China will begin accepting applications Wednesday for its 2026 national civil service exam with a landmark revision: The age cap for most applicants will rise for the first time in decades from 35 to 38, reflecting Beijing’s broader effort to gradually delay retirement and keep older workers in the labor force, reports Caixin. According to an official notice released Tuesday, the exam—often referred to as the “guokao,” or national civil service exam—will recruit 38,100 new civil servants, down 1,602 from last year and marking the first decline in hiring since 2019. Written tests will be held on Nov. 30 in major cities and provincial capitals nationwide.
The change that drew the most attention was the relaxation of the age requirement. Applicants must now generally be between 18 and 38 years old—up from the long-standing 35-year cutoff. For 2026 graduates with master’s or doctoral degrees, the ceiling is extended to 43 years old.
The adjustment ends more than three decades of the “35-year rule,” which has governed public-sector recruitment since 1994. The notice said the adjustment was made to “serve the overall national strategy” and align with new policies to gradually extend the legal retirement age.