Confucian

Examination System

During the Qing period, civil service exam was continued and developed.  This examination system played a role in education, government, and in the society.  Civil service exam was based on Confucian classics.  Lessons on Confucian classics were opened to all boys.  Even farm boys were allowed to go to school and study Confucian texts.  They can take the exams to find better jobs.  If the boys passed the exams, their family statuses will be rise higher.  Not all boys compete in the civil service exam.  Only the boys from wealthy families, or have wealthy sponsors could continue to study Confucian texts and enter to do the exams. Some people spent as much as twenty years studying the Confucian classics to enter the exam.  The lowest position in the Chinese hierarchy a person could make was to hold the county seat.  If the a person who held the county seat passed another exam, they can take the second exam.  If the person passed the second exam, they could be a one of the leaders of their villages or be the teachers at their villages.  If the person passed third exam, they could hold the highest power in the local area.  If the person passed the fourth exam, which is the highest level, they could be members of the Chinese bureaucracy.  The civil service exam was very important in China.  The poorest boys could receive the same education like other wealthy boys.  With this education, if the boys did not pass the exam, they can still find jobs in the city other than being farmers. The civil service exam helped shape the government during the Qing Dynasty.