Final answer:
The Civil Service Exam in the Qing Dynasty did not assure a government position; it was contingent on exam performance, and there were alternative routes to office.
Step-by-step explanation:
No, the Civil Service Exam did not guarantee a government position during the Qing Dynasty. Success in obtaining a position depended on one's performance in the exams. Despite being the most prestigious route to office, there were other means of becoming an official, such as the "shadow" privilege, purchasing lower-level degrees, and being recommended by a provincial official, among others.
The examination system allowed for the rise of the gentry class, who dominated society through educational merit. The exams were highly competitive, with more people failing than passing at each level, and they were structured progressively from county to imperial levels.
Winning scholars of these exams joined the ranks of scholar-officials, helping to administer the empire under a merit-based form of governance, though in practice, noble families and those with wealth had advantages.