yet taken a job can apply for posts open only to fresh graduates. People who joined a grassroots service programme with no prior work experience can also apply for fresh-graduate posts [within 2 years of finishing their service with a pass assessment](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). ## What Are the Key Dates From Registration to Interview? The steps run in a fixed order. - **Account sign-up and real-name check.** [Oct. 14 at 8:00 to Oct. 23 at 18:00](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). Without it, no application can be submitted. - **Application.** [Oct. 15 at 8:00 to Oct. 24 at 18:00, choosing only one post at a time](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). - **Eligibility review.** Hiring agencies check applications from [Oct. 15 at 8:00 to Oct. 26 at 18:00](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). An unreviewed or rejected application can be moved to another post only until [Oct. 24 at 18:00](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), and once an application passes review it cannot be switched. - **Registration number.** Available on the portal after [Oct. 28 at 8:00](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). - **Confirm and pay.** [Nov. 1 at 0:00 to Nov. 6 at 24:00](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). Missing this window counts as giving up eligibility. - **Admission ticket.** Printed from [Nov. 23 at 0:00 to Nov. 29 at 15:00](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). - **Written exam.** [Nov. 29](https://www.news.cn/politics/20261013/0187230deca94baa8053060067412549/c.html), with language and specialised tests on [Nov. 28 from 14:00 to 16:00](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). - **Results and interviews.** Scores and pass lines come in [January 2027](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html), and interviews are generally held [before the end of March 2027](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). One detail matters. Choosing a post and clicking to apply is not enough, because candidates must also click [submit on the applied post page in the personal centre](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), and saving or selecting a post does not count as an application. Anyone who has trouble with the identity check can call [010-12370](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). ## What Does the Written Exam Cover and How Is It Scored? Of the two public papers every candidate sits, the Administrative Aptitude Test runs from [9:00 to 11:00 on the morning of Nov. 29](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html), and the essay paper, known as shenlun, runs from [14:00 to 17:00 that afternoon](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). The aptitude test is objective, the essay is subjective, and [each carries 100 points](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). There are three versions of the public papers, one each for comprehensive management posts in central and provincial-level bodies, comprehensive management posts at prefecture level and below, and [administrative law enforcement posts](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). The papers stress different skills, as central and provincial posts test theoretical thinking and analysis, local posts test [implementation and grassroots work](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), and enforcement posts test lawful conduct and public service. Some posts [add a third paper and change the weighting](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). - **Posts in eight less common languages** (Japanese, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, German, Korean and Portuguese) at bodies including the foreign affairs and commerce ministries weight the aptitude test, essay and language test at [25%, 25% and 50%](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). - **Financial regulator posts** at the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the China Securities Regulatory Commission and their branch offices use the same [25%, 25% and 50%](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml) split with a specialist paper. - **Public security police posts** weight the three papers at [40%, 30% and 30%](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). - **All other posts** weight the aptitude test and essay [50% each](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). After the interview, the combined score is [50% written exam and 50% interview](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html) where there is no professional skills test. Test centres are planned in [more than 200 cities](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), and candidates for language, financial regulator and public security police posts must pick a centre in a municipality, provincial capital or regional capital. ## How Fierce Was Competition for the 2026 Exam? Very fierce. For the 2026 intake, [3.718 million candidates passed the initial verification and about 2.83 million sat the exams](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202512/01/WS692ccf4da310d6866eb2c245.html) for 38,100 positions, an average of [74 applicants for each position](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202512/01/WS692ccf4da310d6866eb2c245.html). The approved pool was a [record-breaking applicant pool and the first since Beijing expanded the age limit](https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3330898/record-37-million-approved-chinas-civil-service-exam-race-iron-rice-bowl). The 2027 notice gives no applicant numbers, and registration [opens on Oct. 14](https://www.news.cn/politics/20261013/0187230deca94baa8053060067412549/c.html), so last year's numbers describe the 2026 race only. The pool has grown quickly, rising from [about 2.6 million in 2023 to over 3.7 million](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202512/01/WS692ccf4da310d6866eb2c245.html) in the 2026 round. In the 2025 round, more than [3.41 million applicants passed the qualification check, about 86 for each spot](https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202410/27/content_WS671d770bc6d0868f4e8ec589.html). In the 2026 exam, a police officer post in Ruili, Yunnan province, with the National Immigration Administration drew [6,470 applicants for a single opening](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202512/01/WS692ccf4da310d6866eb2c245.html). > This feels like an opportunity to re-enter the competition when I thought my chances had passed, Zhou Ming, a 35-year-old professional working in the internet industry in Guangdong province, said, according to [the China Daily report on the age reform](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202512/01/WS692ccf4da310d6866eb2c245.html). ## What Rules on Cheating, Fees and Exam Day Should Applicants Know? The real-name check is one of the measures against a form of cheating the administration calls [gongkao weigang, or surrounding posts](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), and