The Chinese Imperial Examination System An Annotated Bibliography

It would be impossible for one to truly understand China without knowing about the imperial examination system and the vast collection of the imperial examination studies. Unique in traditional Chinese society, the system was originally created as a political institution to recruit officials to serve the Chinese imperial government. During the period of its use, from 605 through 1905, the system played a central role in the Chinese imperial government, serving as a tool for political and ideological control, functioning as a proxy for education, producing the elite social class, and dominating the culture. It generated countless publications, including the imperial government publications and a variety of nongovernment works. After the abolition of the system, numerous publications produced by the international research community spawned Chinese imperial examination studies. These studies involved a wide range of disciplines, including history, political science, sociology, education, psychology, culture, literature, linguistics, anthropology, philosophy, religion, mathematics, and economics.

Rui Wang is the social sciences bibliographer, reference librarian, and associate professor at Central Michigan University. She holds a master's degree in library and information science and a master's degree in sociology. She has written multiple book chapters, journal articles, and book reviews.