VietNamNet Bridge - Civil service exams have been a hot topic of discussion in local newspapers in recent years because of their popularity and stiff competition.

 

In 2014, Hanoi planned to recruit 459 civil servants for its agencies, but it received 3,924 applications to take the civil service entrance exam. In other words, more than eight people were competing for one seat. 

The race for the posts at the Hanoi Taxation Agency was especially “hot” with only one seat for every 70 candidates.

In 2013, a report showed that 3,837 candidates were eligible for taking the civil service exam, while Hanoi recruited 512 only, which means the competition ratio of 1/8.

In 2014, the General Department of Taxation (GDT) planned to employ 1,796 civil servants in 21 out of 63 cities and provinces. And 30,000 candidates registered to attend the entrance exam.

In mid-August 2014, thousands of people were seen queuing up in front of the Hanoi Taxation Sub-department in Hanoi at 5 am to submit the applications for attending the civil service exam.

The sub-department reported that it received 9,000 applications after five days. Meanwhile, only 340 were employed.

Are there opportunities for common people?

Many candidates, though attending the entrance exams, said they did not think there would be opportunities for “grassroots”. 

“I heard that the entrance exams to state agencies are dubious and tortuous,” a law school graduate said to a reporter when queuing up in front of the Hanoi Taxation Sub-department in summer 2014.

Professor Hoang Tuy, a renowned educator, noted that there are four important virtues candidates need to have to be admitted to state agencies. The “virtues” are in priority order as follows: 1) the successors of VIPs 2) those who have close relationships with VIPs 3) those who are willing to pay money for the posts at state agencies and 4) highly capable candidates.

As such, capability and qualification of candidates are the fourth most important factors candidates need to have.

People have every reason to think the exams are “fishy”. In 2014, hundreds of candidates attended the entrance exam to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Market Management Agency. Only 10 passed the exams and most of them were relatives of VIP officials in the ministry.

When asked why university graduates today like working for state agencies, a labor expert noted that the jobs at state agencies are wanted by people who want easy and stable jobs. However, he said the major problem is the economic recession, which has led to a decrease in job offers in the non-state economic sector.

Ngan Anh