CSS registrations fall nearly 48pc in four years, FPSC data shows

ISLAMABAD: Registrations for the Central Superior Services examination have fallen sharply over the past four years, according to official data released by the Federal Public Service Commission, with 18,139 candidates registering in 2025 compared to 35,059 in 2022.

The FPSC figures also show a decline in the number of candidates who actually sat the examination during the same period, dropping from 20,262 to 12,792. Nominations remained limited despite the lower number of applicants, slipping from 239 in 2022 to 170 in 2025.

CSS competition remains intense

The CSS exam is regarded as one of Pakistan’s most prominent competitive examinations and is conducted by the FPSC for induction into the civil service. The annual exam assesses candidates through a common set of papers, after which successful candidates are allocated to service groups irrespective of their academic discipline.

According to the FPSC data, only 0.94pc of registered CSS applicants in 2025 were ultimately nominated, while 1.33pc of those who appeared in the exam secured nominations. In 2022, the corresponding ratios were 0.68pc of registered candidates and 1.18pc of appearing candidates.

The data also points to a gap between registration and attendance, although that gap narrowed over time. In 2023, only about 45pc of registered CSS candidates appeared in the examination, while the appearance rate rose to around 71pc in 2025.

General recruitment applications also decline

The same FPSC analytics for 2022-2025 indicate a similar pattern in general recruitment for federal government jobs. Registrations reached 436,757 in 2023 before dropping to 196,193 in 2025, a decrease of more than 55pc in two years. The number of candidates appearing in recruitment examinations also fell from 199,234 in 2023 to 80,633 in 2025.

Recruitment remained highly selective even with fewer applicants. In 2025, 3,005 candidates were nominated out of 196,193 registered applicants. In 2023, only 1,436 nominations were made from more than 436,000 registrations.

For general recruitment, the appearance rate increased from around 32pc in 2022 to 41pc in 2025, though most registered applicants still did not appear in the examinations.

The official figures show that while fewer people are applying for federal jobs than in recent years, demand for those positions remains far higher than the number of available openings. In 2025 alone, nearly 18,000 candidates competed for 170 CSS nominations, while close to 200,000 applicants sought 3,005 recommendations in general recruitment.