The tough competition for a job in the civil service, where some positions receive as many as 6,000 applications, has not diminished applicants' desire to be a civil servant.

The number of qualified applicants who registered to take the 2013 national civil servants examination reached nearly 800,000 as of 4 pm on Monday. The deadline for applications is Wednesday.

A record 2 million people are expected to register for the exam, which will be held in November, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Experts believe that many people may not apply until the last day so they can apply for another position if competition for the one they desire becomes too fierce.

More than 140 State-level government agencies, affiliated public institutions and local branches aim to recruit about 20,800 people in 2013, nearly 3,000 more than were recruited this year.

The exam tests candidates' abilities and aptitude, and includes interviews.

The most sought after positions include the National Bureau of Statistics' Chongqing branch, which received 6,582 applications for a single job. Another position in the same branch had 6,348 applicants.