Most people preparing say "I am preparing for Grade 9". But the variable that actually decides success is often not the grade but the job series. The numbers make the reason obvious.

The trap in the figure of 28.6 to 1

The 2026 national civil service Grade 9 open competition drew 108,718 applicants for 3,802 places, an average of 28.6 to 1. That average is what usually appears in the news.

But nobody applies to the average. A candidate picks one job series and competes only within it. The average is a figure of almost no use in planning preparation.

What changes when you change series

Break the same year's figures down by series and the gap appears.

• General administration (national) — 265 places, 25,949 applicants, 97.9 to 1
• General administration (regional) — 98 places, 7,853 applicants, 80.1 to 1
• Taxation — 1,080 places, 10,509 applicants, 9.7 to 1

Taxation was a series of roughly 1,100 places that year, 225 more than the year before. Where the intake is large the ratio falls. General administration, conversely, has relatively few places and draws crowds.

In short: general administration attracts applicants because there is no barrier to entry, and taxation attracts fewer because the work is specific. The result is a tenfold gap.

A low ratio does not mean easy

There is an easy misreading to address here. A ratio and a pass mark are not the same thing.

• The composition of candidates differs. Where well-prepared candidates cluster in a particular series, the pass mark can be high even with a low ratio.
• The subjects differ. Specialist subjects attach to each series. A low ratio often comes at the price of a heavier study load.
• Actual attendance differs. Some who register do not turn up, so the registration ratio and the real intensity of competition differ.

Choosing a series on the ratio alone can therefore leave you worse off. What to look at alongside is the trend in the number of places. Whether a rise is a one-year spike or a multi-year trend changes the judgement for next year.

The order in which to choose a series

1. Look at the trend in places over the last three years. A single year's figure fluctuates a lot.
2. Check the exam subjects. Series with specialist subjects change the preparation period itself.
3. Look at the pass mark too. It is closer to the real difficulty than the ratio.
4. Check the work you would do after passing. The aim is to choose a series you can stay in, not the one that is easiest to enter.

The structural differences between national and local posts are set out separately in Types of Positions. That distinction comes before choosing a series.

In summary

In the Grade 9 national exam, most of the ratio is made by the job series. In one year 9.7 to 1 and 97.9 to 1 coexist. So do not stop at "I am preparing for Grade 9" — go down to which series, and why. But do not switch on the ratio alone. Read it alongside the trend in places, the subjects and the pass mark.