CSS Exams 2021: Schedule, Eligibility Criteria, Fee & Everything Else

The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) is now accepting applications for Central Superior Services (CSS) exams 2021. Every year, thousands of applicants from all over Pakistan appear in the competitive examination, clearing, which remains the lifelong dream of many of them.

If you’re one of the aspirants, here is all you need to know about the CSS 2021 exams.

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Criteria

Any Pakistani national or an individual deriving nationality from the State of Jammu and Kashmir is between 21-30 years of age on December 31, 2020 can apply. A person who is married to a non-citizen, however, is not be eligible for the exam if there has not been any prior permission from the government.

Rules

• Every candidate is allowed three attempts for the examination within the prescribed age limit.
• The candidate must secure at least 40 percent marks in the compulsory subjects and 33 percent marks in the optional subjects.
• The marks’ minimum aggregate should be 50 percent to be eligible for the medical examination, psychological assessment, and viva voce.
• An aspirant who fails to appear in a compulsory or optional subject exam for any reason will not be allowed to sit in the remaining exams. Re-appearing for the missed exam is also not allowed.

For a detailed look, check out the document below:

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Syllabus

There has not been any announced revision in the syllabus, which means the revised syllabus of 2016 is applicable for 2021. Check out the syllabus here:

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Deadline

The last date to apply is November 3. Moreover, the aspirants are required to dispatch a hard copy of their application with the required documents to the FPSC headquarters before November 13.

Qualification

The candidate must hold at least a second division or grade B bachelor’s degree from a Pakistani university or a relevant qualification from a foreign university recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

If the candidate does not have the required degree by the cut-off date, they can produce a certificate from the concerned educational institution. However, they must complete the requirements of their degree and clear the examination for it. If a candidate has a third division or a C grade in bachelors but has a higher division in Master’s, he/she can still apply.

CSS 2021 Subjects

The subjects for CSS exams comprise six compulsory subjects of 600 marks and optional subjects consisting of 600 marks. The optional subjects are categorized into groups, and certain weightage has been attached to them. The detail of the subjects can be found in the revised CSS rules and syllabus.

CSS 2021 Schedule

The schedule for CSS 2021 exams has not been rolled out yet. What we know so far is that the exams will begin on February 18 next year. The subject-wise schedule will be updated as soon as it is announced.

CSS 2021 Fee

The application fee is Rs. 2200, which should be deposited in the government’s treasury or State Bank or the National bank of Pakistan. The account head is C02101-Organs of State Exam Fee. The challan form for the fee can be accessed here.

Bank drafts, cheques, and postal orders are not acceptable. Notably, the form’s original receipt should be attached with the application form and deposited to the Commission. The absence of the original receipt or any proof of the treasury receipt can result in the rejection of the application.

CSS Centers

As per the notification, the CSS examinations will commence from February 18, 2021, in 19 stations, including Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, DI Khan, Faisalabad, Gilgit, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Larkana, Multan, Muzaffarabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, and Sukkur simultaneously.

Application Form

The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) is accepting applications for next year’s competitive exams. Aspiring candidates can download the form from the FPSC’s website.

How to Apply

The application has to be made online on the FPSC website before November 3. A hard copy of the duly filled application form needs to be signed and sent to FPSC along with copies of required documents and certificates (a checklist is available on the FPSC portal after signing up for an account) as well as the original treasury receipt by 13 November.

The candidate will have to deposit Rs. 250 as a fine if the hard copy is not duly signed or contains any mistake. Otherwise, the application will be rejected.

It has been a sigh of relief for many candidates that there has not been any prominent change in the examination syllabus and rules. People start preparing for the exams a year earlier, and by this time, any such change jeopardizes their chances of getting through. In 2016, when the rules were revised, it turned out to be a huge blow for many candidates who had prepared according to the old syllabus and groups.