Confucian classics were made the cornerstone of the [Chinese evil service examination] system simply because it he been the philosophy of the people.

Question

After the appearance of this system, students treated [the civil service system] as a stepping-stone toward government employment.
- Pao Chao Hsieh, The Government of China, 1644 to 1911 (1925)

Based on the excerpt, how did the civil service examination system change Chinese society?

a. Confucian ideas shaped China's government and led to discrimination against those who believed in other faiths and philosophies
b. The Confucian-based civil service examination system led to the dominance of a highly educated and privileged class in Chinese society
c. The Confucian-based civil service examination led to the development of a literary elite who studied Confucianism for its own sake
d. Confucian ideas became a unifying force and led to a better connection among the vast and diverse population of China

Answer 1

Based on the excerpt, the best answer is:

b. The Confucian-based civil service examination system led to the dominance of a highly educated and privileged class in Chinese society.

This is supported by the notion that students viewed the civil service system as a pathway to government employment, suggesting that it created a class of educated individuals who were privileged due to their status in the civil service.