candidates must register and verify their identity before they can apply. Candidates who arrive [a quarter of an hour or more after the exam starts](https://www.jiemian.com/article/15183110.html) are not allowed into the exam room. Penalties scale with the offence. Copying, helping others copy or using banned devices brings [cancellation of this exam and a five-year ban from civil service exams](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), while sitting the exam for someone else, having someone sit it for you, or joining organised cheating brings a lifetime ban. [Phones, calculators, smart watches, smart bands, smart glasses, Bluetooth earphones and other electronic devices or written materials may not be taken to the seat](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). Families receiving the minimum living allowance can contact their local exam body to [confirm registration and apply for fee reductions or waivers](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html), and the [phone numbers of provincial exam bodies will be posted on the portal after Oct. 31](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). The administration [does not publish or designate any study books for this round, and neither runs nor commissions any training courses](https://www.jiemian.com/article/15183110.html), and it urges candidates to stay alert to training firms and websites. After the interview, final candidates go through a medical check and a background review, and the names of people proposed for hiring are posted publicly for [5 working days](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). Vacancies that open during the process can be filled through a [supplementary recruitment round announced on the portal](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). ## What This Means for Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next? The 2027 plan offers fewer central posts than either of the last two rounds, at [35,700](https://www.news.cn/politics/20261013/0187230deca94baa8053060067412549/c.html) against [about 38,100 for 2026](https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202510/1345594.shtml) and [39,700 for 2025](https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202410/27/content_WS671d770bc6d0868f4e8ec589.html), and the plan [continues to tilt toward grassroots offices](https://www.news.cn/politics/20261013/0187230deca94baa8053060067412549/c.html), with [24,600 places at prefecture level and below, where bodies mainly recruit new graduates](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). Candidates choose [one post at a time and cannot switch once an application passes review](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html), and interview candidates for each post are [picked in order of written exam score](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). - **Read the post list before you apply.** The brochure [listed in the notice](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html) lists each post's major, degree and experience rules, and applicants with questions about those requirements [can contact the hiring agency directly](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). - **Check your status, not just your age.** A 2025 or 2026 graduate may still count as a fresh graduate under the [two-year job-selection rule](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), which opens posts reserved for new graduates. - **Count your grassroots years to October 2026.** Apart from some special and highly specialised posts, central and provincial-level posts mainly want [2 or more years of grassroots work experience](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html), and the cut-off for counting it is [October 2026](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). - **Do not miss the payment window.** Confirmation and payment run [Nov. 1 to Nov. 6](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml), and missing it ends the application. - **Weigh the hardship-area trade-off.** Lower entry bars come with a [minimum of 5 years of service](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html) in that area. - **Keep a private sector plan running.** Last year about [2.83 million people sat for 38,100 positions, an average of 74 applicants for each position](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202512/01/WS692ccf4da310d6866eb2c245.html). ## Related Articles - [Government Jobs and Why the Benefits Beat the Private Sector](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/government-jobs-pay-and-benefits) - [Chinese Universities Are Cutting Language Majors to Make Room for AI](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/chinese-universities-cutting-language-majors-ai-2026) - [China Just Made AI an Illegal Reason to Fire You](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/china-ai-layoffs-labor-law-2026) - [Millions of Midlife Workers Face the Fall: What China's Layoff Crisis Reveals About Global Age Bias](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/china-midlife-layoffs-global-age-bias-labor-market) - [Why a Brutal First Job Market Can Dent Graduate Pay for Years, and How to Fight It](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/weak-first-job-market-graduate-wage-scarring-2026) - [Employers Say New Grads Arrive Missing the Basics and Here Is What to Learn First](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/new-graduates-missing-basics-skills-based-hiring-what-to-learn) - [How Chinese Firms Use Quiet AI Layoffs to Dodge Worker Protection Laws](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/chinese-firms-quiet-ai-layoffs-dodge-worker-protection-laws) - [China Just Set a Legal Limit on AI Layoffs. Workers Everywhere Should Pay Attention](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/china-court-ai-layoffs-illegal-ruling) ## People Also Asked ### Q: How many civil servants will China recruit in the 2027 national exam? A: Central agencies and their directly affiliated bodies plan to recruit [35,700 people](https://www.news.cn/politics/20261013/0187230deca94baa8053060067412549/c.html), down from [about 38,100 in the 2026 intake](https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202510/1345594.shtml). ### Q: When is the 2027 national civil service exam? A: The public written exam is on [Nov. 29, with the aptitude test in the morning and the essay in the afternoon](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html), and applications close on [Oct. 24 at 18:00](https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/roll/2026-10-13/doc-iniuzzhk0440207.shtml). ### Q: What is the age limit for China's 2027 civil service exam? A: Applicants are generally [18 to 38, and 2027 master's and doctoral graduates can apply up to 43](https://education.news.cn/20261013/ce6bf7dc36474dd68ecd90aa8b722f06/c.html). Ready to explore? [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) brings together 50M jobs in one place. 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