- Advertisement -
ISLAMABAD, Nov 27 (APP): A meeting of the Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat was held on Thursday at the Parliament Lodges under the convenership of Senator Saleem Mandviwala, with Senator Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan also in attendance.
Senator Amir Waliuddin Chisti was also virtually present. Secretary Establishment as well as representative of the FPSC participated in the meeting.
The session opened with a comprehensive briefing on the Central Superior Services (CSS) Competitive Examination, covering the current marking scheme, screening mechanism, and assessment cycle.
The committee was informed that the screening test (MCQ-based) comprises 200 marks and serves only as a qualifying stage. The written examination includes 600 marks for compulsory subjects, with a 40 percent qualifying threshold, and another 600 marks for optional subjects, with a 33 percent qualifying threshold.
This brings the total written examination to 1,200 marks, for which candidates must secure an aggregate of 50 percent (600 out of 1,200) to qualify. Those who clear the written stage proceed to psychological assessment, medical examination, and finally the viva voce carrying 300 marks, of which 100 marks (33 percent) are required to pass. Overall merit allocation is based on a total of 1,500 marks.
The committee was also briefed that the CSS examination cycle takes 12 to 14 months, covering advertisement, application scrutiny, written examinations, result compilation, medical and psychometric evaluations, the viva voce and the final merit list.
During the meeting, committee members raised the need to revise the existing screening criteria to ensure fairness and alignment with contemporary evaluation practices. A detailed exchange also took place between representatives of the students’ association and the FPSC on international educational models, quota systems and how principles of social justice are embedded globally, providing comparative insight into how Pakistan’s CSS structure could be modernized.
The committee was apprised that Pakistan will launch its national AI system on 11 December, prompting emphasis on incorporating artificial intelligence for assessment, marking and process automation to speed up examinations.
The committee noted that a Four-year-long examination cycle is not sustainable for students who lose precious time and face age-related limitations.
A major recommendation emerging from the meeting was the need to increase the number of examination attempts offered each year.
The committee argued that the current single annual attempt forces students to stretch their preparation across four years, often losing eligibility due to age constraints. It was proposed that the FPSC introduce two attempts per year, similar to supplementary examinations in other education systems, to ensure students do not lose years and remain within prescribed age brackets. The FPSC apprised, however, pointed out that with the current paper-based evaluation system, such a change is not immediately feasible due to the time required to assess syllabus and finalize results.
Another important recommendation made in the meeting was the enhancement of the general upper age limit for CSS candidates upto 35 years, aligned with various factors influencing gap years for students.