Taiwan to hold local and outlying island civil service exams in December

Taiwan's Examination Yuan has approved the dates and recruitment numbers for the 2026 local and outlying island civil service examinations. The first stage of both exams is scheduled to begin on December 5, offering a combined total of 1,927 positions. The local exams will account for 1,903 positions, while the outlying island exams will offer 24.

To broaden the talent pool and ease the burden on applicants, the Examination Yuan has implemented changes starting this year. For the local civil service exams, the number of professional subjects for third-grade examinations has been reduced from five to four, and for fourth-grade examinations, from four to three. This reduction does not apply to specialized technical categories.

The first written test for the local exams will take place from December 5 to 7 across 14 examination zones, including Taipei, Taoyuan, and Kaohsiung, with separate recruitment and placement zones. The outlying island exam's first stage will be held on December 5 and 6 in the Matsu examination zone. The second stage, an oral examination, for specific categories in the third-grade local exams and all outlying island exam categories, is scheduled for April 10 and 11, 2027, in Taipei.

Furthermore, the recognition period for English proficiency test scores for the news and tourism administration categories in the third-grade local exams has been extended from three years to five years prior to the application deadline. The BESTEP English proficiency test has also been newly added, providing candidates with more diverse options for demonstrating their English skills. The Examination Yuan has announced that the actual number of positions will be published on the Examination Yuan's official website, with application guidelines available on August 7 and online registration opening from September 8 to 17.