ISLAMABAD: The Federal Public Service Commission has rejected reports claiming that interest in Pakistan’s civil service has sharply declined among young people.
The FPSC said such reports relied on incomplete and inaccurate statistics and failed to provide a complete picture of CSS participation.
Recent reports claimed that the number of CSS candidates fell by around 45% between 2022 and 2025.
However, the commission said those reports excluded thousands of candidates who took the compulsory preliminary screening test, known as the MPT.
According to official figures, 64,081 candidates registered for the MPT in 2025. Of these, 44,445 appeared and 31,265 passed.
Among successful candidates, 18,139 applied for the written CSS examination, while 12,792 appeared.
FPSC says civil service remains popular
The written examination produced 355 successful candidates. Subsequently, 342 candidates qualified after psychological assessments and interviews.
The commission recommended 170 candidates for appointment to various occupational groups and services.
The FPSC said tens of thousands of MPT participants showed that civil service careers remained a major aspiration among Pakistani youth.
Furthermore, the commission highlighted the Special CSS Examination 2023, which addressed vacancies for underrepresented regions and groups.
The special examination resulted in 141 candidates receiving allocations, including women, minorities and applicants from less-developed areas.
Meanwhile, written-examination registrations declined from 35,059 in 2022 to 18,139 in 2025.
However, the FPSC said comparing only written applications ignored MPT participation and therefore provided an incomplete assessment.
The commission urged media organisations to verify complete statistics before publishing reports about recruitment and examination trends.
