A Complete Detail of CSS Exam Subjects

The CSS written examination is worth 1,200 marks. Every candidate takes:

• 600 marks of compulsory subjects
• 600 marks of optional subjects

The compulsory side is fixed. Every candidate prepares the same six 100-mark subjects. The optional side is different. You choose subjects from seven FPSC groups according to the combination rules.

One point often confuses beginners: the number of optional subjects you select can vary because some are worth 200 marks and others 100 marks. But the optional side still adds up to 600 marks.

In paper terms, the written examination consists of 12 papers of 100 marks each: six compulsory papers and six optional papers. A 200-mark optional subject is simply divided into two 100-mark papers.

This guide explains the complete CSS subjects list, compulsory subjects, optional subject groups, marks, paper pattern and subject-selection rules.

If you are completely new to the exam, read How to Start CSS Preparation from Zero alongside this page. If you already understand the subjects and are deciding what to choose, go directly to Choosing Optional Subjects.

How many subjects are there in CSS?

There is no single fixed number of subject titles that every candidate studies.

Every candidate takes six compulsory subjects worth 600 marks.

You then choose 600 marks of optional subjects from the seven FPSC groups.

Because optional subjects can carry either 100 or 200 marks, one candidate may choose fewer subject titles than another while both still complete the same 600 optional marks.

The important numbers to remember are:

• Total written marks: 1,200
• Compulsory subjects: 600 marks
• Optional subjects: 600 marks
• Total written papers: 12
• Time per paper: 3 hours

What are the compulsory subjects in CSS?

There are six CSS compulsory subjects, each carrying 100 marks.

1. English Essay – 100 marks
2. English Précis and Composition – 100 marks
3. General Science and Ability – 100 marks
4. Current Affairs – 100 marks
5. Pakistan Affairs – 100 marks
6. Islamic Studies – 100 marks

Non-Muslim candidates may opt for Comparative Study of Major Religions instead of Islamic Studies.

Together, these papers make up the compulsory 600 marks.

English Essay – 100 marks

The Essay paper requires you to choose one topic and build a complete argument around it. It tests much more than grammar.

You need to understand the topic, develop a thesis, organise an outline, build coherent paragraphs, use relevant evidence and maintain the argument through the conclusion.

If Essay is unfamiliar, start with How to Write a CSS Essay.

Quotation-based topics require an additional interpretation step, which is covered in How to Attempt a Literary Essay.

For structured practice, the Essay Writing Handbook works through thesis statements, outlines, introductions, body paragraphs and solved essay plans.

You can also use the free Essay lectures in the Courses section or the CSS Essay & Précis Masterclass for more structured instruction.

English Précis and Composition – 100 marks

Précis and Composition is a separate compulsory English paper.

It tests several skills rather than one long piece of writing.

These include areas such as:

• précis writing
• reading comprehension
• grammar and sentence correction
• vocabulary
• pairs of words
• idioms
• translation and related language exercises

Do not prepare it like Essay.

Essay rewards expansion and argument. Précis rewards compression and accuracy.

Why Good Essay Writers Lose Marks in Précis explains that difference in more detail.

For practice, use the Précis Writing Handbook and the free Précis and Composition Grammar Preparation Pack.

You can also study a complete recent paper through the English Précis & Composition CSS 2026 Solved Paper.

General Science and Ability – 100 marks

General Science and Ability, usually shortened to GSA, combines science with quantitative and analytical reasoning.

The paper covers broad areas rather than advanced university-level science.

The syllabus includes themes from:

• physical science
• biological science
• environmental science
• food science
• information technology
• basic arithmetic
• algebra
• geometry
• logical reasoning
• analytical ability

The paper includes an objective section as well as descriptive science and ability questions.

The General Science Mastery Pack is organised around the syllabus and past-paper pattern.

You can also look at actual question styles in the Past Paper Solutions section rather than studying science without knowing the level at which FPSC asks it.

Current Affairs – 100 marks

Current Affairs is not simply a test of whether you followed the news. The paper expects you to understand major national and international issues and explain them analytically.

Your preparation should focus on:

• major international developments
• Pakistan's external relations
• geopolitical changes
• economic issues
• security
• governance
• regional developments
• major global challenges

For every issue, learn to identify the background, main actors, competing arguments, evidence and implications.

The Reading Packs section includes Current Affairs resources such as the Global Affairs Magazine 2nd Edition CSS 2026 and 2025 Global Affairs Annual Review.

