A competitive examination is an examination where candidates are ranked according to their grades and/or percentile and then top rankers are selected . If the examination is open for n positions, then the first n candidates in ranks pass, the others are rejected.

They are used as entrance examinations for university and college admissions or to secondary schools. Types are civil service examinations, required for positions in the public sector; the U.S. Foreign Service Exam, and the United Nations Competitive Examination.

Competitive examinations are considered an egalitarian way to select worthy applicants without risking influence peddling, bias or other concerns. This type of exam subjects candidates under peer pressure to much stress, while self-motivated candidates find it much simpler.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitive_examination

The Notarial Academy of Catalonia, created in 1987, has come under the Notaries of Catalonia Foundation since 2004. Its purpose is to assist in the training of those Graduates in Law who want to sit for the competitive examinations to qualify as notaries.

https://www.notarisdecatalunya.org/en/notarial-academy

Qualified by competitive examination for Civil Service Positions: Many of whom have been appointed:

https://search.adarchives.org/media/arnprior-chronicle---193...