Time to Rethink CSS: Is Our Civil Service Exam Still Serving the Nation?

It’s time we stop asking, “How good is your English?” and start asking, “How well can you serve?”

When the British conquered the Indian subcontinent in 1806, they quickly realized the need for a formal administration to govern their new territories. This led to the establishment of the East India Company College in London, dedicated to training those who would manage the affairs of the empire in India. The term “Indian Civil Service” first appeared in 1829, marking the birth of what would become the region’s elite bureaucratic class.

Interestingly, the British borrowed the concept of civil service from China, where the Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–907) dynasties had long-established merit-based exams for government appointments. Those who passed these rigorous tests were granted prestigious official positions—a model the British found efficient and adopted for their own empire.

By 1853, Chancellor of the Exchequer William Gladstone assigned Sir Stafford Northcote and Charles Trevelyan the task of reforming the civil service. The duo introduced a competitive examination system aimed at ensuring only the most capable candidates would be selected. The ideal candidate was expected to possess vast general knowledge to allow for inter-departmental flexibility.

CSS: A Measure of Merit or Mastery of English?

In today’s Pakistan, the Central Superior Services (CSS) exam serves as the gateway to the country’s federal and provincial bureaucracies. It remains a highly competitive process, comprising written tests, psychological evaluations, and interviews. However, one glaring issue continues to haunt the system: its heavy emphasis on the English language.

The test does not merely assess a candidate’s knowledge in their chosen subject—be it economics, history, social sciences, or natural sciences—but also places immense weight on their command of English. This unfortunate focus has sidelined many capable and intelligent candidates who struggle with language but shine in their respective fields.

Why must a student of economics also be a fluent English speaker to qualify for a role in economic planning? Can’t English be taught during training, like in other countries where even medical education is conducted in native languages?

Despite Urdu being declared the national language at Pakistan’s inception, English continues to dominate official and academic spaces—particularly in the civil service. This raises a vital question: is fluency in English a fair yardstick to measure administrative competence?

The Changing Face of Bureaucracy

In Pakistan, the bureaucracy—often referred to as the "civil establishment"—holds immense power, managing almost every administrative aspect of governance. It’s even said that behind every political figure stands a bureaucrat pulling the strings. To enter this elite circle, aspirants undergo the CSS exam, which is held once a year in February. Eligible candidates must be Pakistani citizens aged between 21 and 30 with at least a bachelor’s degree. Each candidate is allowed a maximum of three attempts.

The exam comprises 12 papers—six compulsory and six optional. Compulsory subjects include English Essay, English Grammar and Composition, General Science and Ability, Current Affairs, Pakistan Affairs, and Islamic Studies (or Comparative Religion). Optional subjects are selected from a wide list, including economics, law, philosophy, history, and more.

To qualify for the final interview (worth 300 marks), candidates must pass all compulsory papers and at least four optional ones. The final merit list is based on combined written and interview scores.

A Shift Towards Specialization

Now, significant reforms are being considered to overhaul this decades-old system. The government is exploring a cluster-based model aimed at assigning candidates to posts that match their academic backgrounds. Instead of forcing all candidates through a generalized system, specialists in fields like law, medicine, or engineering would be placed in corresponding roles.

This reform is long overdue. Why should a doctor end up in revenue services or an engineer handle foreign affairs—roles they are not trained for? The new system would allow each service group to have its own eligibility criteria and subject-specific exam. The goal is to replace “generalists” with “specialists,” enhancing performance and efficiency across government departments.

Challenges and the Way Forward

While the proposed system holds promise, it also brings challenges: managing the transition, re-equipping the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), and tackling resistance from entrenched power structures. Furthermore, the credibility of the selection process has been questioned in recent years. Where once the CSS exam was celebrated for its meritocracy, today, political favoritism and nepotism have reportedly seeped into the interview process.

Deserving candidates, despite clearing the grueling written test, are sometimes failed in the interview to make way for the well-connected.

If Pakistan truly wants to uplift its governance, it must purge this system of corruption and favoritism. Reforms must ensure that the right people get the right jobs, based not on their accent or connections, but on their ability, knowledge, and potential to serve the nation.

Final Thought:

It’s time we stop asking, “How good is your English?” and start asking, “How well can you serve?”