Qing China abolished its imperial civil-service examinations in 1905.
The examination system had selected government officials through tests on Confucian classics for more than a millennium. Although the precise institutions changed across dynasties, mastery of texts such as the Four Books and Five Classics remained central to elite education and official recruitment.
The late Qing government ended the examinations during a period of institutional reform following military defeats, foreign pressure, and domestic unrest. Reformers increasingly argued that the classical curriculum did not adequately prepare officials for modern administration, science, or military affairs.
The abolition did not instantly end Confucian influence. Confucian texts, family education, and political ideals continued to shape Chinese society, while new schools and overseas-study programs expanded. The 1905 decision is often treated as a major boundary between imperial political culture and the modern Chinese educational system.