The Senate Standing Committee discussed several proposals to improve Pakistan’s civil service recruitment system on Wednesday. They also discussed the proposal to increase the upper age limit for candidates who are appearing in the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination.
However, a discussion happened, but no final decision was made. Officials who briefed the committee did not support increasing the age limit.
They said that a higher age limit could reduce the number of years civil servants spend working in government service. They also said that it could affect the overall efficiency of the civil service.
The committee chairman said that many countries have moved away from the traditional CSS style recruitment system. He said they now use more modern methods to recruit civil servants.
He also told the committee that recommendations on CSS reforms and recruitment procedures had already been submitted for further review.
After detailed discussions, the committee ended the meeting without reaching a final decision.
FPSC rejects claims of 45% decline in CSS applicants
The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) has rejected reports claiming that applications for the CSS examination have dropped by 45 per cent. The commission said claims that young people are losing interest in the CSS exam are not correct.
According to the FPSC, some media reports reached the wrong conclusion by comparing incomplete statistics instead of looking at the full recruitment process. It said that the comparison between the 2022 and 2025 application figures was not accurate.
CSS 2025 statistics
- 64,081 candidates registered for the MCQ-based Preliminary Test (MPT), the mandatory screening stage before the written exam
- 18,139 candidates qualified after the MPT and submitted applications for the CSS written examination
- 12,792 candidates appeared in the written CSS examination
- 354 candidates successfully cleared the written examination and progressed to the next stage
- 342 candidates were declared successful after the interview
- 170 candidates were allocated to various occupational groups and the civil service
