Competition Rate for Grade 5 and 7 National Civil Servant Recruitment for Private Sector Professionals Rises Slightly to 21 to 1

3,304 Applicants for 157 Positions
Average Applicant Age 37... Written Exam on July 19

This year, the competition rate for the national civil servant open recruitment exam for private sector professionals at grades 5 and 7 has slightly increased compared to last year, reaching 21 to 1.

On June 23, the Ministry of Personnel Management announced that 3,304 applicants had applied for 157 positions in the '2025 National Civil Servant Open Recruitment Exam for Private Sector Professionals' after the application period closed.

This year, the number of positions available decreased by 23 from 180 last year to 157, but the number of applicants increased, resulting in a competition rate of 21 to 1, up 0.9 percentage points from the previous year. Looking at the competition rates over the past four years, the figure has steadily risen from 14.0 to 1 in 2022, to 16.9 to 1 in 2023, 20.1 to 1 in 2024, and 21.0 to 1 this year.

By rank, the grade 5 positions saw 1,010 applicants for 40 openings, recording a competition rate of 25.3 to 1. For grade 7, there were 2,294 applicants for 117 positions, resulting in a competition rate of 19.6 to 1. The highest competition rate by recruitment unit was for the grade 7 administrative assistant in general administration at the Ministry of Personnel Management, with 197 applicants for a single position, resulting in a rate of 197 to 1. In grade 5, the position of computer administrator in the Ministry of National Defense for the field of defense artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based information and communication resource integration had 91 applicants for one opening, resulting in a competition rate of 91 to 1.

The average age of applicants was 37, similar to last year’s average of 37.3. By age group, those in their 30s accounted for the largest share with 1,777 applicants (53.8%), followed by those in their 40s with 982 (29.7%), those in their 20s with 406 (12.3%), and those aged 50 or older with 139 (4.2%). Female applicants totaled 1,713, making up 51.8% of the total, a slight increase from last year’s 51.2%.

The written exam will be held on July 19, and the test locations will be announced on the Cyber National Examination Center website on July 11.

Meanwhile, in order to attract private sector experts, the Ministry of Personnel Management held a 'Government Joint Online Recruitment Briefing' with the participation of 30 agencies last month, and carried out various promotional activities, including the production and distribution of a 'Private Sector Professionals Recruitment Guidebook' and other promotional materials highlighting the unique advantages and benefits of public service.