Do not treat these as replacements for following current developments. Use them to organise and deepen your reading.

Pakistan Affairs – 100 marks

Pakistan Affairs covers much more than the Pakistan Movement.

Preparation extends across historical and contemporary areas such as:

• Muslim political identity in the subcontinent
• reform and educational movements
• Pakistan Movement
• constitutional development
• political evolution
• governance
• economy
• national integration
• security
• foreign relations
• regional issues

The important shift is from learning history to using that knowledge analytically.

You can study the subject through the free Pakistan Affairs Lecture Series in the Courses section and use the Pakistan Affairs Mastery Pack for structured reading.

For actual exam questions, the Past Paper Solutions section includes complete Pakistan Affairs papers with worked answers.

Islamic Studies – 100 marks

Islamic Studies combines Islamic concepts, teachings and institutions with their application to individual and collective life.

Preparation requires more than memorising verses and Ahadees. You should understand the concept first, then use relevant Islamic references to support the argument.

The Islamic Studies Mastery Pack brings together syllabus themes, Quranic references, Ahadees and examples.

The free Ayats and Ahadees CSS Islamiat Reference Book can be used separately for building a bank of references.

Non-Muslim candidates have the option of taking Comparative Study of Major Religions instead of Islamic Studies.

What are the CSS optional subjects?

The CSS optional subjects are divided into seven groups.

You must select a combination worth exactly 600 marks while following the rules of each group.

This is where beginners need to slow down. You cannot simply choose any six subjects you like.

Each FPSC group places limits on what can be selected from it.

CSS Optional Group I – select one 200-mark subject

Choose one subject from:

• Accountancy & Auditing – 200 marks
• Economics – 200 marks
• Computer Science – 200 marks
• Political Science – 200 marks
• International Relations – 200 marks

Each 200-mark subject has two papers of 100 marks each.

CSS Optional Group II – select subject or subjects worth up to 200 marks

The Group II subjects are:

• Physics – 200 marks
• Chemistry – 200 marks
• Applied Mathematics – 100 marks
• Pure Mathematics – 100 marks
• Statistics – 100 marks
• Geology – 100 marks

Your selection from this group must follow the FPSC 200-mark limit.

For example, a candidate may select one 200-mark subject or an allowed combination of 100-mark subjects.

CSS Optional Group III – select one 100-mark subject

Choose one from:

• Business Administration
• Public Administration
• Governance & Public Policies
• Town Planning & Urban Management

Each carries 100 marks.

CSS Optional Group IV – select one 100-mark subject

Choose one history subject:

• History of Pakistan & India
• Islamic History & Culture
• British History
• European History
• History of USA

Each carries 100 marks.

CSS Optional Group V – select one 100-mark subject

Choose one from:

• Gender Studies
• Environmental Sciences
• Agriculture & Forestry
• Botany
• Zoology
• English Literature
• Urdu Literature

Each carries 100 marks.

If Gender Studies is one of your optionals, the free Gender Studies Notes can give you a starting set of structured material.

CSS Optional Group VI – select one 100-mark subject

Choose one from:

• Law
• Constitutional Law
• International Law
• Muslim Law & Jurisprudence
• Mercantile Law
• Criminology
• Philosophy

Each carries 100 marks.

If you select Criminology, the Criminology Mastery Pack covers its key terms, major theories, criminal justice, investigation, policing and contemporary crime.

CSS Optional Group VII – select one 100-mark subject

Choose one from:

• Journalism & Mass Communication
• Psychology
• Geography
• Sociology
• Anthropology
• Punjabi
• Sindhi
• Pashto
• Balochi
• Persian
• Arabic

Each carries 100 marks.

Which CSS subjects are worth 200 marks?

This is another common source of confusion.

The following optional subjects carry 200 marks:

• Accountancy & Auditing
• Economics
• Computer Science
• Political Science
• International Relations
• Physics
• Chemistry

A 200-mark subject means two separate papers of 100 marks each.

It does not mean sitting one six-hour or 200-mark paper.

The remaining optional subjects carry 100 marks each.

How do CSS optional subject combinations work?

Your optional combination must total exactly 600 marks.

But you cannot choose subjects only by adding their marks.

You must also obey the group restrictions.

For example, Group I allows one 200-mark subject. Groups III to VII generally allow one 100-mark subject from each group. Group II has its own 200-mark selection rule.

