Islamabad: (Staff Reporter) – The federal government has rejected proposals to relax the eligibility criteria for the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination, deciding to retain the existing 30-year maximum age limit and three-attempt policy.
The Establishment Division turned down recommendations put forward by a sub-committee of the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, which had suggested raising the upper age limit from 30 to 35 years.
The parliamentary committee had also recommended increasing the number of opportunities available to CSS candidates from three to five. However, the Establishment Division described the proposals as impractical and submitted its position to the committee in writing.
According to the division, any changes to the CSS age limit or number of attempts fall under the federal government’s policy-making authority. The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) is responsible for conducting the examination in accordance with the policy approved by the government.
The Establishment Division said the FPSC, during its 174th meeting, decided to continue with the existing eligibility criteria.
Officials also cautioned that increasing the age limit could substantially expand the pool of CSS applicants, placing additional pressure on the examination system and increasing the workload associated with evaluating candidates’ papers.
Regarding additional attempts, the division maintained that allowing candidates to appear more frequently could encourage repeated participation and potentially result in the loss of several productive years.
The government also expressed concern that recruiting candidates at an older age could shorten their overall civil service careers, potentially affecting the availability of experienced officers for senior positions in the future.
With the latest decision, the existing 30-year age ceiling and three-attempt limit for the CSS examination will remain in place.
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