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Official CSS Competitive Examination syllabus by Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) for CE-2016 and onwards. All 52 subjects with detailed outlines, 213+ recommended books, and exam structure breakdown.
The CSS exam is divided into compulsory and optional sections. Candidates must attempt all 6 compulsory subjects and select optional subjects worth 600 marks from 7 groups.
6 subjects - 600 marks
7 groups - 600 marks
All candidates must attempt these 6 subjects worth 600 marks total.
High School English Grammar & Composition
by Wren & Martin
Practical English Usage
by Michael Swan
The Art of Precis
by L.G. Alexander
English Grammar in Use
by Raymond Murphy
Objective English
by SP Bakshi
Word Power Made Easy
by Norman Lewis
Everyday Science
by Akram Kashmiri
Science & Technology in the Contemporary World
by Ibrahim Khalil
Biology
by Campbell & Reece
Fundamentals of Physics
by Halliday & Resnick
General Science MCQs
by Caravan Publishers
Quantitative Aptitude
by R.S. Aggarwal
An Introduction to Environmental Sciences
by Rana & Sana
Computer Science
by French C.S.
Pakistan Studies
by Ikram Rabbani
Current Affairs - CSS
by Jahangir Books
Global Issues
by CQ Researcher
Monthly Dawn Magazine
by Dawn Group
Pakistan's Foreign Policy
by Abdul Sattar
The News International Archives
by Jang Group
Pakistan Studies
by Ikram Rabbani
Constitutional & Political History of Pakistan
by Hamid Khan
Pakistan: A Hard Country
by Anatol Lieven
The Idea of Pakistan
by Stephen Philip Cohen
Pakistan: Eye of the Storm
by Owen Bennett Jones
Government and Politics in Pakistan
by Mushtaq Ahmad
Pakistan's Foreign Policy
by Abdul Sattar
Struggle for Pakistan
by Ayesha Jalal
Islamiat for CSS/PMS
by Hafiz Karim Dad Chughtai
The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum)
by Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri
Islam and Modern Civilisation
by Maurice Bucaille
Sahih Bukhari
by Imam Bukhari
Key to Understanding Islam
by Various
Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam
by Allama Muhammad Iqbal
Choose optional subjects worth 600 marks from the following 7 groups. You can pick subjects from different groups.
Principles of Accounting
by M.A. Ghani
Financial Accounting
by Jaffar Hussain
Auditing
by A.H. Millichamp
Cost & Management Accounting
by Javed Zuberi
Microeconomics
by Robert Pindyck & Daniel Rubinfeld
Macroeconomics
by N. Gregory Mankiw
International Economics
by P. Krugman & M. Obstfeld
Pakistan Economic Survey (Latest)
by Ministry of Finance
The Economy of Pakistan
by Khawaja Amjad Saeed
Introduction to Algorithms
by Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest & Stein
Database System Concepts
by Silberschatz, Korth & Sudarshan
Computer Networks
by Andrew S. Tanenbaum
Operating System Concepts
by Silberschatz, Galvin & Gagne
Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach
by Stuart Russell & Peter Norvig
A History of Political Theory
by George Holland Sabine
Constitutional & Political History of Pakistan
by Hamid Khan
Political Thought from Plato to Present
by Ebenstein
Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia
by Ayesha Jalal
Studies in Muslim Political Thought and Administration
by H.K. Sherwani
Comparative Politics Today
by Gabriel Almond & G. Bingham Powell
World Politics: Trend and Transformation
by Charles W. Kegley Jr. & Eugene R. Wittkopf
Politics Among Nations
by Hans J. Morgenthau
The Globalization of World Politics
by John Baylis & Steve Smith
Theory of International Politics
by Kenneth N. Waltz
Pakistan's Foreign Policy: An Historical Analysis
by S.M. Burke
Nuclear Pakistan: Strategic Dimensions
by Zulfiqar Khan
The Making of Pakistan
by K.K. Aziz
The Sole Spokesman
by Ayesha Jalal
Pakistan or the Partition of India
by B.R. Ambedkar
Jinnah of Pakistan
by Stanley Wolpert
Pakistan: A Modern History
by Ian Talbot
India's Struggle for Independence
by Bipan Chandra
The Spirit of Islam
by S. Ameer Ali
A History of Muslim Philosophy (Vol. I & II)
by M.M. Sharif
The Preaching of Islam
by T.W. Arnold
History of Islam
by Akbar Shah Najeebabadi
The Cambridge History of Islam
by P.M. Holts, Bernard Lewis & Ann Lambton
Sirat-un-Nabi (Vol. I & II)
by Shibli Nomani
A History of the American People
by Paul Johnson
The American Pageant
by Thomas A. Bailey
A People and A Nation
by Norton et al.
