Subtypes of jinshi recipients

• Jinshi Jidi (進士及第, lit. "distinguished jinshi"), graduates ranked first class in the court exam, usually only the top three individuals were qualified for this title.

　• Zhuangyuan (狀元, lit. "top thesis author"), the jinshi who ranked first overall nationwide.

　• Bangyan (榜眼, lit. "eyes positioned alongside"), the jinshi who ranked second overall just below zhuangyuan.

　• Tanhua (探花, lit. "flower snatcher"), the jinshi ranked third overall.

• Jinshi Chushen (進士出身, lit. "jinshi background"), the graduates who ranked second class in court exam, ranking immediately after the tanhua.

• Tong Jinshi Chushen (同進士出身, lit. "along with jinshi background"), graduates ranked third class in the court exam.

Notable jinshi recipients by year

Tang Dynasty

• Chen Zi'ang, (c. 685) poet who was important in helping to bring into being the type of poetry which is considered to be characteristically "Tang"

• Wang Changling (7??)

• Meng Jiao (7??)

• Lu Lun (7??)

• Yan Zhenqing (734), famed calligrapher

• Cen Shen (744)

• Liu Changqing (750s)

• Yuan Jie (754)

• Han Hong (poet) (754)

• Ouyang Zhan (792)

• Liu Yuxi (793)

• Li Ao (philosopher) (798)

• Cao Que (803)

• Li Guyan (812)

• Ma Zhi (819)

• Xiahou Zi (826)

• Xiao Fang (827)

• Du Mu (828)

• Xiao Qing (8??)

• Wei Cong (8??)

• Yu Cong (8??)

• Song Shenxi (8??)

• Lu Guangqi (8??)

• Sun Wo (8??)

• Pei Zhi (8??)

• Wang Pu (Tang dynasty) (8??)

• Pei Tan (9th-century Tang chancellor) (8??)

• Wei Fu (830)

• Du Shenquan (833-873)

• Cui Yanzhao (849)

• Yu Wuling (85?)

• Wang Hui (Tang dynasty) (858)

• Xiao Gou (864)

• Pi Rixiu (867)

• Pei Shu (871)

• Yang She (875)

• Ni Shu (877)

• Xue Yiju (87?)

• Zhao Guangyin (891)

• Shen Song (895)

• Wang Dingbao (900)

• Ma Yinsun (9??)

• Cui Xie (???)

• Liu Kai (Song dynasty) (973)

Song Dynasty

• Song Di (Fugu) (10??)

• Bao Zheng (1028)

• Cai Xiang (1030)

• Ouyang Xiu (1030)

• Chen Yuyi (1113)

• Qin Hui (1115)

• Yang Wanli (1154)

• Lu Zhi (poet) (1269)

Yuan dynasty

• Liu Bowen (c.1350)

Ming dynasty

• Yu Qian (1421)

• Han Yong (Ming dynasty) (1422)

• Yang Tinghe (1478)

• Xu Pu (1454)

• Lu Rong (1466)

• Wang Yangming (1499)

• Yan Song (1505)

• Zhu Wan (1521)

• Xu Jie (Ming dynasty) (1523)

• Luo Hongxian (1529)

• Zhao Wenhua (1529)

• Qian Dehong (1532)

• Fan Qin (1532)

• Gao Gong (1541)

• Liang Youyu (1550)

• Xu Zhongxing (1550)

• Gui Youguang, (1565) nine attempts

• Tang Xianzu, ( 1571) playwright and government official

• Li Shida (1574)

• Li Sancai (1574)

• Zang Maoxun (1580)

• Ye Xianggao (1583)

• Zhu Guozhen (Ming dynasty) (1589)

• Hong Chengchou (1616)

• Ruan Dacheng (1616)

• Ni Yuanlu (1621)

• Shi Kefa (1628)

• Sun Chuanting (1619)

• Liu Tong (1634)

• Zhou Lianggong, (1640) artist, calligrapher, and government official

• Zhao Yingcheng, (1646) scholar and mandarin of Jewish faith

• Han Weiji (1664)

Qing dynasty

• Jiang Tingxi (16??)

• Wei Yijie (1646)

• Chen Tingjing (1658), politician and scholar, tutor to the Kangxi Emperor and editor of the Kangxi Dictionary

• Guwen Guanzhi (1658)

• Ye Fang'ai (1659)

• Chen Menglei (1670)

• Xu Qianxue (1670)

• Li Guangdi (1670)

• Wang Hongxu (1673)

• Zhang Boxing (1685)

• Chen Pengnian (1691)

• Nian Gengyao (1700)

• Zhang Tingyu (1700), politician and historian, one of the first members of the Grand Council (Qing dynasty)

• Akdun (1709)

• Zhang Zhao (1709)

• Sun Jiagan (1713) (孫嘉淦 Sūn Jiāgàn, 1683–1753) officeholder of Libu Shilang,Xingbu Shangshu by , and later to Libu Shangshu in 1738. After holding various posts, in 1741 Sun became Viceroy of Huguang, where he introduced the system of subsidized chiefs, in order to keep the aborigines under control.

