Civil Service Examinations Act Enforcement Rules

Date of promulgation

Promulgated on 2 May, 1986 by order Kao-Tai-Mi-Yi-Zi No.1427 of the Examination Yuan (75) in a full text incorporating 25 articles.
Amended and promulgated on 28 April, 1995 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 02357 of the Examination Yuan (84), which revised Article 4 and deleted Article 19.
Amended and promulgated on 24 October, 1995 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 06935 of the Examination Yuan (84), which revised Article 4 and added Article 13-1.
Amended and promulgated on 5 March, 1996 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No.00703 of the Examination Yuan (85), which revised the full text of the Act in 21 articles.
Amended and promulgated on 30 August, 1996 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 04187 of the Examination Yuan (85), which revised Article 4.
Amended and promulgated on 11 May, 1998 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 02169 of the Examination Yuan (87), which revised Article 3, 8 and 16.
Amended and promulgated on 20 May, 1999 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 03421 of the Examination Yuan (88), which revised Article 3 and 11.
Amended and promulgated on 8 October, 1999 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 06639 of the Examination Yuan (88), which revised Article 4.
Amended and promulgated on 9 November, 1999 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 07129 of the Examination Yuan (88), which revised Article 8.
Amended and promulgated on 29 March, 2002 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 0910001079 of the Examination Yuan.
Amended and promulgated on 23 July, 2002 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 091005460 of the Examination Yuan, which revised Article 8.
Amended and promulgated on 8 January, 2003 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 0910010418 of the Examination Yuan, which revised Article 5 and 8.
Amended and promulgated on 7 March, 2003 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 09200011571 of the Examination Yuan, which revised Article 5.
Amended and promulgated on 27 October, 2006 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 09500082651 of the Examination Yuan, which revised Article 3, 8, and 11.
Amended and promulgated on 29 April, 2008 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 09700030111 of the Examination Yuan, which revised the full text of the Act in 18 articles.
Amended and promulgated on 25 July, 2011 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 10000062381 of the Examination Yuan, which revised Article 9.
Amended and promulgated on 30 April, 2012 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 10100037101 of the Examination Yuan, which revised Article 3 and 16.
Amended and promulgated on 3 June, 2013 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 10200048371 of the Examination Yuan, which revised Article 13 and 14.
Amended and promulgated on 9 July, 2013 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 10200058321 of the Examination Yuan, which revised Article 9.
Amended and promulgated on 25 August, 2014 by order Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi No. 10300020171 of the Examination Yuan, which revised the full text of the Act in 21 articles.
Amendment to Article 7, promulgated on April 23, 2018 as per Examination Yuan Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi Order No. 10700024411.
Amendment to Article 17, promulgated on September 9, 2019 as per Examination Yuan Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi Order No. 10700012781.
Amendments to articles, promulgated on September 20, 2019 as per Examination Yuan Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi Order No. 10800069991.
Amendments to Articles 4 and 7, promulgated on November 22, 2021 as per Examination Yuan Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi Order No. 11000081231.

The text of these Enforcement Rules is as follows:

Article 1
These Enforcement Rules are established as per Article 27 of the Civil Service Examinations Act (“this Act”).
 
Article 2
Civil service personnel recruited through examinations as prescribed in Article 1 of this Act refers to the following:
1.Civil servants of the central government and all subsidiary agencies.
2.Civil servants of local governments and all subsidiary agencies.
3.Civil servants of public opinion organs at all levels.
4.Staff of public schools at all levels.
5.Employees of government-owned enterprises
6.Employees of transportation enterprises.
7.Other civil servants recruited through examinations as required by law.
These Rules do not apply to civil service personnel whose employment is not stipulated by the qualification criteria.

Article 3
The “open competition” in Article 2 of this Act means that any R.O.C. citizen aged 18 or above who meet eligibility requirements in Articles 7, 9, and 13 to 17 of this Act and who do not meet any ineligibility condition set out in Article 12 may register for civil service examinations; passing candidates will be selected in the order of their exam score rank.
The “unless otherwise stipulated in this Act” in Article 2 of this Act refers to stipulations in Article 24, Paragraph 2 of this Act.

