Hundreds of students preparing for the prestigious Central Superior Services (CSS) examination in 2025 have staged a protest, demanding the postponement of the exams until the results of the 2024 CSS exams are announced. The students, led by Khatib Khan and Mahmud Khan Rodhwal, held a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad to voice their concerns.

Their primary grievance centers around the lack of timely announcement of the CSS 2024 results, which they argue significantly impacts their preparation for the upcoming 2025 exams. Students claim the limited time provided for preparation, coupled with the unpredictable scheduling of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), creates an unfair and stressful environment.

The students highlighted several instances of exam delays, including a 41-day postponement of the 2025 CSS’s mandatory preliminary test (MPT). This delay, they contend, severely hampered their ability to adequately prepare for the written examination. They emphasized that past CSS results are crucial for refining preparation strategies and improving future performance. The FPSC typically announces results in October, but the delay this year is causing significant distress, particularly for older candidates. Candidates aged 29 and 30, for example, are ineligible for the 2026 exam due to age restrictions, leaving them with limited options if the 2024 results are not announced promptly.

Further compounding the issue, the students reported that the MPT for CSS 2025 was unusually difficult, resulting in over 10,000 failures. This, coupled with the already limited preparation time, disproportionately affects candidates from underserved areas like Balochistan and Sindh, who often face educational inequalities and struggle to balance MPT preparation with the subsequent written exam preparation. Many students from these regions face significant challenges in passing the MPT, leading to unfilled reserved seats in the past, according to FPSC records.

Adding to the students’ frustration, many received their MPT results as late as January 6th due to unexplained delays, causing significant mental stress and hindering their ability to prepare effectively. The FPSC’s inconsistent scheduling, including past delays for the CSS 2023 special exam (postponed three times and eventually held in October 2023) and the CSS 2022 exam (delayed until May 2022 due to the introduction of the MPT), has further fueled their concerns.

The students have formally requested the FPSC to postpone the CSS 2025 exams via email and hard copy submissions. They argue that the unpredictable scheduling, reminiscent of delays caused by political instability and high court directives in 2009, creates uncertainty and hardship, potentially wasting a valuable exam attempt for many candidates due to inadequate preparation time.

FPSC did not respond to a request from Aaj News for a comment.