CSS Syllabus and Test Pattern 2026
CSS has multiple official layers: MPT syllabus material plus main written exam rules. Verified official text shows 600 compulsory marks, 600 optional marks, and 300 viva voce marks.
Key test-pattern points
- CSS compulsory written papers total 600 marks.
- Optional subjects total 600 marks from grouped subject choices.
- Viva Voce carries 300 marks.
- Written qualifying rules exposed in official text include 40% in each compulsory, 33% in each optional, and 50% aggregate.
CSS Compulsory Papers
Official FPSC-facing rule text confirms six compulsory written papers totaling 600 marks: Essay, English Precis and Composition, General Science and Ability, Current Affairs, Pakistan Affairs, and Islamiat or Comparative Study of Major Religions.
Optional Subjects and Viva
Optional subjects are selected from grouped lists totaling 600 marks. Verified official snippets show 200-mark choices in Group I and grouped 100-mark subjects in later groups. Psychological assessment is held before viva, and Viva Voce carries 300 marks.
Important Limitation
The accessible official MPT syllabus page did not expose the MPT question count or duration in fetched text during the research session. This page therefore states only the officially visible and cross-checked structure.