The examination for China's civil service applicants is becoming more meaningful as it puts increasing stress on competence and capabilities.

A further 15 percent of the civil service berths will be given to people with at least two years working experience next year. The State Administration of Civil Service is sensible to reserve 85 percent of the civil service seats for experienced people, recruiting the right hands for the right places.

The exam will also open the door to more government jobs at the grass-roots level. The revised ratio favoring experienced candidates should serve as a prelude to civil service system reform.

Barely a decade ago, college graduates dreamed of working for foreign corporations, viewing them as a way to obtain high salaries and world-class training skills. Now college students covet bureaucratic posts. As foreign corporations struggle with the global financial crisis, the number of Chinese jobseekers applying for the civil service has soared. Jobseekers have their eyes on the "iron rice bowl" of the public sector - the security that government jobs can offer.

While the college entrance examinations in June mean access to higher education, the national civil service test implies a lifetime guarantee. The examination attracts millions of applicants.

Most candidates choose to work for the government with an eye on the benefits and job security. Government jobs offer above-average salaries, various subsidies, a good welfare program, sense of security and a stable work environment. The problem is that it does not bode well for creating a capable and devoted public service system, which is crucial for improving government efficiency.

The current civil service system is inefficient in producing the capable people the government needs, nor are they equipped to do the job that has to be done. Job security in the civil service has led to inefficiency and public discontent with government service.

A system that determines employee pay and promotion based on an intricate structure of grades and steps - and chiefly rewards longevity over performance - makes it hard to motivate employees to be productive or reward those who excel. Public servants need to work under a new system that is designed to replace rigidity with flexibility and to shift the emphasis onto performance.

The civil service should not be left behind in the dust while market forces drive the rest of the nation. We badly need reform. There is a rising need for advanced skills - from typing to scientific expertise - which calls for a different approach to hiring. An enhanced civil service needs to provide a competent, professional bureaucracy hired and promoted on the basis of merit rather than favoritism.