CSS EXAMINATION

Central Superior Service (CSS) is the public service in Pakistan. Those who want to have an officer
level career (BPS 17-22) in Government Sector are required to appear in CSS Examination.
The Competitive Examination, are held by the Federal Public Service Commission for recruitment to
posts in BS-17 for the following Groups/Services under the Federal Government:-
CSS Groups / Services
 Commerce &Trade Group
 Foreign Service of Pakistan
 Information Group
 Inland Revenue Service
 Military Lands & Cantonments Group
 Office Management Group
 Pakistan Administrative Service
 Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service
 Pakistan Customs Service
 Police Service of Pakistan
 Postal Group
 Railways (Commercial &Transportation) Group
CSS Exam Pattern
The CSS-Competitive Examination comprises the following:-
 Written Examination
 Medical Examination
 Psychological Assessment and
 Viva Voce.
QUALIFYING MARKS IN WRITTEN EXAMINATION
A candidate who fails to secure at least 40% marks in any of the compulsory subjects, 33% marks in
any of the optional subjects,50% marks in the Aggregate will be considered to have failed in written
examination and will not be eligible for medical examination, Psychological Assessment and Viva
Voce.
Only the candidates declared qualified in the written examination and found eligible will be called
for next stage i.e. Medical Examination, Psychological Assessment and Viva Voce.
CSS Eligibility Criteria:
Age Limits:
Minimum 21 years – Maximum 30 Years
2 years Age Relaxation is allowed to the
 Candidates of Scheduled Caste or Budhist Community
 The candidates belonging to the recognized Tribes
 Permanent Residents of AJK and Gilgit Baltistan
 Disabled
 In Service Government Servants, Armed Forces Personnel, Contract Employees
EDUCATION.
At least a Second Division or Grade “C” Bachelor’s degree of Pakistani or of a foreign University
recognized by Higher Education Commission, Islamabad.
Note: A candidate who has obtained a Third Division (or ‘D’ grade) in his/her Bachelor’s Degree will
be eligible for the Examination in cases where he/she has obtained a higher Division in Master’s
Degree.
NATIONALITY
A Citizen of Pakistan or State of Jammu and Kashmir.
A candidate who has married a person who is not a citizen of Pakistan shall not be eligible for
appointment. However, with the prior permission of Government the candidate may be regarded as
eligible for appointment.
DOMICILE
For applying on Provincial/Regional Quotas, domicile certificate of the respective region is required.

CSS Compulsory and Optional Subjects for Written Examination

(1200MARKS)
1. The examination will include the following subjects and each subject will carry the
marks shown against it
2. There will be two papers of 100 marks each of the subjects which carry 200 marks. In
other subjects there will be one paper. Each paper will be of 3 hours duration.
3. The candidates should expect some objective type questions * (MCQ’s) in compulsory
and optional papers except in the papers of Essay, Applied Mathematics and Pure
Mathematics.
4. The Question Papers in Urdu or other Pakistani regional languages (Punjabi, Sindhi,
Pashto and Balochi), Persian and Arabic should be answered in the respective languages.
However, question relating with translation from respective language into English or vice
versa may be answered as directed in the question paper. The question paper in Islamic
Studies or Comparative Study of Major Religions is to be answered in English or Urdu only.
All other papers must be answered in English unless otherwise directed in the Question
Paper. Contravention of these instructions will result in the cancellation of the papers and
award of ZERO marks in the paper(s) concerned.
5. The Non-Muslim candidates have the option either to take Islamic Studies or
Comparative Study of Major Religions. (
6. A candidate who does not appear in any compulsory/optional subject will not be
allowed to appear in the remaining papers of the Examination
viii) The three papers of General Knowledge (GK-I, GK-II & GK-III) are to be passed collectively by
scoring 120 marks out of 300.
COMPULSORY SUBJECTS (600MARKS)
 Essay 100
 English (Precis and Composition) 100
 General Knowledge :
 Paper - I General Science & Ability 100
 General Science: (MCQs = 20 marks, subjective = 40 marks)
o Ability: subjective = 40 marks)
o Paper - II Current Affairs 100
o Paper - III Pakistan Affairs 100
 Islamic Studies or Comparative Study of Major Religions (For Non Muslims) 100
Total : 600 *MCQs are to be attempted on computerized OMR Answer sheet, whereas subjective
questions are to be attempted on Answer Book.
OPTIONALSUBJECTS (600MARKS)
The minimum standard of optional subjects will be that of an honour’s degree of a university in
Pakistan. The candidates are required to select optional subjects carrying a total of 600 marks from
the following groups as per rules given in column-1 below:—
Group-1 One subject carrying 200 marks
Subject Marks
Accountancy & Auditing 200
Economics 200
Computer Science 200
Political Science 200
International Relations 200
Group-2 One subject carrying 200 marks or 2 Subjects carrying 100 Marks
Subject Marks
Physics 200
Chemistry 200
Applied Mathematics 100
Pure Mathematics 100
Statistics 100
Geology 100 100
Group-3 One subject carrying 100 marks
Subject Marks
Business Administration 100
Public Administration 100
Governance & Public Policies 100
Town Planning & Urban Management 100
Group-4 One subject carrying 100 marks
Subject Marks
History of Pakistan & India 100
Islamic History & Culture 100
British History 100
100
European History
History of USA 100
Group-5 One subject carrying 100 marks
Subject Marks
Gender Studies 100
Environmental Sciences 100
Agriculture & Forestry 100
100
Botany
100
Zoology
English Literature 100
Urdu Literature 100
Group-6 One subject carrying 100 marks
Subject Marks
Law 100
Constitutional Law 100
International Law 100
100
Muslim Law & Jurisprudence
100
Mercantile Law
Subject Marks
Criminology 100
Philosophy 100

Group-7 One subject carrying 100 marks

Subject Marks
Journalism & Mass Communication 100
Psychology 100
Geography 100
100
Sociology
100
Anthropology
Punjabi 100
100
Sindhi
Pashto 100
Balochi 100
Persian 100
Arabic 100