Article 4
The “annual recruitment needs” in Article 3, Paragraph 1 of this Act include the examination levels, categories, and number of vacancies which the Ministry of Civil Service and the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration of the Executive Yuan submit to the Ministry of Examination before the beginning of the year, during their application to hold examinations, or one month before the second Board of Examiners Meeting is held.
The “number of passing candidates under regular recruitment” in Article 3, Paragraph 1 of this Act is determined by the number of vacancies the hiring agencies wish to fill. These passing candidates will be placed in the order of their exam score rank. If two or more examinees at the cutoff level have the same score, both or all will pass.
The additional candidates selected under extra-quota recruitment in Article 3, Paragraph 1 of this Act refers to those selected aside from the regular recruitment.
The “reserve list” in Article 3, Paragraph 1 of this Act refers to the list of candidates who are selected under extra-quota recruitment in the order of their exam score rank; the list is compiled by agencies responsible for hiring or requesting the exam. The reserve list consists of information such as the exam level, exam category, and each candidate’s name, education, phone number, and address. In the event the agency responsible for hiring or requesting the exam has vacancies remaining, reserve-list candidates may be placed for pre-work training after placement of passing candidates under the regular recruitment is completed.
The “agencies responsible for hiring” in Article 3, Paragraph 1 of this Act refer to the Ministry of Civil Service and the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration of the Executive Yuan.
The “agency’s regular schedule” in Article 3, Paragraph 1 of this Act refers to the regularized bimonthly pre-work training placement of reserve-list candidates in the order of their exam score rank by the agency responsible for hiring or requesting the exam before the announcement of the next exam results and after the replacement of passing candidates under the regular recruitment is completed. However, the replacement may be subject to change due to the actual needs of the agency responsible for hiring or requesting the exam.
The “same exams” in Article 3, Paragraph 2 of this Act refers to examinations to which the same examination regulations apply.
As it is prescribed in Article 3, Paragraph 2 of this Act that the examinee will be placed for training according to his or her highest exam level or exam score rank by the agency responsible for hiring or requesting the exam, the replacement is based on whichever exam is of the higher level or whichever is in the higher score rank.

Article 5
The section concerning passing candidates who are currently performing compulsory military service in Article 4, Subparagraph 1 of this Act refer to those under the regular recruitment who are still performing compulsory military service as mandated by the Act of Military Service System or who have yet completed their Defense Industry Reserve Duty service as Reserved Officers before the placement of the pre-work training begins.
The section concerning passing candidates who are pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree in Article 4, Subparagraph 2 of this Act refers to those under the regular recruitment who are currently on a master’s or doctoral degree program at a public or registered private university in the R.O.C. or a foreign university recognized by the R.O.C. Ministry of Education with documents proving the status before the pre-work training placement begins.
The section concerning passing candidates with illness, pregnancy, childbirth, parental terminal illness, child critical illness or other circumstance beyond their immediate control in Article 4, Subparagraph 3 of this Act refers to those under the regular recruitment who are facing the abovementioned events before the pre-work training placement begins, with documents issued by National Health Insurance contracted medical institutions proving the abovementioned major health issues or with documents proving the abovementioned circumstance beyond their control.
The section concerning passing candidates rearing children under three years of age in Article 4, Subparagraph 4 of this Act refers to those under the regular recruitment who are currently rearing children under three years of age at the time of pre-work training placement with documents proving the parenting status.
The public announcement and private notice of exam results from the Ministry of Examination should make it clear whether each passing candidate is under the regular or the extra-quota recruitment.

Article 6
The section concerning application for deferred training in Article 5, Paragraph 3 of this Act refers to the situation where passing candidates under the extra-quota recruitment who are not immediately available for pre-work training due to completing compulsory military service or rearing children under three years of age may apply with supporting evidence to defer training within the allotted time to the agency responsible for hiring or requesting the exam upon receiving notice; the candidates must report and apply for training within three months after their reasons for the deferral no longer exist. Those who fail to report and receive training within the allotted time will lose their qualified status.
As prescribed in the section concerning the situation where the candidate has not been placed for training before the results of the next same-category exam are announced in Article 5, Paragraph 3 of this Act, these candidates will lose their qualified status and the disqualification should be reported by the Ministry of Examination to the Examination Yuan. However, those who have been approved for deferred raining allocation due to reasons of completing compulsory military service or rearing children under three years of age are not subject to this policy.
Passing candidates under the extra-quota recruitment whose spouses happen to be civil servants currently on a prenatal leave may not apply to defer training.

Article 7
As prescribed in the section concerning the prohibition of transfers within the first three years of service in Article 6, Paragraph 1 of this Act, candidates passing Levels 1 to 3 Senior Civil Service Examinations, Junior Civil Service Examinations, or Elementary Civil Service Examinations must serve at least three years starting from the day they are rated as qualified from training and received the examination qualification status.
The “agency, school, or subordinate unit for which they have been hired” in Article 6, Paragraph 1 of this Act includes the following:
1.The Office of the President, Executive Yuan, Legislative Yuan, Control Yuan, Taiwan Provincial Government, Taiwan Provincial Consultative Council, special municipality councils, county (city) councils, and township (town, city) representative councils.
2.The Judicial Yuan and subordinate agencies.
3.All Ministries, Councils, Directorate-General, Academia Sinica, Academia Historica, Central Bank, National Palace Museum, other agencies of level equivalent to level-two agencies, or independent agencies and subordinate agencies, and schools equivalent to level-two agencies.
4.Special municipality governments, county (city) governments, township (town, city) offices and subordinate agencies, and schools.

