Daoism
Yes, that is true. The civil service exams were an important part of Confucian philosophy and ancient Chinese society. Passing these exams was one way for individuals to climb the ranks in government and was based on merit rather than family connections.
Confucianism is most closely associated with the development of the Chinese civil service system. Confucian principles emphasizing meritocracy, education, and moral virtue were key elements in determining eligibility for government positions.
Confucianism emphasized education which caused the Chinese to develop a civil service system that used tests on Confucius teachings as a basis for awarding government jobs.
Samuel Johnson wrote the Dictionary of the English Language in 1755. He also praised the Chinese civil service examinations for their merit-based approach to selecting government officials.
It increased the level of Mongol control over the Chinese by preventing the entrance of more Chinese into the civil service. -APEX
The civil service exam was used by the Chinese to determine who could have some political power. It was based on Confucian ideas and taken by men, mostly wealthy ones. Sometimes, connections outweighed scores though.
The civil service system is an employment system.
How brave the applicants were
The Chinese.
The Chinese civilisation was the first to have a civil service where joining it was open to anyone who could pass the entrance examination. As such it was the first modern civil service system.
Non-violent civil disobedience.