Civil service exam: From mock interviews to mirror practice

Liu Hongyuan has a bowl of noodles in his room in Xi'an city, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, on Nov 19, 2015. [Photo/IC]

A 24-year-old sat for the national civil service exam on Sunday with the aim to be a civil servant in his hometown, though the exam seems to lose appeal as 460,000 candidates reportedly did not attend it.

Liu Hongyuan, a graduate from Shaanxi Normal University in Northwest China's Xi'an city, has been preparing for the annual exam for two months.

He poured over the reference books until 12 in the night on Saturday, the day before the exam, because he was worried as the post he had applied for will only pick the best two examinees from more than 500 candidates.

Liu, confident of theoretical knowledge, worried more about the interview than the written test, as he felt less confident in expressing his thoughts.

To prepare for the interview, he took part in mock interviews by paying more than 10,000 yuan ($1,563). He even practiced facial expressions and body language in front of the mirror every day since "as an interviewee, we are expected to smile".

Liu said the only reason he was sitting for the exam was that companies prefer somebody with experience over a fresh candidate at his home town.