How to Choose CSS Optional Subjects
On November 9, 2025, the CSS MCQs-based Preliminary Test (MPT) was conducted nationwide for CSS 2026. Thousands of aspirants appeared in this MPT test. As per the announced schedule for CSS 2026 by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), applications for the written exams by qualifying candidates will be submitted from December 15 to 30, 2025. According to the announced schedule, the written exams of the CSS 2026 will be held on February 4, 2026. During the submission of applications for the written examination of the CSS, qualifying candidates are provided an opportunity to select 6 optional subjects. However, most of the candidates face difficulty while selecting optional subjects for the CSS written examination. The purpose of writing this article is to discuss various aspects that a CSS aspirant must keep in mind while opting for elective subjects.
Consider Your Interest in the Subject
A CSS aspirant must keep different aspects in mind while opting for CSS optional subjects. One of the major aspects that an aspirant must keep in mind is their interest in that particular subject. If an aspirant is not interested in a subject, they will find it difficult to study that subject, making it a hard choice for the aspirant. Many CSS aspirants ignore this aspect during subject selections for CSS. However, this becomes one of the major reasons for their failure in the CSS examination. Therefore, a CSS aspirant must thoroughly read the course content of a subject before opting for it.
Evaluate Course Length and Content
Another major aspect that a CSS aspirant must keep in mind while selecting subjects is that they must analyze how extensive the course content of a subject is. In CSS, many optional subjects have similar scores but are lengthier than the others. For example, both public administration and gender studies have a total of 100 marks. However, public administration is a lengthy and boring subject. This leads many aspirants to score lower or face failure in the CSS written examination, as they could not prepare the whole subject within the provided time.
On the other hand, gender studies has concise course content. Therefore, it needs less time to prepare, providing ample time for CSS aspirants to prepare for other subjects. Hence, considering the length of an optional subject’s course content is essential while opting for CSS optional subjects.
Analyze Scoring Trends and Competition
Considering the scoring trends of CSS optional subjects is also essential while choosing them. It has been frequently observed that CSS aspirants score higher in some particular subjects than others. However, this scoring trend keeps changing over some undeclared but observed criteria. It has been observed by experts that the FPSC’s marking criteria become strict when the majority of the aspirants keep choosing the same subject for years.
Therefore, many students who opt for an elective subject, considering merely its scoring trend, get lower marks than expected. In addition, many aspirants also give less time and attention to the subjects that have a high scoring trend, leading to fewer marks or failure. In addition, aspirants also need to keep track of the number of aspirants opting for that particular subject in the last few years; it is also important to gain higher marks.
Assess Subject Nature and Overlaps
Another major aspect that CSS aspirants need to keep in mind is the nature of the optional subjects. Many CSS optional subjects are highly open-ended, while others are closed-ended. For instance, in Group 2 of CSS optional subjects, international relations and political science have mixed scoring trends. However, the questions asked in the international relations CSS paper are mostly open-ended, while the political science CSS paper questions are mostly closed-ended, making the former more difficult than the latter to attempt effectively. Therefore, CSS aspirants find it difficult to score higher in international relations as compared to political science in the CSS written exams.
Moreover, aspirants also need to evaluate which optional subjects overlap with other compulsory or optional subjects. In CSS, the content of many subjects overlaps with other CSS optional or compulsory subjects. For example, the course content of international relations highly overlaps with the contents of English essay, current affairs, Pakistan affairs, US history, and international law. Similarly, the course content of political science also overlaps with English essay, constitutional law, current affairs, governance and public policy, US history, and Pakistan affairs exams. This helps the aspirants to kill two birds with one stone, saving significant time and energy while preparing for CSS written exams.
Conclusion: Strategic Preparation beyond Subject Choice
In sum, CSS aspirants need to consider different aspects while opting for CSS optional subjects. However, merely choosing high-scoring or overlapping does not guarantee success in the CSS. One needs to effectively learn paper-attempting techniques to gain higher marks in CSS exams. In addition, aspirants also need to comprehend that all the CSS subjects need a different approach while attempting the question paper.
Additionally, aspirants must allocate sufficient time and attention to each compulsory and optional subject to succeed in the CSS written exams. Moreover, consulting relevant books and reading daily newspapers is key to success in CSS.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
Muhammad Hamza Tanvir is a political analyst specialising in South Asian and Middle Eastern affairs. His work focuses on religious nationalism, regional security, and minority rights. He has been featured in Stratheia, Pakistan Today, Pakistan Observer, and the Asian Mirror. He is also working as a research analyst and political commentator for Paradigm Shift and contributes to the monthly magazine of Nearpeer