Lessons from the Chinese imperial examination system

Language Testing in Asia

Table 2 Test content

Exam	Ming dynasty	Qing dynasty
One	Answer three questions from the Four Books^a and four questions from the Five Classics^b	Write three essays about the Four Books and a five-character poem
Two	One essay and five comments on specific issues	Write an essay related to each of the Five Classics
Three	Five questions related to historical and current affairs	Five questions related to comments on specific issues derived from literary classics

^aThe Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Confucian Analects, and the Works of Mencius
^bThe Book of Songs, The Book of History, the Book of Changes, the Book of Rites, and the Spring and Autumn Annals