Those who fail the exam could be removed from their current positions, officials from the Shanghai Personnel Bureau said.

The new mandate applies to civil servants below 47 years old. The city has nearly 100,000 civil servants, mostly below 47 years old, the bureau said.

"As a metropolis, Shanghai should lift the overall education level of public servants," Zhuang Wei, deputy director of the bureau's civil servant management department, said yesterday.

He said the main courses of MPA are crucial for civil servants, particularly those working in key decision-making positions.

There are eight sections of the MPA, including public policy, constitution and government, administration law and public economics.

Zhuang said many civil servants may not have received professional training in administration and public management during their previous education.

The exam, scheduled for June, is organized by the city government.

Teachers of the MPA courses will come from major local universities including Fudan University, Jiao Tong University and Tongji University.

"Hopefully, the MPA courses will incorporate more practical cases which are related to my practical work," said Lu Fei, a civil servant of Luwan District.

Meanwhile, the bureau is also planning to launch a series of work-related training courses such as speaking English, writing situational letters and computer management science.