ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s long-standing race for coveted federal government positions appears to be losing some momentum, as the number of candidates applying for the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination has fallen sharply over the past four years.
Official data from the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) shows that registrations for the country’s most prestigious competitive examination have declined by nearly 48% since 2022.
According to FPSC statistics, 18,139 candidates registered for the CSS examination in 2025, compared with 35,059 applicants in 2022. The number of candidates who appeared in the examination also dropped from 20,262 in 2022 to 12,792 in 2025.
Despite the decline in participation, securing a position through CSS remains highly competitive, with the number of successful nominations decreasing from 239 in 2022 to 170 in 2025.
The CSS examination, conducted annually by the FPSC, is considered one of Pakistan’s toughest and most prestigious competitive exams for recruitment into the federal civil service. Successful candidates are allocated to various service groups after completing a rigorous selection process.
FPSC data shows that the declining trend is not limited to CSS alone. Applications for general federal government recruitment have also witnessed a significant decrease in recent years.
However, fewer applicants have not made selection easier, as available vacancies remain far lower than the number of candidates competing for them.
The latest recruitment statistics reveal that only a small fraction of CSS applicants manage to secure nominations.
In 2025, only 0.94% of registered CSS candidates and 1.33% of candidates who appeared in the examination were finally nominated. In comparison, the nomination rate in 2022 stood at 0.68% among registered candidates and 1.18% among those who appeared.
The figures highlight the continued difficulty of securing a federal government position despite changes in the number of applicants.
The FPSC data further indicates a significant drop in applications for general recruitment examinations.
Registrations reached 436,757 in 2023 but declined sharply to 196,193 in 2025, showing a decrease of more than 55% in just two years.
Similarly, candidates appearing in recruitment examinations fell from 199,234 in 2023 to 80,633 in 2025.
Despite the lower number of applicants, selection remained highly limited. In 2025, only 3,005 candidates were nominated out of 196,193 registered applicants, while in 2023, just 1,436 candidates secured recommendations from over 436,000 applicants.
The data also shows a noticeable difference between the number of candidates who register and those who actually appear in examinations.
For CSS, approximately 45% of registered candidates appeared in 2023, while the participation rate improved to around 71% in 2025.
In general recruitment exams, the appearance rate increased from nearly 32% in 2022 to 41% in 2025, but a large number of registered candidates still did not take part in the examinations.
Although fewer Pakistanis are applying for federal government positions, competition remains intense due to the limited number of available seats.
In 2025, nearly 18,000 CSS candidates competed for only 170 nominations, while around **200,000 applicants sought just 3,005 recommendations through general recruitment.
The trend reflects changing preferences among job seekers and highlights the continuing challenges faced by candidates seeking stable federal government careers.
