Examination is a selection method in China's imperial examination system, which is equivalent to today's written examination. The exam is divided into two seasons: spring is called Chunhui Chunwei, and autumn is called Qiu Wei. The Spring Festival refers to the exams held from April to May in the lunar calendar, and the Mid-Autumn Festival refers to the exams held from September to October in the lunar calendar. The grading system is not implemented in the examination, and the examination results are directly announced by the invigilator, and the unified laurel order is issued or not. After the final exam, those who pass can be promoted to the palace exam.
Chunwei was founded in Yuan Dynasty, and it was formally implemented in Ming Dynasty. It refers to the highest-level examination set for selecting talents who are expected to be transferred to official positions in the DPRK. It is also called Jinshi examination or court examination. The spring exam begins in the exact month of the lunar calendar every year, which is the last and most difficult step in the imperial examination.
Candidates need to complete the literary answer in the court exam, assess their talents and abilities, and decide the priority by drawing lots within a specific period of time in the court before they can enter the list of exams that Chunwei can formally take. The spring exam is usually held from the end of March to the beginning of April. Those who pass the exam are personally awarded books and official positions by the emperor and become a jury to show encouragement and recognition.
The difference between spring and Autumn
The time of spring and autumn is different. The spring exam begins in the first month of the lunar calendar and is the last step of the imperial examination, while the autumn exam ends in August and September of the lunar calendar, probably in February and March. The grades of spring and autumn are different. Spring position is the highest level exam and the last level of imperial examination, and Qiu Wei can be promoted to Xie Yuan or the second place after passing the exam. The exam contents of Chunwei and Qiu Wei are different. The spring exam focuses on literary talent, knowledge literacy and comprehensive writing ability, while the autumn exam is relatively simple, focusing on the proficiency of imperial examination knowledge and classic works, and the text can be passed if it meets the requirements.