Pros and cons of attempting CSS exams

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Introduction

In CSS 2022, 1.94% candidates passed and qualified for the next step in this seemingly never-ending procedure.

When millennials hear someone talking about “CSS” they assume it’s the programming language being discussed. It’s because the cascading style sheets language is relevant in 2023 and the central superior services Pakistan isn’t relevant anymore. It’s an outdated concept that doesn’t produce geniuses and merely generates obedient machines to follow the instructions given by corrupt people-elected politicians. Here are my two cents on CSS exams and why youngsters have stopped caring about them anymore.

A 2016 report shows that 82% of candidates fail in the English essay-writing paper, the hardest among available choices.

CSS exams 2023

When I was a child, my father used to tell me that the only way to escape the cycle of poverty in Pakistan was to pass the CSS exam. That’s how you could easily become a part of the elite, the intelligent bureaucrats running the whole country. I used to imagine graduating from a prestigious university to become eligible for passing this unique examination. Years passed and I did graduate but then didn’t really care about giving this exam.

In December 2022, I learned that the FPSC was holding two CSS exams in 2023. The first one will be held in February (30 days from now) as normal. But the second will be held in May and it’s going to be a special one. Since the FPSC is worried about the increasing number of unfulfilled government employment positions, they are allowing everyone to try one more time, even those who have failed thrice. And you know that you’re only given three chances to pass the exam.

However, I did some research about CSS and realized that it’s not worth it. It’s too much effort for a small amount of money. If you don’t know how CSS exams work then here are the steps involved:

1. You pass the MPT or the screening test. It was held in October 2022 and most candidates are successful in it.
2. You apply for the actual exam and send your application to Islamabad after filling an online form. (It sounds annoying!)
3. You appear in the exam and attempt 10–12 papers, 6 of which are compulsory. These papers test your competence in various subjects.
4. If you pass this difficult process then you appear for medical tests and a psychological evaluation. (They probably molest you in the name of medical tests!)
5. After passing these evaluation procedures, you are interviewed by a panel of boomers (those who passed it in the ‘70s) to ensure your personality is appropriate for running the country.
6. If you are selected by the panel then you are invited to go to Lahore where there’s an academy. You spend 6 months at that academy learning to act like a public servant (and living on meagre wages).
7. After you pass the academy, you are trained for the profession you have chosen. For instance, if you choose foreign services, you go to Islamabad for a year. It means you’re still on probation even after passing the exam.
8. In the end, you are finally allocated to your post and make 60,000 PKR or something. You retire in your sixties and get millions of rupees as retirement fund. Your children and grandchildren can then thank you for serving the country.

Pros of CSS exams

1. You get a house.
2. You get free healthcare.
3. You become a public servant.
4. You gain respect in society as a civil servant.
5. Since only the most hardworking individuals pass the exam, they become the cream of the nation.
6. You can retire early and many organizations will be glad to hire an experienced former public servant.
7. This job is secure and nobody can fire you. If you accept bribes then you can easily make decent money and live luxuriously.

Cons of CSS exams

1. Some papers are unbelievably difficult such as English essay, English composition, and Islamic studies.
2. You have to work under some stupid and dishonest politicians who don’t know anything about your department.
3. If you warn to avoid bribes then your colleagues won’t let you. So, it may get difficult to earn rizq-e-halal as a public servant. But it’s not always the case, to be honest.
4. Many students pass the exam but then get disqualified in other stages thereby making their entire journey futile. For instance, you can be disqualified by the boomers interviewing you.
5. The government can post you in another province and you have to relocate for the job. In some cases, they demand you serve some time in a different province as a learning experience, for example.
6. It’s too much effort for a small amount of money and you can easily make more money in private sector. Government officers were paid handsomely in the ’70s but then Bhutto decreased their salaries.
7. When you are on probation, you receive 30,000 PKR only. This stipend isn’t enough when you’re the only breadwinner in the family. I am a freelance content writer and make 90,000+ PKR monthly and that’s what I make after paying my taxes!

Conclusion

A recent survey shows that over one-third of Pakistani youngsters plan to leave the country and settle abroad.

There are many reasons why you should avoid pursuing government jobs. First, Pakistan isn’t doing well financially so you should help the country in some other manner instead of becoming a liability for an already suffering government. Secondly, you can help your family become wealthier by doing random jobs online. That’s how you may easily escape the cycle of poverty and even retire in your forties. Thirdly, instead of becoming a pencil-pusher under an unintelligent minister, you should establish a business and be your own boss. These three reasons are enough to demonstrate why pursuing a job via CSS exams is a futile attempt and not suitable for those who’ve embraced the 21st century.

…young people of Karachi and other urban cities are not interested in CSS as they prefer degrees in business administration, chartered accountancy, computer sciences, medicine, and engineering that could provide them lucrative jobs in the urban areas (Arif Mateen)… young people from Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur had the notion that the quota allotted to the urban areas was not enough so it was futile to appear for the CSS examination (Khalid Waheed) — CSS Forum