FPSC Rejects Claims of Declining Youth Interest in CSS Exams, Calls Reports Misleading
- FPSC dismisses reports claiming a sharp fall in CSS candidates as misleading.
- Commission says media ignored MPT participation, presenting an incomplete picture.
- Over 64,000 candidates registered for the MPT in 2025, reflecting continued interest.
- FPSC urges media to verify official data before publishing recruitment-related reports.
The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) has rejected media reports suggesting that young Pakistanis are losing interest in the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination, stating that the claims are based on incomplete data and inaccurate comparisons.
In an official statement, the commission said reports alleging a nearly 45% decline in CSS candidates between 2022 and 2025 failed to account for the complete recruitment process. It said the comparisons focused only on applications for the written examination while ignoring participation in the mandatory Multiple Choice Preliminary Test (MPT), which serves as the screening stage for CSS candidates.
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According to the FPSC, 64,081 candidates registered for the MPT in 2025, of whom 44,445 appeared in the examination. A total of 31,265 candidates qualified for the screening test, while 18,139 subsequently submitted applications for the written CSS examination and 12,792 ultimately appeared.
The commission said the official results further showed that 355 candidates cleared the written examination. Following psychological assessments and viva voce, 342 candidates qualified, while 170 were recommended for appointment to various occupational groups and services.
The FPSC maintained that the participation of more than 64,000 applicants in the preliminary screening process clearly demonstrates that the civil service continues to attract significant interest among Pakistan’s youth.
The commission also noted that several reports overlooked the impact of the Special CSS Examination 2023, which was conducted under a federal government initiative to fill vacancies reserved for underrepresented regions and groups across the country.
According to the FPSC, the special recruitment drive resulted in the allocation of 141 candidates, including women, minorities and applicants from less-developed areas, to different occupational groups. It said the exercise also influenced candidate and allocation figures in the years that followed.
The clarification came after some reports compared only written-examination applications, which declined from 35,059 in 2022 to 18,139 in 2025. The commission argued that relying solely on these figures, while excluding MPT registrations, presents an incomplete and misleading assessment of public interest in the CSS examination.
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