A History of Britain
by Simon Schama
English Social History
by G.M. Trevelyan
History of England
by G.M. Trevelyan
A History of Modern Europe
by John Merriman
Europe: A History
by Norman Davies
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
by William L. Shirer
Public Administration (7th Ed.)
by Robert Denhardt
Public Administration (8th Ed.)
by David Rosenbloom
Evolution of Pakistan's Administration System
by Ralph Braibanti
Bureaucracy in Pakistan
by Charles H. Kennedy
Classics of Public Administration (7th Ed.)
by Jay Shafritz
Understanding Governance
by R.A.W. Rhodes
Governance and Politics of Pakistan
by Mohammad Waseem
Good Governance in the Era of Global Neoliberalism
by Munir Ahmad
Public Policy in the Asian Pacific
by Adam Ritchie
Governance Issues in Pakistan
by Anwar Shah
Constitutional & Political History of Pakistan
by Hamid Khan
Constitution of Pakistan 1973
by Government of Pakistan
The Crisis of State and Governance in Pakistan
by Hasan Askari Rizvi
Principles of Constitutional Laws
by Muhammad Munir
Criminology
by Larry J. Siegel
Criminal Justice: A Brief Introduction
by Frank Schmalleger
The Oxford Handbook of Criminology
by Mike Maguire et al.
Criminology and Penology
by N.V. Paranjape
Brownlie's Principles of Public International Law
by James Crawford
International Law
by Malcolm N. Shaw
Human Rights in International Law
by Sir Nigel Rodley
Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach
by James M. Henslin
Contemporary Sociological Theories
by Pitrim Sorokin
Masters of Sociological Thought
by Lewis A. Coser
Pakistani Society
by Akbar S. Ahmad
Sociology (10th Ed.)
by John J. Macionis
Sociological Theory
by George Ritzer
A History of Western Philosophy
by Bertrand Russell
Philosophy: The Power of Ideas
by Brooke Noel Moore & Kenneth Bruder
Elements of Moral Philosophy
by James Rachels
A History of Muslim Philosophy (Vol. I & II)
by M.M. Sharif
The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam
by Muhammad Iqbal
Introduction to Psychology
by R.C. Atkinson & E.E. Smith
Social Psychology
by Robert A. Baron
Abnormal Psychology
by A.M. Kring
Psychology
by David G. Myers
Life Span Development
by J.W. Santrock
Applied Industrial/Organizational Psychology
by M. Aamodt
Feminism and Its Discontents
by Mari Jo Buhle
Gender and Power
by R.W. Connell
Muslim Women and the Politics of Participation
by Mahnaz Afkhami
Gendering the Spirit
by Asghar Ali Engineer
Law and Society in Pakistan
by Shaheen Sardar Ali
The World Religions
by Huston Smith
A Comparative Study of Religions
by Y. Masih
Principles of Management
by Stephen P. Robbins
Financial Management
by I.M. Pandey
Marketing Management
by Philip Kotler
Human Resource Management
by Gary Dessler
Operations Management
by Jay Heizer & Barry Render
Introducing Town Planning
by Clara Greed
Contemporary Urban Planning
by J.M. Levy
Town Planning for the Third World
by A.K. Bhatti
Smart Cities
by Anthony Townsend
Advanced Engineering Mathematics
by Erwin Kreyszig
Mechanics
by Qaiser Mushtaq
Mathematical Methods
by S.M. Yusuf
Differential Equations
by Dennis G. Zill
Topics in Algebra
by I.N. Herstein
Calculus with Analytic Geometry
by S.M. Yusuf
Complex Variables
by Murray R. Spiegel
Mathematical Analysis
by Tom M. Apostol
Fundamentals of Physics
by Halliday & Resnick
Perspectives of Modern Physics
by Arthur Beiser
Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
by D. Griffiths
Solid State Physics
by Charles Kittel
Inorganic Chemistry
by Shriver & Atkins
Organic Chemistry
by Morrison & Boyd
Physical Chemistry
by Atkins & de Paula
Principles of Instrumental Analysis
by Skoog, Holler & Crouch
Biology
by Campbell & Reece
Botany: An Introduction to Plant Biology
by Mauseth
Plant Physiology
by Taiz & Zeiger
Molecular Biology of the Cell
by Alberts et al.
Integrated Principles of Zoology
by Hickman, Keen, Larson & Eisenhour
Biology
by Neil A. Campbell
Zoology
by Stephen A. Miller & John B. Harley
Evolution (2nd Ed.)
by Douglas Futuyma
Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists
by Walpole, Myers & Myers
Introduction to Statistical Theory (Part I & II)
by S.M. Chaudhry & S. Kamal
Design and Analysis of Experiments
by Douglas C. Montgomery
Mathematical Statistics
by John E. Freund
Physical Geology
by Plummer, McGeary & Carlson
Optical Mineralogy
by W.D. Nesse
Structural Geology
by Haakon Fossen
Manual of Mineral Science
by Cornelis Klein
Principles of Agronomy
by T.Y. Reddy
Soil Science
by Brady & Weil
Introduction to Forestry
by J.W. Toumey
Plant Pathology
by George N. Agrios
Environmental Science: A Global Concern
by William P. Cunningham
Environmental Science
by Miller & Spoolman
Fundamentals of Ecology
by E.P. Odum
Living in the Environment
by Tyler Miller
A History of English Literature
by Michael Alexander
The Norton Anthology of English Literature
by Stephen Greenblatt (ed.)
