ISLAMABAD: The Federal Public Service Commission said claims of a 45% decline in CSS applicants were inaccurate because published comparisons ignored key stages of the examination process.
The FPSC rejects the CSS decline claim after several media reports compared application figures for 2022 and 2025 without considering registrations for the MCQ-Based Preliminary Test, the commission said.
According to the FPSC, 64,081 candidates registered for the CSS 2025 preliminary test. Of these, 18,139 later applied for the written examination, while 12,792 appeared and 354 qualified.
The commission said 342 candidates passed the interview stage and allocated 170 of them to various civil service groups.
In its press release, the FPSC shared the following CSS examination statistics for the years 2022 to 2025, including the Special CSS Examination held in 2023.
| Year | Exam/Test | Registered / Applied | Appeared in Exam | Qualified in Written | Interview Qualified | Finally Allocated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | MPT/Screening Test for CSS | 61,753 | 49,038 | 48,787 | — | — |
| 2022 | Written CSS Exam | 32,059 | 20,262 | 393 | 375 | 239 |
| 2023 | MPT/Screening Test for CSS | 59,133 | 46,256 | 41,562 | — | — |
| 2023 | Written CSS Exam | 28,024 | 13,008 | 401 | 387 | 210 |
| Special 2023 | MPT/Screening Test for CSS | 54,297 | 38,445 | 33,157 | — | — |
| Special 2023 | Written CSS Exam | 21,947 | 15,245 | 519 | 489 | 141 |
| 2024 | MPT/Screening Test for CSS | 59,760 | 42,156 | 36,212 | — | — |
| 2024 | Written CSS Exam | 23,100 | 15,602 | 397 | 387 | 229 |
| 2025 | MPT/Screening Test for CSS | 64,081 | 44,445 | 31,265 | — | — |
| 2025 | Written CSS Exam | 18,139 | 12,792 | 354 | 342 | 170 |
It added that tens of thousands of candidates sit the preliminary screening test each year, but those figures are not representative of interest in the CSS examination.
The FPSC also said some comparisons omitted the Special CSS Examination 2023, through which 141 candidates were allocated to different services.
Read: FPSC Announces CSS 2025 Results with 2.77% Pass Rate
The special examination expanded opportunities for women, minorities and candidates from underdeveloped regions, according to the commission.
The FPSC urged media organisations to verify official data and compare equivalent stages of the examination before reporting trends in CSS participation.
