There are still a record number of applicants taking the nationwide government recruitment exam even though around 26 percent who signed up, dropped out.

775,000 people will take written examinations on November 30. That's 130,000 more applicants than last year, Yang Shiqiu, Vice Minister of the Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) said on Tuesday.

Those who pass will go through a second-round of tests and interviews before March 15, 2009, to compete for 13,500 civil service jobs

Initially, 1.05 million people signed up to take the exam but the MOHRSS said some either missed the confirmation date or didn't pay the exam fee.

Yang said a civil servant job is so appealing because it comes with a good reputation, social status, career development path and welfare system.

Statistics show that about six million students will graduate from universities and colleges in China next year and some 800,000 of this year's graduates are still awaiting job offers.

Graduates say it's harder to find a job now as a college education is nearly universal among students in China and a university degree is no longer a privilege when job-hunting.

Yang said the ministry would take measures to ensure the fairness of the exam, including keeping test papers confidential, using computers to score multiple choice questions and assigning at least two people to go over answers to essay questions.

The recruitment procedure for civil service jobs will be completed before June, 2009.

(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2008)