The royal examinations came once every three years. A court official posted a large notice outside the National University in the capital. It read: "The King looks for talent." Since very few candidates passed the exams, success was a great honour and considered the doorway to becoming a mandarin. A successful laureate received a hero's welcome when he returned to his native village, with the level of ceremony depending on the specific academic degree: village-wide for a Baccalaureate, sub-district level for a Bachelor's Degree, and district level for a Doctorate.
After the examination, the village leaders sent an emissary to fix the date of the new laureate's return. On the appointed day, a procession began with flags and banners, other ceremonial objects, the flag and certificate granted by the king (in the case of a doctoral degree), the palanquins of the laureate's teacher and parents, and finally the laureate himself.
Along the way, drums sounded to inform villagers of the laureate's arrival. People poured out to see the laureate, who had brought fame to his parents, his family name, and to his village as a "land of literature."
When he finally arrived at his house, the laureate prayed in front of the altar to his ancestors and to Confucius. Friends, relatives, and villagers hosted the ensuing banquet. After the ceremony, the laureate remained in his native village until his assignment to a mandarin post.