Despite a sharp decline in applications, number of successful candidates also remained limited.
Staff Reporter
Islamabad, July 18, 2026: The number of candidates applying for the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination has nearly halved over the past four years, according to official data.
Statistics show that more than 35,000 candidates registered for the CSS examination in 2022. By 2025, the number had fallen to around 18,000. Similarly, the number of candidates who actually appeared in the examination declined from about 20,000 to nearly 13,000 during the same period.
Despite the significant drop in applications, the number of successful candidates also decreased, falling from 239 in 2022 to 170 in 2025.
According to the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), a similar trend has been observed in general government recruitment, where the number of applicants has declined considerably, while the success rate has remained exceptionally low.
The data show that in 2025, only 0.94 per cent of registered candidates and 1.33 per cent of those who appeared for the CSS examination qualified, highlighting the highly competitive nature of the country’s premier civil service recruitment process.
Experts say that although the number of applicants is declining, competition for the CSS examination remains intense due to the limited number of vacancies available each year.
