Central Superior Services (CSS) Examination:

Central Superior Services (CSS) Examination is a highly competitive exam conducted by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) of Pakistan to recruit the Gazetted Officers of Grade-17 who play a crucial role in the administration of the federal government. It is considered the toughest and the most prestigious examination in Pakistan. Every year, thousands of individuals from across the country aspire to join the civil bureaucracy by appearing in the examination. The successful candidates are allocated to one of the twelve federal occupational groups which play a significant part in policy-making and implementation.

Eligibility Criteria

The FPSC recommends the following general criteria for the applicants to meet:

Educational Qualification

A candidate should have a minimum bachelor’s degree with second division or grade ‘C’ in any discipline recognized by Higher Education Commission (HEC)

Age & Age Relaxation

A candidate must be at least twenty-one years old and no more than thirty years of age to be eligible on the cut-off date (31 December). Two years of upper-age relaxation is admissible to candidates belonging to some specific castes and areas of Pakistan, and to those in-service applicants having two years of continuous service in the government departments.

Nationality

A candidate desirous of appearing in the competitive examination must hold Pakistani citizenship or he/she should have the nationality of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Written Examination Process

The written examination of CSS consists of two parts: first is the MPT or screening test and the second is the main written examination.

MCQs Based Preliminary Test (MPT)

The MPT (MCQs Based Screening Test) was introduced in 2022 by the FPSC with the approval of the federal government. It is designed to shortlist the serious candidates to lower the burden of an over-burdened commission, and to make the process of the examination even more efficient, transparent and effective. The aspirants apply for the MPT online and there is no limit as to the number of attempts to appear in the screening test. The syllabus of the screening test comprises the following areas:

Sr. No	Subject	Marks
1	Islamic Studies (Non-Muslims have option b/w civics & ethics and 20 Islamic studies)	20
2	Urdu (grammar usage and translation)	20
3	English (vocabulary, grammar and comprehension)	50
4	General Abilities (basic arithmetic, algebra & geometry of SSC level; 60 logical problems solving; analytical and mental abilities)	60
5	General Knowledge (everyday science, current affairs and Pakistan 50 affairs)	50

The test is held annually. It is an MCQs type test consisting of 200 MCQs carrying one mark each. The duration of the MPT or screening test is two hundred minutes and there is no negative marking. The qualifying marks to go further in the written examinations are 66 out of 200 or 33% of the total. The candidates are given a carbon sheet after the test, and the answer key is uploaded on the FPSC official website in the evening of the day test is conducted. The test is valid for only one year and the candidate has to reappear in the next year for the attempt of that year.

Application Process for the Written Examination

The candidates who pass the screening test are eligible to apply for the descriptive written examination. All applications are to be made online, and thereafter the hardcopy or printed copy of the application along with other required documents duly attested is sent to the FPSC Islamabad.

Syllabus/Subjects: Compulsory & Optional Subjects

The CSS written exam comprises 1200 marks: 600 marks for the compulsory subjects and 600 for the optional subjects to be opted from among the seven different groups. Some subjects are of 200 marks and the others carry only 100 marks each. A candidate has to take up only that number of subjects aggregating six hundred marks. The details of the various subjects are given below.

The following are the compulsory subjects (600 marks):

Sr. No.	Subject	Marks
1	English Essay	100
2	English (Précis & Composition)	100
3	General Science & Ability	100
4	Current Affairs	100
5	Pakistan Affairs	100
6	Islamic Studies OR Comparative Study of 100 Major Religions (for non-Muslims)	100

The tables below are composed of seven groups of the optional subjects (for 600 marks). Only one subject should be selected from a group:

Main Written Examination: Passing Criteria / Qualifying Marks & Number of Attempts

The written examination is conducted annually in February. Two papers in a single day are given, and the examination concludes within a week. A candidate has three attempts in his/her lifetime, that is, he or she can appear in the examination only thrice in his/her lifetime. To qualify for the interview, an aspirant has to secure at least 40% marks in all six compulsory subjects, 33% in each of the six optional subjects, and the aggregate of both (compulsory & optional) should be no less than 50% marks. The MPT (MCQs Based Screening Test) was introduced in 2022 by the FPSC with the approval of the federal government. It is designed to shortlist the serious candidates to lower the burden of an over-burdened commission, and to make the process of the examination even more efficient, transparent and effective. The aspirants apply for the MPT online and there is no limit as to the number of attempts to appear in the screening test. The syllabus of the screening test comprises the following areas:

Post-written Examination / Process After the Written Exam Result

Medical Examination

The candidates must undergo a medical examination to determine their eligibility as they must possess good mental and bodily health to be able to discharge their duties satisfactorily.

Psychological Assessment

To appear before the interview panel for viva voce, a candidate has to go through a psychological assessment which is designed to assess his character, abilities, and personality. The assessment is comprised of written tests and group tasks. Though this phase does not carry any special marks, it does have an impact on the marks awarded in the interview.

Viva Voce / Interviews

The final and decisive part is that of the viva voce or the interview. The candidates have to appear before a panel of interviewers, who have a life of experience in the services. The questions asked in the interview range from the candidate’s academics and the optional papers to the general interest of the candidate and the board of the interviewers. The candidate has to obtain at least 100 marks out of 300 to qualify it and to be able to see him/her on the merit list. If he/she fails to secure at least one hundred marks, he is deemed to have failed in the overall process.

Post-written Examination / Process After the Written Exam Result

The final result is generally declared in the first half of the second year after the main written examination. The candidate who qualify the written and the interview parts of the examination are listed on the final merit list in order from the highest marks obtained to that of the lowest. The successful candidates are allocated to one of the following twelve different occupational groups of the federal public administration:

1. Commerce and Trade Group
2. Foreign Service of Pakistan
3. Information Group
4. Inland Revenue Service
5. Military Lands and Cantonments Group
6. Office Management Group
7. Pakistan Administrative Service
8. Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service
9. Pakistan Customs Service
10. Police Service of Pakistan
11. Postal Group, and
12. Railways (Commercial and Transportation) Group

Career Prospects: Posting, Promotions, Job Responsibilities

The candidates who finally qualify for the complete examination and fall on the final merits list enjoy a number of benefits. They can be posted to one of the number of positions in federal and provincial governments, including diplomatic, administrative, customs, taxation, and police services of Pakistan. The successful candidates are directly appointed to the ranks of Grade-17, and can have a very promising career with ample opportunities for promotion and growth within the service. The CSPs can go up the highest rank of Grade-22 in the civil bureaucracy of Pakistan. They are promoted from Grade-17 to Grade-20 in just seventeen years, which is the fastest promotion system in Pakistan.

Conclusion

Overall, the civil service of Pakistan opens the door to opportunities and prospects for the appointed individuals. They can learn, grow and develop, and are in a better position to serve the nation in the real sense of the word. So there also falls a huge responsibility on the shoulders of the civil servants whose main duty is to work for the betterment of Pakistan and its people. Thus to put it simply, the civil services offers a great challenging avenue and a bundle of responsibilities to individuals aspiring to serve the people in the face of the modern and ever- changing world.