历史

隋炀帝于大业元年（605年）首次开的进士科，为科举的开始。

隋、唐时，「进士科」和「明经科」都算是考试科别：明经科考经学和时务策；进士科除考经学和时务策以外，还要「加考诗赋」。武后为了与唐朝宗室、善考明经的士族抗衡，特别重视进士科的地位，以选拔贤才。唐武宗下诏，凡进士及第者称为「衣冠户」，其家享受轻税免役之权，成为一种殊荣。宋真宗时，尚有衣冠户之名，后来由「官户」所取代。

唐朝科举，进士科最难，明经科较易，唐人有谚云：「三十老明经，五十少进士。」意思是说，三十岁考上明经科，已算是年老，因为明经科较易，而五十岁登进士第，已经很年轻了。一般进士百人中取一二人，明经十人中取一二人。韩愈称进士考试，到最后录取时，「有终身不得与者焉」，一旦得第时，「班白之老半焉」。依据清徐松《登科记考》记载，孟郊于贞元十二年（西元796年）登进士第，时四十六岁。从他的〈登科后〉一诗来看，登科的喜事几乎把几十年为仕途的努力和艰辛都一扫而空。

进士科是常科，考取又最难，一般每次只取二、三十人，仅是明经科的十分之一，故此最为尊贵，地位亦成为各科之首。时人称进士及第者为「白衣公卿」。

在唐朝，进士考试可以在考前公开推举，称作「通榜」。因此凡是应进士举的人，常常将自己的作品送给朝中有文学声望的人看，希望通过他们宣扬自己的名誉，甚至推荐给主考官，这就是「温卷」。而二者之间的关系称为「知己」。在唐朝，进士及第后，要到吏部进行关试，才能得到官职。

宋代以前，进士只需要通过在尚书省举行的省试。自宋以后，进士一律要经过由皇帝主持的「殿试」一关覆核和决定名次。宋仁宗时，曾有一名考生张元因通过省试，但在殿试被黜落，愤而投奔西夏。自此以后殿试都只定名次，而不会黜落考生。

宋朝的科举制度，一开始，也分为进士、明经、诸科等。直到宋神宗时，王安石变法，废明经、诸科，只用进士科一科取士。

元朝正式仅存进士一科。明朝、清朝继承，亦只有进士一科取士。自此，通过最后一级考试者，称为进士。

在明朝和清朝，殿试封录取考生为三等称三甲。一甲仅录取三人，依次为状元、榜眼、探花，称进士及第，在于「史」的意味。二甲若干（清朝时一般为40或50人），称进士出身，在于「子」的意味。二甲第一名称为传胪，又称亚元。三甲（清朝时一般为100-300人）称同进士出身，在于「集」的意味。世人统称录取者为进士。

进士是功名的尽头，就算是对名次不满意，亦不可以重考（越南科举并无此限制），中国历史上只有武进士马全考中探花后改名重考武举，并中武状元。而民间对各类名次的进士习惯皆以「状元郎」称呼之。

日本

日本在奈良时代模仿中国唐代制度，由式部省实行的次于秀才、明经的第三等官吏考试制度，亦称进士试。

因为比秀才叙位低，问题又难，所以考进士的人并不多。平安时代贞观年间废除进士制度，后遂成为汉文考试选拔纪传道学生文章生的别称。

Subtypes of jinshi recipients

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

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

• Tong Jinshi Chushen (同进士出身, 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) (孙嘉淦 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