BEIJING, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Around 984,000 people sat the national civil servant exam this year, an increase from 930,000 last year, as competition for stable government jobs intensified, official data showed Monday.

There are about 27,000 vacancies in over 120 central departments and agencies on offer, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

That means only one in 36 applicants will be successful, compared with one out of 33 last year.

Authorities took various measures to prevent cheating during the exam's written test Sunday, the ministry said.

The exam is one of the most competitive tests in China. Civil servant jobs are seen to offer a relatively stable career, although the popularity of government posts has dropped in recent years.