THIS is with reference to Junaid Khan’s letter “CSS exam: a civil servant’s view’ (June 3).

It is clarified that all segments of the CSS examinations, the annual competitive examinations conducted to recruit civil servants (BS-17), are devised, keeping in view the existing educational systems in the country, syllabi (graduation/post-graduation) of various subjects, the comfort level of candidates in terms of their academic specialisation and, possibly, the most effective mechanism to assess their capabilities vis-à-vis the advertised posts.

The scheme of CSS examinations consists of three parts: first, compulsory subjects; second, optional subjects; and third, psychological test and viva voce. Whereas, equal marks (600 in each case) are allocated to compulsory and optional subjects, the viva voce is assigned 300 marks, making the aggregate total of 1500 marks.

The rationale behind the three sets of tests is based on the FPSC’s endeavour to provide equal opportunities to candidates so as to determine their merit on the touchstone of equity, fairness and transparency. The compulsory subjects make the basic threshold for qualifying the examinations. They are meant to evaluate the common knowledge, academic and intellectual faculties and insight of the candidates. By the same token, through the viva voce, inter alia, candidates’ communication skills, analytical abilities and emotional stability are judged.

The FPSC offers a wide range of optional subjects, low-scoring as well as high-scoring, to be selected by candidates. The individual performance of the candidate in his choicest subjects must not cast any aspersions on the assessment of the examiners, as choice of optional subjects rests with candidates who have to weigh their options to score well in competitive examinations.

It is further clarified that the FPSC has always been responsive to the ever-changing scene of international education. Therefore, new subjects for graduate and postgraduate studies have been added to the syllabi of CSS examinations in recent years.

In 2007 the Commission hired the services of a consultant to study the civil service examination system of developed and neighboring countries and make recommendations. He reported that the FPSC’s current system, of assessment and evaluation of candidates’ suitability for posts of the Civil Service, being very comprehensive, was one of the best in reckoning.

It goes without saying that the conduct of CSS examinations is a very important undertaking of the FPSC. Over the decades, it has stood the test of time, and its stakeholders have always reposed confidence in its merit-oriented results. However, the FPSC would always welcome any plausible proposal towards improving its systems.

ABDUL SABOOR NIZAMANI Director-General, FPSC Islamabad