CSS Exam Complete Guide With Free Preparation Material

The Central Superior Services Examination is referred to as CSS Exam. It is the highest competitive exam conducted by FPSC in Pakistan for the BPS-17 posts. Through this exam, the most intellectual, professional, and disciplined candidates are selected for civil bureaucracy.

This comprehensive guide is designed to provide you with all the essential information and preparation material you need to pass the CSS exam successfully.

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Introduction to CSS Exam

The Central Superior Services (CSS) exam in Pakistan is a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation process comprising a written examination, medical examination, psychological assessment, and viva voice. This challenging examination serves as a gateway to prestigious career opportunities in various government departments and services.

Successful candidates have the opportunity to fill vacant positions in diverse sectors such as the Commerce and Trade Group, Customs and Excise Service, Foreign Services of Pakistan, Income Tax Group, Information Group, Military Lands and Cantonment Group, Office Management Group, Pakistan Administrative Service, Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service, Police Service of Pakistan, Postal Services Group, and Railways (Commercial and Transportation) Group.

With its extensive procedure, the CSS exam aims to identify candidates who possess not only academic ability but also the attributes required for responsible and effective leadership in public service across a number of crucial national sectors.

CSS Exam Syllabus

The CSS (Central Superior Services) exam in Pakistan consists of a comprehensive syllabus covering a range of subjects. The CSS exam is divided into three groups: MPT Exam (MCQ-Based Preliminary Test), Compulsory Subjects and Optional Subjects.

MPT Exam

The MPT exam is the screening test conducted by the FPSC to shortlist the candidates for the CSS written examination. The purpose of this exam is to make sure only the serious and eligible candidates sit the CSS written examination.

This 200-mark exam comprises two papers: General Knowledge and Ability and Current Affairs. The syllabus for the General Knowledge and Ability paper includes subjects such as English, Urdu, Islamic studies, ethics (for non-Muslims), mathematics, general knowledge, and analytical reasoning, while the syllabus for the Current Affairs paper includes subjects such as Pakistan affairs, international affairs, and current events.

CSS Compulsory Subjects

1. English Essay & Composition
   • Essay writing on various topics to assess candidates’ ability to express ideas coherently.
2. English (Precis and Composition)
   • Precis writing and comprehension to evaluate candidates’ language skills.
3. General Science & Ability
   • A test of general knowledge, analytical abilities, and logical reasoning.
4. Current Affairs
   • Assessment of candidates’ awareness of national and international issues.
5. Pakistan Affairs
   • Examining candidates’ knowledge of Pakistan’s history, geography, and socio-political dynamics.
6. Islamic Studies or Comparative Religion:
   • Evaluation of candidates’ understanding of Islamic principles or comparative religion.

Optional Subjects of CSS Exam

Candidates are required to choose subjects from a list of optional subjects according to their preferences and academic background. The list includes subjects from various disciplines such as Law, Political Science and International Relations, Economics, Accountancy and Auditing, Pure Mathematics, and many more.

It’s important for candidates to thoroughly review the CSS syllabus provided by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC). It can be downloaded from the below link. Aspirants should tailor their preparation strategies based on the specific requirements of each subject to maximize their chances of success in this challenging examination.

Passing marks for CSS Exam

The passing marks for compulsory exams are 40 percent and for optional exams, it is 33 percent. However, you need an aggregate of 600 marks out of a total of 1200 marks to become eligible for the interview. The interview consists of 300 marks and you must pass it to get an allocation. In recent times, a candidate who gets 650 to 700 marks in a written examination and at least 150 marks in the interview finds his or her place in the list of successful candidates very easily.

Places of Written CSS Exam

Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, D. I. Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Gilgit, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, Khuzdar, Larkana, Multan, Muzaffarabad, Okara, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Sialkot, Skardu & Sukkur.

Places of CSS Interview

Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta.

How to Apply for CSS Exam?

• The advertisement of CSS Exam, reflecting dates, is published in all newspapers in September each year.
• Deposit the exam fee in the nearest Govt. Treasury /State Bank of Pakistan/National Bank of Pakistan under the account head “CO2101-Organs of State Exam fee (FPSC Receipt).
• Fill in the ‘Online Application Form’ on the official website of FPSC and take a print-out (hard-copy) of the same online form.
• Dispatch the hard copy of online form along with copies of your documents and bank receipt to the FPSC headquarter, Islamabad.

Free Preparation Material of CSS Written Exam

CSS exam is conducted each year, but due to prevalent unequal educational standards along with substandard bachelor programs, most of the aspirants fail each year. It is a dream job for the youth in Pakistan, but it requires perseverance, dedication, and shear hard work.

Here, an effort is made to provide a complete CSS Exam guideline along with the free preparation material. So that deserving candidates can get online help as most of the preparatory material in the market is unauthentic and not reliable.

CSS Written Examination Preparation Material

CSS Exam consists of 6 compulsory subjects along with optional subjects comprised of 600 marks. The list of all the subjects is as under;

Subject (Compulsory Subjects)	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

Group-I (To select one subject of (200 marks only)	Marks
Accountancy & Auditing	200
Economics	200
Computer Science	200
Political Science	200
International Relations	200

Group-II (To select subject(s) of 200 marks only)	Marks
Physics	200
Chemistry	200
Applied Mathematics	200
Pure Mathematics	200
Statistics	200
Geology	200

Group III (To select one subject of 100 marks only)	Marks
Business Administration	100
Public Administration	100
Governance & Public Policies	100
Town Planning & Urban Management	100

Group IV (To select one subject of 100 marks only)	Marks
History of Pakistan & India	100
Islamic History & Culture	100
British History	100
European History	100
History of USA	100

Group-V (To select one subject of 100 marks only)	Marks
Gender Studies	100
Environmental Sciences	100
Agriculture & Forestry	100
Botany	100
Zoology	100
English Literature	100
Urdu Literature	100

Group VI (To select one subject of 100 marks only)	Marks
Law	100
Constitutional Law	100
International Law	100
Muslim Law & Jurisprudence	100
Mercantile Law	100
Criminology	100
Philosophy	100

Group VII (To select one subject of 100 marks only)	Marks
Journalism & Mass Communication	100
Psychology	100
Geography	100
Sociology	100
Anthropology	100
Punjabi	100
Sindhi	100
Pashto	100
Balochi	100
Persian	100
Arabic	100

CSS Exam Frequently Asked Questions