CSS Exam Written Part's Subjects list - Compulsory and Optional

Table of Contents 

• CSS Written Exam General Guidance
  
• List of CSS Compulsory subjects
  
• List of CSS Optional Subjects (Groups-Wise)

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CSS Written Exam general guidance

• CSS written exam consists of twelve hundred (1,200) marks divided into two sections of six hundred marks each; i.e six hundred marks for compulsory subjects and the remaining six hundred for optional subjects.
• Each subject of the 100 mark is to be attempted within the speculated time of three hours.
• At least 40% of marks are required to qualify for the compulsory subjects while 33% of marks are needed to pass the optional subjects. Furthermore, you are also required to score at least 600 marks in total to pass the CSS written exam and step into the next phases of Pakistan's most appealing competitive exam.


One must try his best to achieve the best marks in aggregate if he/she wants to get allocated to his/her dream group of bureaucracy. Thus it's mandatory to dive into the subjects carefully while deciding to go for a ride on this elite class boat. Below, you will find complete detail about all the subjects included in CSS written exams.

CSS Compulsory Subjects (Total Marks: 600):

There are six compulsory subjects in the CSS exam bearing 100 hundred marks each, thus aggregating to 600 marks in total. A candidate has to get at least 40% marks in total (240 marks) to qualify in the compulsory subjects. Individual subjects' passing criteria are mentioned below the table.

Code No.	Subjects	Marks
1.	English Essay	100
2.	English (Precis and Composition)	100
3.	General Science & Ability	100
4.	Current Affairs	100
5.	Pakistan Affairs	100
6.	Islamic Studies OR Comparative Study of	100
	Major Religions (For Non-Muslims)
Total Marks		600

You have to score at least 40% in each of the following subjects individually;

1. English Essay
2. English Precis and Composition
3. in Islamic Studies OR Comparative study of Major Religions

But you have to get 40% marks in aggregate in the remaining three compulsory subjects. i.e it doesn't matter how much you score in each of these three subjects individually, you just have to get 120 marks in total.

CSS Optional Subjects (Total Marks: 600):

Choosing the appropriate optional subjects is one of the most challenging phases for an aspirant appearing in the Pakistan's most honorable competitive exam. Seven groups of optional subjects are there. Some of these groups possess 100 marks and some contain 200 marks in them. You can choose

• only one subject in the groups where 100 marks are allocated to the group, and
• either two subjects of 100 or one subject of 200 marks in the groups where 200 marks are allocated to the group. You can't choose only one subject with 100 marks in such a group.

Furthermore, you have to get at least 33% marks in CSS optional subjects to pass the exam.

Group-I: (To select two subjects of 100 marks or one subject of 100 marks only)

Code No.	Subjects	Marks
11.	Accountancy & Auditing	200
12.	Economics	200
13.	Computer Science	200
14.	Political Science	200
15.	International Relations	200

Group-II: (To select two subjects of 100 marks or one subject of 100 marks only)

Code No.	Subjects	Marks
16.	Physics	200
17.	Chemistry	200
18.	Applied Mathematics	100
19.	Pure Mathematics	100
20.	Statistics	100
21.	Geology	100

Group-III: (To select one subject of 100 marks only)

Code No.	Subjects	Marks
22.	Business Administration	100
23.	Public Administration	100
24.	Governance & Public Policies	100
25.	Town Planning & Urban Management	100

Group-IV: (To select one subject of 100 marks only)

Code No.	Subjects	Marks
26.	History of Pakistan & India	100
27.	Islamic History & Culture	100
28.	British History	100
29.	European History	100
30.	History of USA	100

Group-V: (To select one subject of 100 marks only)

Code No.	Subjects	Marks
31.	Gender Studies	100
32.	Environmental Sciences	100
33.	Agriculture & Forestry	100
34.	Botany	100
35.	Zoology	100
36.	English Literature	100
37.	Urdu Literature	100

Group-VI: (To select one subject of 100 marks only)

Code No.	Subjects	Marks
38.	Law	100
39.	Constitutional Law	100
40.	International Law	100
41.	Muslim Law & Jurisprudence	100
42.	Mercantile Law	100
43.	Criminology	100
44.	Philosophy	100

Group-VII: (To select one subject of 100 marks only)

Code No.	Subjects	Marks
45.	Journalism & Mass Communication	100
46.	Psychology	100
47.	Geography	100
48.	Sociology	100
49.	Anthropology	100
50.	Punjabi	100
51.	Sindhi	100
52.	Pashto	100
53.	Balochi	100
54.	Persian	100
55.	Arabic	100

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