Official data released by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) shows that registrations for Pakistan’s prestigious Central Superior Services (CSS) examination have fallen by nearly 48% over the past four years.
According to the figures, 18,139 candidates registered for the CSS examination in 2025, compared with 35,059 registrations in 2022. The number of candidates who actually appeared in the examination also dropped significantly, declining from 20,262 in 2022 to 12,792 in 2025.
Despite the decline in applicants, the number of successful candidates remained limited. Only 170 candidates were nominated for recruitment in 2025, compared with 239 nominations in 2022.
CSS remains Pakistan’s most competitive examination
The CSS examination is conducted annually by the FPSC to recruit officers for Pakistan’s civil services. It is regarded as one of the country’s most prestigious competitive examinations, attracting graduates from diverse academic backgrounds.
Successful candidates are allocated to different occupational groups based on their overall merit and performance rather than their field of study. Every year, thousands of graduates compete for a relatively small number of vacancies, making the examination one of the toughest in Pakistan.
Selection rate remains below 1%
FPSC data highlights that securing a position through the CSS examination remains extremely difficult despite the decline in registrations.
In 2025, only 0.94% of all registered CSS applicants were ultimately nominated, while the nomination rate among candidates who actually appeared in the examination stood at 1.33%.
For comparison, the nomination rate in 2022 was 0.68% of registered applicants and 1.18% of candidates who took the examination. Although the percentage improved slightly, the overall chances of success remained very low.
The figures underline the intense competition, with nearly 18,000 candidates competing for only 170 nominations in 2025.
General recruitment also records major decline
The downward trend was not limited to the CSS examination. FPSC data also showed a significant decline in applications for general federal government recruitment.
Registrations reached a peak of 436,757 in 2023 but fell to 196,193 in 2025, representing a decline of more than 55% in just two years.
Similarly, the number of candidates appearing in recruitment examinations dropped from 199,234 in 2023 to 80,633 in 2025.
Despite fewer applicants, recruitment remained highly selective. In 2025, only 3,005 candidates were nominated from 196,193 registered applicants. In 2023, just 1,436 candidates secured nominations despite more than 436,000 registrations.
Attendance improves but vacancies remain limited
The FPSC data also points to a consistent gap between registrations and actual attendance in examinations.
For the CSS examination, only about 45% of registered candidates appeared in 2023, while attendance improved to approximately 71% in 2025.
A similar trend was observed in general recruitment, where the appearance rate increased from around 32% in 2022 to 41% in 2025. However, a majority of registered applicants still did not appear in the examinations.
Overall, the data suggests that while fewer Pakistanis are applying for federal government jobs, demand continues to far exceed the number of available positions, ensuring that competition for recruitment remains exceptionally high.
