Examinees wait in line to sit in the 2021 national civil service exam on November 28, 2021. Photo: Chinanews.com

China's annual national civil service exam kicked off on Sunday with a record-breaking registration of 2.1 million people seeking to become civil servants.

With a planned recruitment of 31,200 public servants, there are 68 people on average competing for one position in the exam. A postal service position in Ngari prefecture, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, has attracted nearly 20,000 examinees by the deadline of the registration.

Since 2009, the number of enrollments has exceeded 1 million. But this year it has surpassed 2 million for the first time.

The great zeal resulted from the bright career prospect of public servants and the openness, fairness and accountability of the selection process, said Qian Yuying, a professor of Department of Politics and Public Management, Soochow University, quoted by Chinanews.com.

The 2021 national civil service exam continues to promote the employment for students graduating in 2022 by setting a total of 21,000 positions open only for new graduates. It also loosens the limits of education level, and working experience in more than 8,700 posts to attract more people to work at grassroots-level positions in less-developed areas. 

Global Times