Spanish to English Art/Literary History

Hi everyone!
I wonder could anyone help me with this expression? I know the dictionary translation of "ganar unas oposiciones" is to earn a post by public examination but I'm having trouble fitting it to this context, which is talking about the well-connected people on Franco's side when the civil war ended, who found it easy to get by. I've given my attempt at a translation underneath.

"-Claro, los que habían triunfado en el sentido estricto de la palabra...
-Eso es, aquel que consideraba que con la guerra había ganado unas oposiciones. Fueron bastantes, no creas, y ésos no tuvieron ningún problema.

-Of course, for the ones who had won, in the strictest sense of the word...
-That’s right, the ones who believed that as a result of the war they had won the public service jobs they wanted."

I was wondering if any native could tell me if its necessary to include the fact that it's by public examination or would that be correct in this context?
Thank you so much!