Civil servants donning face masks enter the Central Government Complex on March 2, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

The Hong Kong SAR government announced on Thursday that 20,900 online applications were received this year for six civil service graduate grades, up by 38 percent compared with last year.

The six civil service graduate grades include Administrative Officer (AO), Executive Officer II, Assistant Labour Officer II, Assistant Trade Officer II, Management Services Officer II and Transport Officer II. According to the government’s respective recruitment targets, the six grades will provide a total of 306 job vacancies.

More than 12,500 people applied for AO positions, marking a 34 percent increase over last year’s number; for this grade, only 50 people will be recruited

More than 12,500 people applied for AO positions, marking a 34 percent increase over last year’s number; for this grade, only 50 people will be recruited. Another popular grade, Executive Officer II, attracted 18,400 applications — a 36 percent surge from last year.

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Eligible applicants will take a joint recruitment examination (JRE) on Dec 2 in Hong Kong. As for candidates residing or studying on the mainland or overseas, they will be able to sit the examination in eight cities outside Hong Kong, including Beijing, London, and New York.

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan said on her social media page that the application process for the six civil service graduate grades is competitive, as many fresh graduates and junior students have a strong interest in becoming a civil servant.

The JRE requires candidates to answer one Chinese and one English question within three hours. The topics are mainly to do with current social affairs issues. Yeung suggested that candidates should pay attention to current news developments and deepen their understanding of public policies in different fields. They should also follow important international political and economic developments, she said.

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The government launched the joint recruitment exercise in 2023-24 on Sept 16, with the deadline for submitting applications on Oct 6.