1.56 million peoplehave applied to take China's five-hour civil service exam this year.The exam is the first step in getting a coveted government job, known as a "iron rice bowl" because of the stability and benefits despite the low pay.There are less than 30,000 jobs available to exam applicants in 2017.Civil service exams are also held in South Korea and the Philippines every year.More than 1.5 millionpeople in China have applied to sit forthis year's five-hour civil-service exam.The yearlytestis the first step in landing a coveted government job, or "iron rice bowl," as it is commonly described in China. These jobs tend to provide long-term stability.In China, civil-service employees receive better health benefits and pension plans. Some even receivefreemealsand accommodation.All candidates must be Chinese citizens with a junior college degree aged between 18 and 35.The exam has two parts: an aptitude testwith 135 multiple-choice questions on math, world affairs, language, and logic that lasts two hours. Test-takers have another three hours to write a policyessay.After the exam, successful applicantsproceed to specialized tests and interviews for specific departments.This year, 1.38 million peoplewere approved to sit for the exam on December 10, but with28,533 jobs available nationwide, the chance of getting a job is slim; there are 48 exam-takers per available job.According to the state-runChina Daily,one position at theLiaison Office of the International Cooperation Department of the China Family Planning Association, is particularly sought-after with 2,666 applicants.In 2016, the most popular job at a reception office attracted nearly 10,0000 applications.Due to reforms, private-sector jobs were popular in the the 1980s and 1990s, butexam applications have skyrocketedsince the beginning of the 21st century. In 2004, just 120,000 people satfor the exam.Thenumber of available jobs has also been steadily increasing each year, partlydue to party members aging and retiring.Financial stability does not mean you'll be well-paidThe stability that China's government jobsprovide is socovetedthat many people who could be seen as overqualifiedthose with masters degreesand PhDs, for examplealso tend to apply.However,that doesn't mean these jobsactually pay well.In 2015, it was announced that the lowest-ranked civil servants would have a new base salary of$212.50 a month, which even state media describe as "not high" for workers in rural areas.The raise, toalmost double the previous salary base, was part of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption crackdown. The hope was that. by raising salaries, officials would be less inclinedto capitulate to bribes.China'scivil-service exam originated in Imperial ChinaChina's civil-service exam is not a modern invention. For more than 1,200 years, Chinaranexaminations for positions in every administrative level.The idea behind them was to encourage hiring that was merit-based, rather than being influenced by a family's connections or background.Even in Imperial China, millions of men applied to take the exams. And while manyfailed to ever receive a jobin China's administration (despite some clever attempts to cheat), the benefits to those who studied were long-lasting."One of the unintended consequences of the examinations was that it created legions of classically literate men who used their linguistic talents for a variety of non-official purposes: from physicians to pettifoggers, from fiction writers to examination essay teachers, and from ritual specialists to lineage agents,"wrote BenjaminElman, an expert in Chinese studies at Princeton University.The exams were only abolished in 1905, before being overhauled and reintroduced decades later.Massexams aren't uncommon in AsiaChina isn't the only Asian country to hold civil-service examsen masse.The Philippines runs a twice-yearly Career Service Examination-Pen and Paper Test, open to anyone over 18, regardless of education level.South Korea also runs examsto be able to apply forgovernment jobs, including police and fire departments. A government position is"considered an honor for a person's entire family"according to Korea Times.This year, more than 600,000 people said they were preparingto take the exam. There's even an Exam Village where people temporarily relocate in orderto study.China and Korea also run mass university entrance exams,an offshoot of the civil-service exams.Just last weekSouth Korea's nationaluniversity entrance exam was haltedafter a severe earthquake hit Seoul.Think you could ace the exam' You can answer some of thequestionshereSEE ALSO:16 stunning photos of China's insanely stressful college entrance exam processJoin the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Inside the best high school in America, which costs $53,000 a year
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