CSS Exam Pakistan

CSS stands for Central Superior Services Examination. It is a competitive examination conducted by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), Islamabad recruitment to posts (BPS-17) in the following services under the Federal Government.

• Commerce and Trade Services
• Foreign Service of Pakistan
• Information Group
• Inland Revenue Service
• Military Lands and Cantonments Groups
• Office Management Group
• Pakistan Administrative Service
• Pakistan Customs Service
• Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service
• Police Service of Pakistan
• Postal Group
• Railways (Commercial and Transportation) Group

   Parts of CSS Exam

  CSS Exam consists of the following four parts:

• Written Examination
• Medical Test
• Psychological Test
• Viva Voce

MPT (MCQ-Based Preliminary Test)
The MPT (MCQ-Based Preliminary Test) is a mandatory screening test. Only candidates who qualify the MPT are eligible to appear in the Written Examination. The test consists of 200 (MCQs). A minimum score of 33% (i.e., 66 out of 200 marks) is required to pass MPT.

   Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the CSS Examination.

Educational Criteria:

• A Bachelor’s degree with at least a second division or Grade C in any discipline from a university in Pakistan, or an equivalent qualification from a foreign university recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), subject to the submission of an equivalence certificate issued by HEC.
• If a candidate does not have the required degree on or before the application closing date, they can apply providing a certificate issued by an authorized officer of their institution which certifies that the candidate has fulfilled all degree requirements and passed the examination before the closing date. However, the candidate would be required to submit his degree before the final result is declared by the Commission.
• Candidates holding a third division or Grade ‘D’ in their bachelor’s degree shall be considered eligible if they have obtained a higher division or grade in their master’s degree.

Age Criteria:


• The prescribed age limit for candidates applying for the CSS Examination is 21 to 30 years.
• The cut-off date for determining age is the 31st of December of the year preceding the examination year. For example, for the Competitive Examination 2026, the t cut-off date shall be 31st December 2025.
• An age relaxation of two years (up to a maximum of 32 years) is granted to candidates who are currently serving as government employees or who belong to recognized tribes and specified areas as per rules. Detailed criteria for age relaxation are provided at the end of this page.

Nationality Criteria:


• Applicants must be citizens of Pakistan or individuals deriving nationality from the 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, a candidate who marries a foreign national of a country recognized by the Federal Government, with prior permission from the Government, may be considered eligible for appointment.


   Places of CSS Exam

Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Gujranwala, Multan, Abbottabad, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Dera Ismail Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Gilgit, Sukkur, Sargodha, Muzaffarabad, Larkana, and any other place as the Commission may determine, based on the number of applicants.



   Places of Interview

Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, or any other location as determined by the Commission.



   Exam Fee

• MPT(MCQ-Based Preliminary Test) = Rs. 250/-
• Written Examination = Rs. 2,200/-


   Dates of CSS Exam

The important dates for CSS Exam in 2026 are as follows:

MPT (MCQ-Based Preliminary Test)

• Advertisement Date: 10th August 2025
• Application Submission Period: 10th – 25th August 2025

Written Examination

• Advertisement Date: 7th December 2025
• Application Submission Period: 7th – 22nd December 2025
• Note: Only candidates who qualified the MPT were eligible to apply for the Written Examination.


   How to Apply for CSS Exam

• The application process for the CSS Examination starts with the advertisement of the MPT (MCQ-Based Preliminary Test), generally in August. After the declaration of the MPT results, another advertisement is issued for the Written Examination (e.g., on 7 December 2025 for the 2026 examination). Only candidates who qualify the MPT are eligible to apply for the Written Examination.
• Applications for the MPT are submitted online through the official FPSC website. The admit card can be downloaded from the website 10 days before the test.
• When the Written Examination is advertised, candidates qualifying the MPT must apply for the Written Examination using the same login (used for MPT).
• The examination fee (Rs. 250 for MPT and Rs. 2200 for the Written Examination) is deposited in the Government Treasury, State Bank of Pakistan, or National Bank of Pakistan under the account head “C02101 – Organs of State Exam Fee (FPSC Receipt).”
• Candidates must send a printed copy of the online application along with attested copies of required documents (educational certificates, CNIC, domicile, photographs, and bank receipt) via post to reach Secretary, FPSC headquarters, Islamabad within 10 days of the closing date.


   Basic Things to Know About CSS Exam

• A candidate cannot appear in the CSS examination more than three times. MPT attempts are not counted towards these three CSS Written Exam attempts.
• MPT result is valid for that year’s CSS Written Examination only.
• The Written Examination has six compulsory papers and six optional papers (to be selected from the list).
• The minimum marks for qualifying a compulsory paper are 40%, for an optional paper 33%, and an overall aggregate of 50% in the Written Examination.
• A candidate qualifying the Written Examination will be shortlisted for further stages: medical examination, psychological test, and viva voce.
• Candidates can apply for recounting of their papers. The recounting fee is Rs. 500 per paper.
Age relaxation Criteria: The age limit for CSS exam is 21 to 30 years. The age limit is relaxed by two years (i.e. 32 years) for the following candidates:

• 1. Recognized Tribes: Balochistan, Tribal Areas of D.I. Khan and Peshawar Divisions (Dir, Swat, Chitral, Amb), Excluded Baloch areas of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur, Former Tribal Areas of Mardan and Hazara Divisions, Upper Tanawal Area of Hazara Division. They must be permanent residents of these areas and provide a certificate:
  2. Gilgit-Baltistan Residents: Includes Gilgit, Diamir, Baltistan, Ghizer, and Ghanche. Certificate must be from Deputy Commissioner, District Magistrate, or authorized officer.
  3. Azad Jammu & Kashmir Residents: Must provide a certificate from the designated AJK authority.
  4. Scheduled Castes and Buddhist Community: Must provide a certificate from Deputy Commissioner, District Magistrate, or other authorized officer.
  5. Special Candidates (Persons with Disabilities): Physically impaired, hearing/speech impaired, or visually impaired with certificate of disability issued by Federal or Provincial Government.
  6. In-Service Government Employees: Includes government servants, armed forces, and contract employees (including AJK government employees) with at least 2 years’ continuous service. They must provide a departmental permission certificate. Employees of banks, WAPDA, regulatory authorities, autonomous/semi-autonomous bodies do not get age relaxation. Period of Extraordinary Leave (EOL) is not counted as service.
  Important Note: Only one type of relaxation can be applied at a time. Multiple relaxations cannot be combined.