This book is a comprehensive and systematic exposition of the history of the emergence, development, and evolution of Chinese imperial examination system. It gathers the author's insights from over thirty years of research on the history of the imperial examination and can be regarded as a summary work on the study of imperial examination history in China. It follows the historical sequence, taking the development and evolution of the imperial examination as the warp, and the characters, events, activities, and thoughts as the latitude. It not only narrates the history of the imperial examination system, but also pays attention to the actual operation of the imperial examination system. At the same time, it takes into account the historical development of examination thought. And during narration, it focuses on the interaction and interdependence between people and the system, as well as their interactive influence. Therefore, it is both academic and readable.

Liu Haifeng, a native of Fujian, is a senior professor of humanities at Zhejiang University, a distinguished professor of Yangtze River Scholar, the director of Imperial Examination Studies and Examination Research Center at Zhejiang University, and the director of Examination Research Center at Xiamen University.

Li Bing, born in Hunan, is a professor and doctor at Hunan University and is mainly dedicated to the research of Chinese imperial examination history and Chinese education history.