There’s more than just civil service exams to get into the government system: serving two years in grassroots programs qualifies you for a special recruitment quota of 10% each year.

7. There’s more than just civil service exams to get into the government system: serving two years in grassroots programs qualifies you for a special recruitment quota of 10% each year.

Cost: There’s no upfront cost. The trade‑off is spending two years working at a grassroots level in a township. During those two years you receive a government stipend rather than a market‑rate salary, and you must be prepared to endure that period.

In plain terms: Getting into the government system isn’t limited to taking civil service exams. After completing two years of satisfactory service in programs such as “Three Supports and One Assistance,” you become eligible for a special recruitment pool that accounts for roughly 10% of each year’s civil service openings. Those who take the postgraduate entrance exam within three years also get an extra 10 points added to their total score. The catch is that you’ll be paid only a government stipend during those two years.

Benefit: The fourth round of the “Three Supports and One Assistance” program states that the service term is two years. It also specifies that each province must reserve about 10% of its civil service recruitment slots for participants in this and similar grassroots programs. Additionally, local governments are required to set aside a certain number of positions in county‑ and township‑level public institutions for those who have completed the program and passed the evaluation; once hired, they are exempt from a probationary period. This means these spots are open only to former participants, not to outsiders. The same notice adds that anyone who finishes the program and meets the criteria can receive a 10‑point boost on their postgraduate exam score and be given priority admission under equal conditions. Graduates from vocational colleges who meet the requirements may also be admitted to undergraduate programs without taking further exams. Moreover, those without prior work experience who complete the program can enjoy the same rights as fresh graduates for two years in terms of civil service and corporate hiring, entrepreneurship, household registration, and further education; their service time counts as work seniority, with the start date being the day they reported to the grassroots post. Financial support from the central government is 30,000 yuan per person per year for western regions, 24,000 yuan for central regions, and 12,000 yuan for eastern regions. A joint directive from the General Offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council states that such individuals may enjoy the same treatment as fresh graduates for two years after completing the program, and that most senior posts in central government agencies must be filled by candidates with at least two years of grassroots experience. Another pathway is the Western China Program, jointly organized by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security; it recruits recent university graduates and postgraduate students to provide volunteer services in western grassroots areas for one to three years.

Evidence grade: A

Sources: Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China and ten other departments (2021). Notice on the implementation of the fourth round of the "Three Supports and One Support" plan for college graduates (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China [2021] No. 32, Articles 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13). <https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2021-06/04/content_5615404.htm>; General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, General Office of the State Council of China (2017). Opinions on further guiding and encouraging college graduates to work at the grassroots level (Articles 5, 16, and 18). <http://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2017/content_5171278.htm>; National College Student Volunteer Service Western Plan Project Management Office (2026). 2026-2027 College Student Volunteer Service Western Plan Recruitment Agreement. <http://xibu.youth.cn/tzgg/202604/t20260423_16623558.htm>

Notes: The fourth round of the “Three Supports and One Assistance” program covers the years 2021‑2025. No fifth‑round documents or 2026 notices have been found yet, so be sure to check the latest recruitment announcements before applying. In 2025 the central government funded the recruitment of 34,430 participants. The full implementation plan for the Western China Program is not publicly available, and the relevant policy page on its official site cannot be accessed. Benefits for graduates of that program are governed by the same CPC‑State Council directive applicable to all grassroots programs. Keep in mind that you must actually serve the full two years under a government stipend; don’t focus solely on the subsequent special recruitment opportunities.