BEIJING, Sept. 18 -- Around 860,000 applicants registered for the initial phase of China's national unified legal professional qualification examination, featuring objective questions, held Saturday and Sunday, the Ministry of Justice said on Monday.

The number of applicants represented an increase of 5.26 percent year on year, according to the ministry.

About 75 percent of the applicants took the exam at testing sites across the country, including those in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

The results for objective questions examination will be released on Sept. 22. Those who pass the phase should apply for the subjective questions examination between Sept. 23 and 27.

The subjective questions examination will be held on Oct. 15.