BEIJING — A total of 438,000 people sat China’s national judicial examination on Sept 24 and 25, with their average age around 28, according to the Ministry of Justice.

The ministry said 249 examination districts have been set up nationwide with more than 19,000 exam sites in 31 provincial-level regions as well as Hong Kong and Macao.

According to central government guidelines, by 2017 the current judicial examination will only be open to graduates majoring in law or people who have worked in law-related fields for a certain number of years.

This year’s exam is likely to be the last chance for many non-law graduates.

The reform has led to a record high number of people applying to take the exam this year, an increase of 20 percent from 2015.

The examination tests candidates on legal theory, current law and regulations, legal practice and professional ethics.

The national judicial examination, one of the most exacting national tests in China, is the professional qualification for lawyers, judges, prosecutors and other related careers.