BEIJING - Some 500,000 people have passed China's national judicial exam since the test system was established in 2001, figures from the Ministry of Justice show.

In China, those who want to be judicial officers or lawyers must pass the exam and get a certificate.

The exam has been revised five times "in accordance with the socialist legal ideas and theories about the country's laws and politics," with an increasing focus on testing examinees' judicial practice abilities and professional ethics, according to a statement released Tuesday by the ministry.

"The national judicial exam has been playing an effective role in selecting talents in the legal professions and strengthening the country's team of political and legal workers," said the statement.

In 2004, the Chinese mainland allowed Hong Kong and Macao residents who meet certain requirements to participate in the national judicial exam. In 2008, Taiwan residents were allowed to take the exam in the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, according to the statement.

Figures from the ministry show that nearly 4,000 people from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan had taken part in the judicial exam as of 2011, with 274 receiving passing scores.