BEIJING, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The recruitment exam for civilian employees of the Chinese armed forces was held in 59 cities across the nation on Sunday, according to the People's Liberation Army Daily.

More than 270,000 people sat for the exam, contending for over 24,000 posts.

Candidates for interviews will be released in mid-October.

In the Chinese military, "civilian employees" refer to those who work in management or professional technical posts but are not in active service.