Central Superior Service
CSS Practice Test

The Central Superior Services (CSS; or Civil Servants) is a permanent elite civil service authority that is in charge of running the Cabinet of Pakistan’s bureaucratic operations, government secretariats, and directorates. In all matters pertaining to the civil service, the Prime Minister is the final authority.

Only 7.5 percent of applicants are chosen on the basis of merit, education, qualification, and experience, while the remaining 92.5 percent are chosen under a quota system. 

The civil service tests are competitive, and males and females are given equal opportunity based on their qualifications. Every year at the beginning of the year, the CSS Examinations are held. The Federal Public Service Commission is in charge of administering and overseeing the tests. CSS tests are notable for having a low pass rate; in 2015, only 3% of the 12,176 candidates passed the multi-staged exam.

The CSS examination is extremely competitive; for every one aspirant who is selected, there are 200 who are not; in 2015, more than 36000 candidates competed for 158 positions, compared to approximately 19,000 candidates in 2011 who participated in the civil service open public examination; only 8.0 percent of them were qualified for 188 government jobs. Only 214 (1.47 %) of the 14,521 candidates who took the exam in 2019 were eventually recommended by the Federal Public Service Commission for various federal government positions.

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CSS Practice Test

CSS Exam

The CSS Exam is held by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) in Islamabad for the purpose of recruiting applicants for positions (BS-17) in the Federal Government’s various services.

       – Commerce and Trade Services
       – Customs and Excise Services
       – District Management Group
       – Foreign Service of Pakistan
       – Income Tax Group
       – Information Group
       – Military Lands and Cantonments Groups
       – Office Management Group
       – Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service
       – Police Service of Pakistan
       – Postal Services Group
       – Railways (Commercial and Transportation] Group

CSS Exam Criteria

For the CSS Exam, the applicant must meet the following qualifying requirements.

• Nationality Criteria:

       The candidate must be a Pakistani citizen or a long-term resident of Jammu and Kashmir.

• Educational Criteria:

       – The applicant must hold a Bachelor’s degree from a Pakistani university with at least a 2nd division or an equivalent qualification from a foreign university recognized by HEC.
       – A candidate with a 3rd Division in their Bachelor’s degree can only apply for the exam if they have a Higher Division in their Master’s degree.

• Age Criteria:

       – Candidates applying for the CSS Exam must be between the ages of 21 and 30.
       – For candidates who are actively employed by the government or who belong to designated tribes and areas, the age limit is eased by two years (making the maximum age 32).

Parts of CSS Exam

The CSS Exam is divided into four sections:

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

Important things about CSS Exam

• A candidate is only allowed to take the CSS exam three times.

• The applicant’s age as of December 31st of the year in which he or she is applying for the CSS exam. This means that if you want to apply for CSS 2021, you must be between the ages of 30 and 21 on December 31, 2020.

• The candidate must take the CSS Exam in four parts: written, medical, psychological, and Viva-voce.

• Six required papers and six optional papers (from a list) are included in the written exam.

• The qualifying required paper has a minimum grade of 40%, whereas the optional exam has a minimum mark of 33.6%.

• Candidates who pass the written test will be shortlisted for the medical, psychological, and Viva-voce portions of the process.

• A candidate might request that his or her paper be rechecked. The charge for rechecking is Rs. 500 per paper.

After passing CSS Exam

Candidates are shortlisted and called for a medical exam after passing the written exam. The primary goal of this medical examination is to ensure that the nominated applicant is physically fit and free of any significant illnesses that could prevent them from executing their duties. FPSC appoints a medical board to administer the test. This test is required to pass, and those who fail will not be considered for open positions.

Candidates are required to undergo a psychological test and a viva voce once they have been shortlisted. They carry a total of 300 points if all tests are taken together. A psychological exam is used to assess a candidate’s mental and intellectual ability and determine whether or not he is competent to perform his tasks. Candidates who do not take the psychological test will not be considered for the viva voce.

Candidates are asked to submit their opinions on a given picture or situation as part of the psychological test, which involves both written and group exercises. Candidates are encouraged to write down their thoughts because qualified psychologists will evaluate each line. Aspirants must also work in a group on a specific task to demonstrate their ability to work in a group.

The viva voce is a 300-point interview that assesses an aspirant’s moral abilities, intelligence, leadership capabilities, and other competencies. A member of the board of members conducts a viva voce of an aspirant who has all of the student’s curricular and co-curricular activities on their table.

An applicant must have excellent communication skills as well as knowledge of the subjects in which he or she participates in extracurricular activities. At the time of the viva voce, the interviewee must have knowledge of Islam (non-Muslims are exempt) and Pakistan. To pass the viva voce, an applicant must receive at least 100 points; else, he or she would be disqualified.