China's national civil service exam rolled out nationwide on Sunday, taken by over 1.57 million candidates. /CFP

This year, the government's planned enrollment increased to 25,700, meaning that only one in 61 applicants on average will be able to secure a government job. While for some popular positions, the ratio could be as high as one in 3,000. /CFP

Many exam takers were seen busy reviewing their study materials right up until the last minute. /CFP

A series of pandemic control and containment measures have been implemented this year, including temperature and health-code checks. /CFP