A national computer exam scheduled yesterday and today had been postponed to Dec. 20 and 21 due to the loss of exam papers, said an office in charge of the exam.

More than 80,000 people had registered for the exam for the latter half of 2008.

Some netizens posted entries on the country's major portal, sina.com, saying that the new exam schedule would clash with a national English test for college students.

Those who had registered for both exams, pleaded with the office for holding the computer exam one week before the English exam. However, the office had not yet decided whether they would change the schedule.

The office, composing the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Industry and Information, said that the papers got lost in the process of transfer in Weihai City in eastern Shandong Province. The exam was postponed for fear of leaking.

All the would-be exam takers would automatically be entered their named for December's exam, said the office.

Those who pass the exam, would obtain certificates for employment in computer and software industry. More than 1.6 million people attended the exam which has been held twice a year for more than a decade.