A total of 920,000 people took the National Public Servant Exam on Sunday to compete for 14,500 positions, the State Administration of Civil Service said.
The exam is considered one of the most competitive tests in China, as only one out of every 63 candidates is expected to get a government job this year.
The annual recruitment sees fewer vacancies this year than in 2017, in which more than 28,000 vacancies were on offer.
In addition to the national written exam on Sunday, those applying for certain positions related to finance, public security, foreign affairs and other fields will need to take an additional professional skill test.
