China's civil service to open 38,100 vacancies in 2026 intake with age limits for applicants relaxed

Chinese central government departments and their subsidiary institutions plan to recruit approximately 38,100 civil servants in the 2026 civil servant intake, according to the State Administration of Civil Service, Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday. Registration for the exam begins on Wednesday, the report said.

This time, China has appropriately adjusted the age requirements for applicants taking the 2026 national civil service examination, in line with the country's progressive approach to delaying the legal retirement age, according to the announcement on the 2026 national examination and recruitment of civil servants released on Tuesday.

Per the official announcement, the general age requirement for applicants is between 18 and 38 years old. For those graduating with a master's or doctoral degree in 2026, the age limit has been relaxed to 43.

For last year's requirements, applicants were generally required to be between 18 and 35 years old, while the age limit was extended to 40 for those obtaining master's or doctoral degrees in 2025.

Prospective candidates can register online through relevant official website from Wednesday to October 24. The public subject written test will be held simultaneously on November 30 in all municipalities directly under the central government, provincial capitals, regional capitals, and several other major cities.

According to media reports, the recruitment highlights strict adherence to political standards. Applicants who fail to meet these standards will not be admitted.

Also, to support graduate employment, approximately 26,000 positions are reserved for recent university graduates within municipal and lower-level institutions directly under central agencies. Over 28,000 positions will strengthen the grassroots civil service at county and lower levels. Around 3,000 positions are allocated for individuals with grassroots project experience and university graduate veterans who have served in the military for over five years. Preferential policies continue for remote and hardship areas.

The exam will continue its tiered and categorized structure, with tests tailored to the core competencies required for civil servants and the specific characteristics of different positions and institutional levels. Professional competency tests will be required for highly specialized roles.

According to the announcement, no official textbooks or tutoring courses are authorized. Relevant authorities will enhance supervision of civil service training institutions, regulate commercial marketing, and rigorously combat cheating and other misconduct.

Recruiting organs will review applications from Wednesday to October 26 to confirm eligibility. After October 24, un-reviewed or unapproved applications cannot be changed to other positions, said the announcement.

According to the announcement, the written exam comprises public and professional subjects. The public subjects are the administrative professional ability test (objective questions) and the essay test (subjective questions), each worth 100 points.

Applicants for specific positions requiring non-common languages (e.g., Japanese, French, Russian) in departments like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must take a unified foreign language proficiency test. Those applying to the National Financial Regulatory Administration, China Securities Regulatory Commission, and police positions must take a unified professional subject exam, according to the announcement.

Test centers are located in municipalities, provincial capitals, regional capitals, and other selected cities. Examinees can check their scores and the minimum passing marks on the dedicated website in January 2026.