00:00 The Imperial Examination System in China created a bureaucratic elite that administered the country for 1300 years and still has an impact on Chinese society today.

02:25 The imperial exams in ancient China were initially based on recommendations from aristocrats, but later became more open to a wider section of society during the Sui dynasty.

03:56 During the Tang and Song dynasties, the Chinese civil service exams underwent significant reforms, including expanding the eligibility to take the test to a wider range of people and establishing prestigious institutions like the Hanlin Academy.

05:28 The imperial exams in China covered subjects such as Confucian philosophy, poetry, history, statecraft, government, mathematics, astronomy, and science, but did not include creativity or problem solving.

06:56 The imperial exams in China required rote memorization and were divided into three levels, with the highest level equivalent to a doctorate degree, and there were no age requirements, allowing multiple generations in the same family to take the test at the same time, although the average age for passing the first test was in the thirties and the third test in the forties, and while the tests were theoretically open to anyone, families with money had an advantage due to access to books and tutors.

08:23 The imperial exams in China were incredibly grueling, lasting up to 72 hours, and test takers had to bring their own supplies and support from their families, cheating was not uncommon, and those who passed became members of the Mandarin class with various benefits and social status.

09:51 The imperial exam system in China had both positive and negative effects, as it incentivized rote memorization and conformity but also emphasized the importance of education and literacy, making it one of the few examples of a legitimate meritocracy in the ancient world.