Nearly 1 million people have passed the qualification examination for basic requirements to take the 2020 national civil servant exam, or guokao, as of 6 pm Wednesday, according to the State Administration of Civil Service.

Official statistics show a polarizing trend in applicants' choice for positions in the registration for the nationwide test as registration is coming to an end by 6 pm Thursday, chinanews.com reported.

Competition for some vacancies is heating up. By Wednesday afternoon, the most popular position came from the State Archives Administration - 1,629 applicants passed the qualification examination to compete for one job. According to the job requirement, this position is primarily responsible for photography, video shooting and directing, with less demand for applicants' political experience, education and work experience.

Meanwhile, positions at the State Administration for Market Regulation, the State Taxation Administration and the Ministry of Environmental Protection have also attracted more 1,000 applicants, respectively.

In contrast, over 240 job vacancies saw zero applicants. Most of these less-desirable positions are located in remote areas, and some of them are marked with higher job requirements, such as grassroots work experience in related fields. For instance, posts at the Gansu provincial fire department and the raw material department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology are given a cold shoulder.

In 2020, the nation plans to recruit about 24,000 civil servants at 86 central agencies and 23 subsidiary institutions, providing a substantial rise in job openings compared to 14,500 vacancies in 2019, according to the administration.

This year's national civil servant exam is scheduled for Nov 23 and 24, and candidates will be able to inquire about the test results and the minimum qualification scores in January.