Civil Service Examination: A system implemented during the Song Dynasty where prospective government officials had to pass rigorous exams testing their knowledge of Confucian classics before being appointed to bureaucratic positions.
Meritocracy: A system of government wherein positions and roles are based on individual merit, talent, and qualifications rather than social status or family connections.
Imperial Examination System: A system used in China for over a millennium to select candidates for bureaucratic positions. It tested candidates' knowledge of Confucian texts and served as a means of social mobility.