Competition ratio for grade-7 local civil servant exam halves; written test set for Saturday

The competition ratio for the grade-7 local civil servant exam, which had exceeded 70-to-1 for years, has dropped by roughly half.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety said Wednesday that 19,673 people applied for the 2026 grade-7 local civil servant open and career-based competitive recruitment exam, yielding a competition ratio of 34.5-to-1. The written test is scheduled for Saturday.

The ratio stood at 64.3-to-1 in 2022, then climbed to 72.2-to-1 in 2023, 70.9-to-1 in 2024 and 71.5-to-1 in 2025 — surpassing 70-to-1 for three consecutive years.

The number of planned recruits for this year's grade-7 open and career-based exam is 570, more than double last year's 267. The ministry said the ratio fell because the number of applicants rose only slightly from last year's 19,091, even as the recruitment target expanded sharply.

By region, Daegu recorded the highest ratio at 129-to-1, with five slots drawing 645 applicants, while Incheon posted the lowest at 1.1-to-1, with nine slots and 10 applicants.

Among grade-7 applicants, women accounted for 54.5 percent (10,724), while men made up 45.5 percent (8,949). By age group, those in their 30s were the largest cohort at 42.6 percent (8,383), followed by those in their 20s at 41 percent (8,071) and those in their 40s at 14 percent (2,757).

The concurrent research and guidance track exam attracted 4,567 applicants for 343 positions, a ratio of 13.3-to-1.

A grade-9 career-based competitive exam targeting graduates and prospective graduates of technical high schools drew 707 applicants for 382 planned positions, a ratio of 1.9-to-1.

Grade-8 and grade-9 career-based competitive exams for select fields including industrial and driving positions drew 2,288 applicants for 598 slots, a ratio of 3.8-to-1.

The overall competition ratio across all categories, including the grade-7 open and career-based exams, came to 14.4-to-1.

Applicants sitting the written test should check their exam venue, entry time, required materials and test-taker rules in advance through the website of the provincial or metropolitan government where they are registered to sit.

Results of the written tests, including the grade-7 open recruitment exam, are expected to be announced in November through each regional government's website.