FPSC
The Central Superior Services (CSS) Competitive Examination, conducted by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), recruits officers to Pakistan’s civil service (PAS, PSP, Foreign Service, Customs and others).
Stages
- MPT — MCQ-based Preliminary Test (screening): 200 MCQs in 200 minutes, 1 mark each, no negative marking. Qualifying threshold: 33% (66/200). The MPT score is valid only for the same year’s written exam and does not count toward final merit.
- Written examination: 12 papers × 100 marks = 1,200 marks; each paper is 3 hours. Every paper has Part I (objective, collected after 30 minutes) and Part II (subjective). Qualifying: 40% in each compulsory paper, 33% in each optional paper, 600 marks aggregate.
- Psychological assessment & Viva Voce: 300 marks, conducted by an FPSC panel.
- Medical examination: pass/fail, mandatory.
Compulsory subjects (600 marks)
| Subject | Marks |
|---|---|
| English Essay | 100 |
| English (Precis and Composition) | 100 |
| General Science & Ability | 100 |
| Current Affairs | 100 |
| Pakistan Affairs | 100 |
| Islamic Studies (or Comparative Study of Major Religions for non-Muslims) | 100 |
Optional subjects (600 marks)
Six papers chosen from FPSC-approved subject groups (for example Accountancy & Auditing, Economics, Computer Science, Political Science, International Relations at 200 marks each, and many 100-mark subjects). The full group list is published in the official FPSC syllabus.
Practice quizzes
Prepare with our free Jobs Test Preparation course, which includes MCQ-style practice quizzes matching the CSS MPT screening stage. Note: the CSS written examination itself is descriptive (essays and long answers) and is not covered.
Format details researched from the official FPSC website (fpsc.gov.pk), September 2026. Always confirm current rules on fpsc.gov.pk before applying.