《资治通鉴·晋纪·晋纪五》
刘颂升任吏部尚书，建立了将官员分九个等级考核的制度，计划使朝廷大小官员在职位上都企求升迁，考核官员胜任与否，明确对官员的奖惩制度。
颂迂吏部尚书，建九班之制，欲令百官居职希迁，考课能否，明其赏罚。
Liu Song was promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Officials and established a system of evaluating officials into nine grades, so that officials both big and small in the court would seek promotion, evaluate their competence, and clearly establish a reward and punishment system for officials.