• Liu Tongxun (1724)

• Yuan Mei (1739)

• Wei Yijie (1646) (魏裔介; 1616 – 1686) a prominent Han Chinese scholar and official serving in the early Qing Dynasty, during the rules of the Shunzhi Emperor, Oboi, and the Kangxi Emperor and was known for his focus and advocacy of the reformation the examination system

• Ji Yun (1754)

• Sun Shiyi (1761)

• Yao Nai (1763)

• Sun Yuting (1775)

• Ruan Yuan (1789)

• Gao E (writer) (1795)

• Lu Kun (1799)

• Bao Shichen (1808)

• Cheng Enze (1811)

• Lin Zexu (1811)

• Ge Yunfei (1823)

• Huang Juezi (1823)

• Luo Bingzhang (1832)

• Luo Zundian (1835)

• Zeng Guofan (1838)

• Feng Guifen (1840)

• Jiang Zhongyuan (1844) (江忠源), courtesy name Changrui, (常孺) was a scholar and soldier from Hunan who fought for the Qing and against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom during the Taiping Rebellion.

• Wenxiang (1845)

• Xue Fucheng (1845)

• Ma Xinyi (1847)

• Li Hongzhang (1847)

• Tan Zhonglin (1856)

• Lao Chongguang (18??)

• Liu Bingzhang (1860)

• Cuigiya Lianyuan (1868)

• Xu Jingcheng (1868)

• Qu Hongji (1871)

• Zhao Erxun (1874)

• Zuo Zongtang (1875), granted an "honorary jinshi" by the Guangxu Emperor for his military achievements

• Shen Jiaben (1883)

• Liang Qichao (1890)

• Huang Xing (1893)

• Wu Leichuan (1898)

• Xu Qian (1903)

• Theodone C. Hu (1906)

People who failed jinshi exams

• Wu Cheng (philosopher)

• Li Zhen (Later Liang)

• Li Yu (Later Tang)

• Feng Yu

歷史

隋煬帝於大業元年（605年）首次開的進士科，為科舉的開始。

隋、唐時，「進士科」和「明經科」都算是考試科別：明經科考經學和時務策；進士科除考經學和時務策以外，還要「加考詩賦」。武后為了與唐朝宗室、善考明經的士族抗衡，特別重視進士科的地位，以選拔賢才。唐武宗下詔，凡進士及第者稱為「衣冠戶」，其家享受輕稅免役之權，成為一種殊榮。宋真宗時，尚有衣冠戶之名，後來由「官戶」所取代。

唐朝科舉，進士科最難，明經科較易，唐人有諺云：「三十老明經，五十少進士。」意思是說，三十歲考上明經科，已算是年老，因為明經科較易，而五十歲登進士第，已經很年輕了。一般進士百人中取一二人，明經十人中取一二人。韓愈稱進士考試，到最後錄取時，「有終身不得與者焉」，一旦得第時，「班白之老半焉」。依據清徐松《登科記考》記載，孟郊於貞元十二年（西元796年）登進士第，時四十六歲。從他的〈登科後〉一詩來看，登科的喜事幾乎把幾十年為仕途的努力和艱辛都一掃而空。

進士科是常科，考取又最難，一般每次只取二、三十人，僅是明經科的十分之一，故此最為尊貴，地位亦成為各科之首。時人稱進士及第者為「白衣公卿」。

在唐朝，進士考試可以在考前公開推舉，稱作「通榜」。因此凡是應進士舉的人，常常將自己的作品送給朝中有文學聲望的人看，希望通過他們宣揚自己的名譽，甚至推薦給主考官，這就是「溫卷」。而二者之間的關係稱為「知己」。在唐朝，進士及第後，要到吏部進行關試，才能得到官職。

宋代以前，進士只需要通過在尚書省舉行的省試。自宋以後，進士一律要經過由皇帝主持的「殿試」一關覆核和決定名次。宋仁宗時，曾有一名考生張元因通過省試，但在殿試被黜落，憤而投奔西夏。自此以後殿試都只定名次，而不會黜落考生。

宋朝的科舉制度，一開始，也分為進士、明經、諸科等。直到宋神宗時，王安石變法，廢明經、諸科，只用進士科一科取士。

元朝正式僅存進士一科。明朝、清朝繼承，亦只有進士一科取士。自此，通過最後一級考試者，稱為進士。

在明朝和清朝，殿試封錄取考生為三等稱三甲。一甲僅錄取三人，依次為狀元、榜眼、探花，稱進士及第，在於「史」的意味。二甲若干（清朝時一般為40或50人），稱進士出身，在於「子」的意味。二甲第一名稱為傳臚，又稱亞元。三甲（清朝時一般為100-300人）稱同進士出身，在於「集」的意味。世人統稱錄取者為進士。

進士是功名的盡頭，就算是對名次不滿意，亦不可以重考（越南科舉並無此限制），中國歷史上只有武進士馬全考中探花後改名重考武舉，並中武狀元。而民間對各類名次的進士習慣皆以「狀元郎」稱呼之。

日本

日本在奈良時代模仿中國唐代制度，由式部省實行的次於秀才、明經的第三等官吏考試制度，亦稱進士試。

因為比秀才敘位低，問題又難，所以考進士的人並不多。平安時代貞觀年間廢除進士制度，後遂成為漢文考試選拔紀傳道學生文章生的別稱。