There are differences in examination time, examination content and examination requirements between the two. For the national civil service examination, the examination time is mostly set within one or two weeks after the National Day every year, and most of the candidates are fresh graduates of that year.

Most provinces will take the joint entrance examination, and the time is probably in March and April each year. There are relatively few positions in the provincial civil service examination for fresh graduates. Unless there is a local requirement, all the people in the society can apply for it, but the provincial civil service examination will have restrictions on academic qualifications or household registration.