Agencies of special nature in Article 6, Paragraph 2 in this Act refer to local self-governing government agencies and institutions in charge of special affairs, including:
1.The Judicial Yuan: in charge of judiciary affairs.。
2.The National Security Council: in charge of national security and intelligence affairs.
3.Ministry of the Interior: in charge of police administration, fire safety administration, and immigration administration affairs.
4.Ministry of Foreign Affairs: in charge of diplomatic and foreign affairs.
5.Ministry of National Defense: in charge of national defense.
6.Ministry of Finance: in charge of customs affairs.
7.Ministry of Justice: in charge of inspection, correction, judicial protection, administrative enforcement, as well as national investigation and security.
8.Ministry of Economic Affairs: in charge of international trade.
9.Ministry of Transportation and Communication: in charge of highway and marine traffic affairs.
10.Ministry of Health and Welfare: in charge of social welfare affairs.
11.Veterans Affairs Council: in charge of veteran affairs.
12.Coast Guard Administration of the Executive Yuan: in charge of safeguarding maritime space and coastal order.
13.Other agencies of special nature.

The section concerning Special Examinations held at grades 1 through 5 in Article 6, Paragraph 2 of this Act means the following: Grade 1 Special Examinations are equivalent to Level 1 Senior Civil Service Examinations; Grade 2 Special Examinations are equivalent to Level 2 Senior Civil Service Examinations; Grade 3 Special Examinations are equivalent to Level 3 Senior Civil Service Examinations; Grade 4 Special Examinations are equivalent to Junior Civil Service Examination, and Grade 5 Special Examinations are equivalent to Elementary Civil Service Examination.
In Article 6, Paragraph 2 of this Act, the section concerning exams otherwise stipulated refers to special examinations for high-tech or specialized personnel recruitment and Special Civil Service Transfer Examinations for Veterans, which is stipulated in Article 24 of this Act.
In Article 6, Paragraph 2 of this Act, the section concerning the prohibition of transfers within the first six years of service refers to the situation where candidates passing special examinations for high-tech or specialized positions must serve at least six years starting from the day they are rated as qualified from training and received the examination qualification status.
The Ministry of Examination must define the nature and needs of the agency responsible or hiring when the agency applies to hold the special examinations. If the agency meets stipulations in Article 6, Paragraph 2 of this Act, the Ministry of Examination should report to the Examination Yuan for approval.
Level 1 Senior Civil Service Examinations held before the promulgation of amendments to this Act on January 17, 1996 are considered as equivalent to Level 2 Senior Civil Service Examinations held after January 17, 1996; Level 2 Senior Civil Service Examinations and Grade B Special Examinations held before January 17, 1996 are equivalent to Level 3 Civil Service Examinations held after January 17, 1996; Junior Civil Service Examinations and Grade C Special Examinations held before January 17, 1996 are equivalent to Junior Civil Service Examinations held after January 17, 1996; Grade D Special Examinations held before January 17, 1996 are equivalent to Elementary Civil Service Examinations held after January 17, 1996.

Article 8
For the qualifying age stipulated in Article 7, Paragraph 2 of this Act, the minimum age is calculated as of the day before the examination taking place and the maximum age is calculated up to the day before the start of the exam application; calculations shall be based on the candidate’s household registration data.
The Ministry of Examination may determine the drafting of examination questions for the Civil Service Examination subjects. Change of examination subjects shall be announced four months prior to the exam, whereas changes in the number of exam subjects shall be announced two months prior to the exam.
Amendments to laws and regulations titles which will be provided in examination questions may be reflected and are not subject to the abovementioned announcement requirements.

Article 9
Candidates who have passed any Civil Service Special Examination and are permanently restricted Special Examination recruits before the amendment to this Act on December 26, 2001 may apply for transfers to Special Examination staffing agencies, subordinate agencies, and other agencies once having fulfilled actual service at their allocated organizations for a period of six years, and after they have been rated as qualified from training and have obtained examination qualification status.

Article 10
For examinations requiring physical examination, exam applicants must receive a physical check-up before registration or after the announcement of exam results. Applicants who are required to undergo a physical check-up before exam registration must submit their physical check-up report at the time of registration; failure to do so will result in denial of exam registration. Applicants who are required to undergo a physical check-up after the announcement of exam results must submit their physical check-up report within the designated time period; candidates who fail to submit the report in a timely manner or fall short of the physical fitness requirements will be denied from taking the following exam sessions, disqualified, denied from training, or receiving no examination qualification certificate.
Whether a physical check-up is required or not, the time for the check-up, and physical fitness requirements should all be announced the time the examination is announced.

