Starting this year, people will need to pass a psychological evaluation before being allowed to pursue a career in the military, the Liberation Army Daily has reported.

The tests, which have been the subject of a pilot program for the past two years, will become standard in June, when military academies start their annual recruitment, the newspaper said.

The paper said the tests, which include computer-based written tests and a face-to-face interview, aim to find out whether applicants are suited to a career in the military.

Staff from 140 recruitment organizations and checkup agencies received training this month at the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, according to the newspaper.

A psychological testing recruitment center has been set up at the university with the approval of People's Liberation Army (PLA) general staff headquarters and the PLA general logistics department.

The center is responsible for formulating and improving testing standards, researching and upgrading the surveillance network, staff training and technical support.

Applicants for military strategy majors will have to answer 700 to 800 questions during a one-hour written exam, while applicants for technology majors have to answer 400 to 500, before being granted an interview, sources with the medical university said.

The PLA has used psychological tests since the 1950s to help select pilots and astronauts.

Amid a growing awareness of the importance of ensuring good mental health among the country's armed forces, the PLA issued a set of new recruitment rules last year requiring military colleges to carry out drug and psychological tests when recruiting would-be officials.

Earlier reports said the PLA recruitment office and research departments had instituted pilot versions of the psychological tests in 2002 in over 400 cities and counties. More than 100,000 applicants took the tests.

Source: China Daily