When was the use of competitive examination to select civil service started?

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The use of competitive examinations to select civil officials was begun in China during the Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), and expanded to include all important positions during the Sung dynasty (960-1279; see Chinese examination system ). In the West, however, selection of civil administrators and staff on the basis of merit examinations is a late development. Despite important contributions to administrative structure and procedure, the Roman Empire seems to have recruited and promoted officials largely on the basis of custom and the judgement of superiors.