Article 11
The three-year service requirement as in Article 13, Subparagraph 3 and Article 14 of this Act shall be calculated starting the day candidates complete training and obtain qualification status up to the day before the examination is held.
Diploma of candidates who are graduates of a public or an accredited private institution of college grade or above, or of an overseas institution of college grade or above recognized by the Ministry of Education as stipulated in Article 13 shall be recognized based on stipulations of the Regulations Regarding the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Academic Credentials for Institutions of Higher Education formulated and announced by the Ministry of Education.

Article 12
Vocational schools and high schools stipulated in Article 14 of this Act include all schools at the same level.
Drop-out students from public or accredited private universities, colleges, two-year junior colleges or forth-year drop-out students from five-year junior colleges with documents proving the status shall be regarded as high school graduates and, according to their field of study, shall be considered as eligible for Junior Examination or Grade 4 Special Examination. However, if a professional certificate is required for exam eligibility according to law or nature of the agency responsible for hiring, candidates must have the required professional certification to qualify for the examination.

Article 13
Candidates who have passed any Qualifying Examination for Senior Examinations will be considered as meeting eligibility requirements for Level 3 Senior Examination, Junior Civil Service Examination, Grade 3 Special Examination, and Grade 4 Special Examination. Candidates who have passed any Qualifying Examinations for Junior Examinations will be considered meeting eligibility requirements for Junior Civil Service Examination and Grade 4 Special Examination.

Article 14
To take civil service examinations, candidates must register through the designated method within the required time period.
When registering, candidates should submit the following:
1.Registration form.
2.Copy of citizen identification card.
3.Copy of exam eligibility.
4.A 2.5-cm by 3.5-cm close-up photograph showing the head and top of the shoulders. Head coverings should not be worn and the photo should be taken within one year.
5.Other documents as required by regulations or agencies requesting the exam.
An exam registration fee must be paid at the time of registration according to the exam announcement and regulations.
Unless otherwise stipulated by these Rules, candidates who fail to comply with the registration requirements, submit documents, or pay the registration fee within the required time period are not allowed to sit for the examinations.

Article 14-1
In the event where the candidate’s eligibility is invalid or deprived of effect prior to the examination, the candidate will be disqualified from taking the exam and scores on completed exam sessions will not be counted.
In the event where the candidate is ineligible for the exam or unable to submit required documents at the time of registration but is able to obtain eligibility or submit the required documents before the exam takes place, the candidate must provide reasons at the time of registration and may therefore be approved with conditions to take the exam.
Candidates who have been approved with conditions to take the exam but fail to fulfill the conditions will be disqualified from taking the exam; scores from completed exam sessions will not be counted and no fees will be refunded.

Article 15
(Deleted)

Article 16
Examinations may be conducted in different formats as prescribed in Article 18, Paragraph 1 of this Act. This means that exams may consist of more than two formats or written stages. Candidates must pass one stage in order to proceed to another and each stage must be sequentially completed. An overall score will be calculated by adding scores of each exam part unless otherwise stipulated by law.
Examinations may be conducted by stages as stipulated in Article 18, Paragraph 1 of this Act and eligibility requirements for each stage should be set out separately. Candidates must meet the eligibility requirements for the respective exam stage they intend to take.
Candidates who are eligible for a discounted registration fee in accordance with Article 18, Paragraph 3 of this Act may be offered a 50% discount on the registration fee.

Article 17
(Deleted)

Article 18
(Deleted)

Article 19
According to the section in Article 21, Paragraph 1 of this Act concerning the requirements for candidates passing civil service exams at any grade or level to be placed for a pre-work training according to the category of the exam in the order of their score rank, the Ministry of Examination shall submit the list of passing candidates and related documents to the Civil Service Protection and Training Commission for pre-work training. After finishing the training, passing candidates will be reported to the Examination Yuan by the Civil Service Protection and Training Commission for the issuance of qualification certificates and to the Ministry of Civil Service, Directorate-General of Personnel Administration of the Executive Yuan or agencies requesting the exam for job placement.
In the event the agency responsible for hiring or requesting the exam has vacancies remaining, staffing agencies shall transfer passing candidates under the extra-quota recruitment to the Civil Service Protection and Training Commission for pre-work training. Candidates who have completed the training will be granted a qualification certificate and placed to positions in accordance with the above-said procedures.
The agency responsible for hiring or requesting the exam should place passing candidates under regular recruitment in the first place before placing those under extra-quota recruitment.

Article 20
(Deleted)

Article 21
These Enforcement Rules shall come into effect upon promulgation.

In case of any discrepancy between the English version and the Chinese version, the latter shall prevail.