This is why copying another candidate's subject combination without checking the official scheme is a bad idea.

The complete list tells you what is available.

It does not tell you what is right for you.

When choosing optionals, consider:

• your academic background
• genuine interest
• syllabus length
• overlap with compulsory papers
• availability of good material
• your ability to understand the subject
• your ability to write analytical answers on it

Do not choose only on the basis of a "high-scoring subject" claim.

Our detailed framework in Choosing Optional Subjects explains how to make that decision more carefully.

Before finalising your combination, also open actual papers in the Past Paper Solutions section. A subject can look attractive from its name and very different once you see its questions.

How many CSS papers are there?

The CSS written examination contains 12 papers of 100 marks each.

There are:

• six compulsory papers = 600 marks
• six optional papers = 600 marks

The number of optional subject names can vary, but the marks still translate into six 100-mark optional papers.

Every written paper is three hours long.

This means preparing for CSS is not simply about knowing twelve hundred marks of content.

You also have to build the writing speed and stamina needed to repeatedly perform under three-hour exam conditions.

What is the MCQ pattern in CSS subjects?

The Essay paper does not have an MCQ section.

The compulsory papers otherwise contain objective questions according to the syllabus pattern.

Optional papers also carry MCQs, with Applied Mathematics and Pure Mathematics being exceptions.

MCQ preparation should therefore run alongside descriptive preparation rather than being left entirely for the end.

The free 1000 Compulsory MCQs CSS MCQ Bank can be used for recall practice across Pakistan Affairs, Current Affairs, Islamic Studies and General Science.

Do not use MCQ practice as a substitute for preparing descriptive answers.

The written examination rewards both.

What language are CSS papers answered in?

The general rule is that CSS papers are answered in English unless the paper or official rules provide otherwise.

Islamic Studies or Comparative Study of Major Religions may be answered in English or Urdu.

Papers in Pakistani regional languages, Persian and Arabic are answered in the relevant language, with translation questions following the directions printed in that paper.

Always read the instructions on the actual question paper.

What are the passing marks in CSS written subjects?

Under the CSS rules, you need at least:

• 40% in each compulsory subject
• 33% in each optional subject
• 50% overall in the written examination

There is an additional rule for the three General Knowledge papers: General Science and Ability, Current Affairs and Pakistan Affairs are also treated collectively for the required combined General Knowledge score.

This is important because CSS is not passed simply by reaching 600 marks overall.

Falling below the required minimum in an individual compulsory or optional subject can still result in failure.

Is MPT included in the 1,200 CSS marks?

No.

The MCQ-Based Preliminary Test, or MPT, comes before the written examination and is a screening test.

Its marks are not part of the 1,200 written-exam marks.

If you are confused about where it fits, read What the MPT Actually Is.

The written subject structure explained on this page applies to the main CSS written examination after MPT qualification.

Which CSS subjects should I prepare first?

For a beginner, start with the compulsory side.

You have no choice about those 600 marks, so understanding them gives you a stable foundation before you commit to optional subjects.

A sensible early sequence is:

• understand Essay and Précis from the beginning
• start Pakistan Affairs and General Science
• build regular Current Affairs reading
• begin Islamic Studies systematically
• study optional syllabi and past papers before finalising the combination

If you are starting completely from zero, use How to Start CSS Preparation from Zero.

If you are studying from home, How to Prepare for CSS Online explains how to combine courses, reading, past papers and answer writing.

Where can I prepare the CSS compulsory subjects?

Use the Courses section for free video lectures and structured teaching.

Use the Reading Packs section when you need organised written material.

Use the Past Paper Solutions section to see how actual FPSC questions are framed and how an answer can be structured.

The most useful approach is not to choose between lectures, books and past papers.

Use them for different jobs:

• Syllabus tells you what to study.

• Lectures help you understand it.

• Reading gives you depth and evidence.

• Past papers show you how FPSC asks about it.

• Writing practice teaches you to produce the answer yourself.

That is a much better preparation system than collecting one "complete notes" file for every subject.

Where can I find the official CSS subjects and syllabus?

Always treat FPSC as the final authority on CSS subjects, combinations and syllabus details.

The official syllabus contains:

• compulsory subjects
• optional groups
• marks
• detailed course outlines
• paper-specific notes
• subject-selection rules

Official download: FPSC Revised Syllabus for CE-2016 and onwards

Use this article to understand the structure.

Use the official FPSC document before making a final subject-selection decision.