China's annual national civil service exam takes place on Sunday. Excellent performers may have the chance of being recruited by central government departments. But as Zeng Siwei explains, this year's contest is fierce.

The civil service exam is no stranger for this woman.

Li Bin has taken provincial and regional civil service exams three times, but failed to make the grade.

She still wants to try, and this time, at the national level.

Li Bin, said, "I want to become a civil servant. Its stable and future developments are promising. Also, I can improve myself while serving the people."

Li Bin is just one of the large number of test-sitters.

About 1.35 million people are qualified to take the test this year. That's a record high, and more than 15 times the number in 2003.

But the posts available are limited, only 150-thousand. That means only one out of 90 people can eventually get a job.

Experts attribute the huge number of applicants to job security and the pressure on employment.