The Establishment Division has rejected proposals to increase the age limit and number of attempts for the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination in Pakistan.
Under the current rules, candidates can appear in the CSS examination if they are between 21 and 30 years old. They are also allowed a maximum of three attempts to qualify for the examination.
The issue was recently discussed by a Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat. The committee was reviewing possible reforms to Pakistan’s civil service recruitment system.
During the discussion, the committee recommended increasing the maximum age limit for CSS candidates from 30 to 35 years. It also proposed increasing the number of attempts from three to five. Supporters of the proposals believe that these changes could give more candidates a chance to join the civil service.
However, the Establishment Division has rejected these recommendations. In its written response to the parliamentary committee, the division described the proposed changes as impractical.
The Establishment Division said that decisions about the CSS age limit and number of attempts are part of the federal government’s policy. It explained that the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) can only follow the rules and policies approved by the federal government.
The division also pointed out that the FPSC had discussed the matter in its 174th meeting and decided to continue with the existing policy. This means the age limit will remain 21 to 30 years, while candidates will continue to have three attempts.
According to the Establishment Division, increasing the age limit could result in a large rise in the number of CSS candidates. This could create additional pressure on the system, including the arrangements for conducting examinations and checking a larger number of answer papers.
The division also raised concerns about increasing the number of attempts. It said that allowing candidates to appear in the examination five times could encourage some people to continue trying for many years. This, according to the division, could result in candidates spending their most productive years repeatedly preparing for the CSS examination.
Another concern is the age at which successful candidates would enter government service. The Establishment Division said that if officers join the civil service at an older age, they would have shorter careers before reaching the normal retirement age.
This could affect the government’s ability to maintain a strong pool of experienced officers for senior positions in the future.
For now, the existing CSS rules will remain unchanged, with the age limit at 21 to 30 years and a maximum of three attempts.