English Literature: Its History and Significance
by William J. Long
Literary Criticism: An Introduction
by Charles E. Bressler
Tarikh-e-Adab-e-Urdu
by Ram Babu Saxena
Urdu Adab ki Mukhtasar Tareen Tarikh
by Dr. Saleem Akhtar
Communication Theories (5th Ed.)
by Werner J. Severin & James W. Tankard Jr.
McQuail's Mass Communication Theory (4th Ed.)
by Denis McQuail
News Media and Journalism in Pakistan
by Altaf Khan
Journalism: Principles and Practices
by Vistaar Publications
Diffusion of Innovations (5th Ed.)
by Everett M. Rogers
Pakistan Penal Code, 1860
by M. Mahmood
Criminal Procedure Code, 1898
by Shaukat Mahmood
Law of Evidence
by Justice (R) Khalil-ur-Rahman Khan
The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
by Aamir Raza A. Khan
Law of Contract
by M. Mehmood Agarwala
Sales of Goods Act
by Pollock & Mulla
Bare Acts - Government of Pakistan
by Various
Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence
by Mohammad Hashim Kamali
Theories of Islamic Law
by Prof. Imran Ahsan Nyazee
Islamic Law of Contracts and Business Transactions
by Tahir Mansuri
Family Law in Islam
by Dr. Mohammad Tahir Mansuri
State and Legislation in Islam
by Dr. Mahmood Ahmad Gazi
Discovering Physical Geography
by Alan F. Arbogast
Human Geography
by De Blij & Murphy
Geography of Pakistan
by Fazle Karim Khan
Modern Physical Geography
by Strahler & Strahler
Cultural Anthropology
by Kottak
Political Anthropology: An Introduction
by Ted C. Lewellen
Social Anthropology
by E.E. Evans-Pritchard
Anthropology and the Colonial Encounter
by Talal Asad
Life and Works of Khushal Khan Khattak
by Dr. Khadeeja Feroz Ud Deen
The Pathans
by Sir Olaf Caroe
Selected Poems of Khushal Khan Khattak
by Major Raverty
History of Iranian Literature
by Jan Rypka
Iqbal Kamil (Urdu)
by Maulana Abdul Salam Nadvi
Shah Jo Risalo
by Kalyan Advani (ed.)
Sindhi Language and Literature
by Dr. Nabi Bakhsh Baloch
Common questions about the CSS exam syllabus, subjects, and preparation.
The CSS (Central Superior Services) exam syllabus consists of 1200 total marks divided into two sections: 6 Compulsory subjects worth 600 marks (English Essay, English Precis & Composition, General Science & Ability, Current Affairs, Pakistan Affairs, and Islamic Studies), and Optional subjects worth 600 marks chosen from 7 groups. Candidates select optional subjects to make up 600 marks from groups covering sciences, humanities, law, languages, and professional subjects. The syllabus has been in effect since CE-2016.
While 3 months is a very short time for CSS preparation, it is possible if you already have a strong academic background and focus entirely on smart preparation. You would need to prioritize compulsory subjects (especially English and Pakistan Affairs), choose optional subjects you are already familiar with, practice past papers daily, and dedicate 10-12 hours of focused study per day. However, most successful candidates recommend 8-12 months of dedicated preparation for a realistic chance of qualifying.
In CSS, you attempt 12 papers (not exactly 12 subjects). These include 6 compulsory subjects: (1) English Essay - 100 marks, (2) English Precis & Composition - 100 marks, (3) General Science & Ability - 100 marks, (4) Current Affairs - 100 marks, (5) Pakistan Affairs - 100 marks, (6) Islamic Studies - 100 marks. The remaining 600 marks come from optional subjects chosen from 7 groups, making the total 1200 marks across all papers. The exact number of optional papers depends on whether you pick 100-mark or 200-mark subjects.
Subject selection depends on your educational background, interest, and scoring potential. Popular high-scoring combinations include: (1) International Relations + Political Science for humanities students, (2) Sociology + Gender Studies for social science backgrounds, (3) Economics + Business Administration for commerce graduates, (4) Computer Science + Physics for engineering backgrounds. Key tips: choose subjects with overlapping content, pick at least one subject you are passionate about, check past pass rates, and consider the availability of study resources.
The CSS exam requires a minimum of 40% marks in each paper and 50% aggregate to qualify the written exam. Out of 1200 total marks, you need at least 600 marks overall. After the written exam, qualified candidates appear for a psychological test and viva voce (interview) of 300 marks. Final merit is based on the combined score of written exam and interview.
Yes, the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) conducts the CSS Competitive Examination annually. The exam is typically held in February, and applications open around September-October of the preceding year. Candidates must be between 21-30 years of age (with relaxation for certain categories) and hold at least a bachelor's degree from a recognized university.
Access free study outlines, subject guides, and preparation resources for all CSS exam subjects.