「科舉學」是科舉時代的固有辭彙，古代「科舉學」即「科舉之學」，一般是指備考科舉的學問，曾包含「文選學」、「策學」等專學。現代「科舉學」則是指研究科舉的專學，是以中國和其他東亞國家歷史上存在的科舉制度及其運作的歷史為研究對象的一門專學，已逐漸成為一門國際性的學問。「科舉學」不是關於一時一地或一人一書的學問，而是與一千三百年間大部分知名人物、大部分書籍和幾乎所有地區有關的一門學問；不是關於中國傳統文化局部，而是關於中國傳統文化整體的一門專學，又是至今還有相當現實意義並和東亞及西方主要國家的歷史有關的一門專學。從科舉文獻的角度，可以明顯地看出「科舉學」的廣博性。狹義的科舉文獻主要包括登科錄、題名錄、鄉試錄、會試錄、同年錄、科齒錄、硃卷、闈墨等以及八股文、試帖詩選本和現存各類科舉試卷、備考科舉的專門書籍，其數量巨大，是中國歷史文獻中一個專門獨立的大類，具有很高的歷史學、教育學、政治學、社會學、文學和人文地理學研究價值。在中國的歷史文獻中，很少有像科舉文獻這樣數量眾多、價值甚高卻尚未被充分利用的一類。自成體系、內容豐富的科舉文獻充分地體現出「科舉學」的廣博性，從一個方面有力地支撐著「科舉學」的學科構架，使「科舉學」這一具有遠大發展前景的專學得以逐步形成和完善。

“Study of Imperial Examination”（Ke-Ju-Xue 科舉學）was an expression used in China Imperial Examination times. “Study of Imperial Examinations” in ancient times meant “a branch of knowledge about Imperial Examinations ”, which generally referred to the knowledge prepared for Imperial Examination, once including such specialized studies as Study of Selected Works (Wen-Xuan-Xue文選學) and Study of Policy (Ce-Xue策學). “Study of Imperial Examination” in modern times has become a specialized study for Imperial Examinations, which researches the Imperial Examination system and the history of its operation existing in the history of China and East Asian countries and, has been developed into a international systematic learning. “Study of Imperial Examination” is not a branch of knowledge about one time, one place or one work and one person but a branch of knowledge relevant to well-known figures, most works and almost all Chinese and Korean and Vietnaese districts for 1300 years. It is not a specialized study about some sections but the whole of Chinese traditional culture. And it is also a specialized study with realistic significance and relating to the history of East Asian and Western countries. From the perspective of literature of Imperial Examination , the extension of “Study of Imperial Examination” is observed.
Documents of Imperial Examination in a narrow sense mainly include Records of Palace Examination (登科錄), Records of Metropolitan Examination (會試錄), Records of Provincial Examinations (鄉試錄), red copy of examination paper (硃卷), and eight-part essay, selections of Examination Verse (試帖詩), a variety of examination papers in stock and specialized books for preparing for Imperial Examination, of which the number is very large. It is a specialized and independent category among the historic documents of China with high research value for history, pedagogy, political science, social science, humanities and geography. Among examples of Chinese historical literature, there is seldom such kinds of literature as documents of Imperial Examinations with in such large number and with such high value, but which are not fully utilized. Documents about the Imperial Examination with its own system and rich content reflect the extension of “Study of Imperial Examination” and strongly support the academic construction of “Study of Imperial Examination” in one respect. And, they lead to the gradual formation and perfection of this prospective “Study of Imperial Examination”.