Beijing: Monash University's reputation in the lucrative Chinese student market has taken a battering after an online exam for business students claimed it was widely said Chinese government officials only tell the truth when they are drunk.

Almost half a million Chinese social media users have reacted to a Chinese news report of the incident over the weekend.

A screen grab of the Monash University quiz, which offended Chinese students. Credit:Suppplied

Chinese students in the Monash business school had complained about the quiz, which posed the multiple choice question: "There is a common saying in China that government officials only speak the truth when:".

A lecturer has been suspended after the quiz gave the correct answer "d) They are drunk or careless".