CSS 2027 Schedule and How to Apply on the FPSC Portal

The CSS 2027 route has two stages. First the MPT screening test on Saturday 10 October 2026, then the written exam. FPSC's tentative schedule puts the written exam advertisement on 8 November 2026, online applications from 10 to 25 November, the hard copy deadline on 4 December and the written papers from 27 January 2027. Only MPT passers can apply for the written part.

Those dates come from two Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) notices. The first is an advance public notice of 5 July 2026 that set the whole CSS 2027 schedule. The second, dated 19 August 2026, moved the MPT from 27 September to 10 October because of a protest announced for 27 September.

We read both notices, the MPT notice of 2 August 2026, the CSS Competitive Examination Rules, 2019 and FPSC's application pages on 26 September 2026. FPSC calls the written exam dates tentative, so treat them as a plan, not a promise, until the 8 November advertisement is out.

CSS 2027 schedule from FPSC

CSS 2027 runs from the MPT in October 2026 to the written exam starting on 27 January 2027. MPT applications closed on 20 August 2026. The written exam advertisement is due on 8 November, with online applications open for 16 days after that.

One thing to note: FPSC's 5 July PDF still shows the old MPT date of 27 September. The later notice of 19 August replaced it. The details of that change, and what to do with your admission certificate, are in the MPT date change.

The MPT is a 200-mark MCQ test with a 33 percent pass mark

The MPT (MCQ-based Preliminary Test) is one paper of 200 multiple choice questions in 200 minutes. You pass with 33 percent, which is 66 marks. The fee was Rs 250. A pass counts only for the same year's written exam.

These rules come from rule 10A of the CSS Competitive Examination Rules, 2019, added by S.R.O. 1510(I)/2021. The marks are split like this:

• Islamic Studies, or Civics and Ethics for non-Muslims: 20 marks
• Urdu: 20 marks
• English: 50 marks
• General Abilities, such as arithmetic, algebra, geometry and reasoning: 60 marks
• General Knowledge, including everyday science, current affairs and Pakistan affairs: 50 marks

The MPT itself has no cap on attempts. But a candidate who has already used three chances at the CSS competitive examination cannot apply for the MPT at all. And passing the MPT does not guarantee anything if you turn out to be ineligible for the written exam that year.

Who is eligible for CSS 2027

You need at least a Bachelor's degree in second division. You must be between 21 and 30 years old on 31 December 2026. Some groups get two extra years. No one gets more than three chances at the CSS exam.

FPSC's MPT notice of 2 August 2026 sets 31 December 2026 as the cutoff date for age, qualification, domicile and every other condition. So your degree result must be out by then, not just your final exam.

Rule 6(2) of the CSS Rules gives the two-year age relaxation to these groups, each with a certificate:

• Scheduled caste and Buddhist candidates
• Recognised tribes from Balochistan and the listed tribal areas
• Permanent residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir
• Permanent residents of Gilgit-Baltistan
• Candidates with a physical, hearing, speech or visual disability
• Government servants, armed forces personnel and contract employees with two years of continuous service on the cutoff date, with departmental permission

Staff of nationalised banks, the State Bank, WAPDA, regulators and autonomous bodies do not get the relaxation. FPSC admits everyone provisionally "at their own risk", so a candidate found ineligible later loses the whole result, even after passing. Keep your domicile certificate and degree ready now.

How to apply online for the CSS 2027 written exam

Apply on FPSC's online portal with the same login you used for the MPT. You generate a 16-digit PSID, pay the fee through 1-Link, finish the form, then post a signed hard copy with documents. FPSC has not yet published the 2027 written exam notice.

The steps below follow FPSC's notice for the CSS 2026 written exam, which is the closest official model. Check each one against the 2027 advertisement when it comes out on 8 November.

1. Open fpsc.gov.pk and click "Apply Online". Log in with your MPT login and password.
2. Complete your profile and generate the 16-digit PSID for the fee.
3. Pay through 1-Link: an ATM, a mobile banking app such as Easypaisa or JazzCash, internet banking or any 1-Link member bank counter.
4. Log in again and finish the form: optional subjects, occupational groups and exam centre.
5. Check the form shows under "Application History". Then print it, sign it and send it with attested copies of your degrees, CNIC and domicile, plus four photographs.

Paying the fee alone does not submit your application. FPSC's 2026 notice says this in plain words, and it is the step people skip. The old TR-6 challan, cheques, bank drafts and pay orders are not accepted.

For CSS 2026 the written exam fee was Rs 2,200, and the CSS Rules list the same figure. The 2027 fee will be in the 8 November advertisement, and we will not guess at it before then.

What MPT candidates should do before 10 October

Download your admission certificate from FPSC's website now, check your centre and keep your original CNIC and fee receipt with it. Your centre cannot be changed. Then prepare for the written exam form, which opens about a month after the MPT.

FPSC posted the MPT admission certificates on 24 September 2026. The page asks for your name and CNIC. Under rule 10A, you need your original CNIC, the original fee receipt and the admission certificate to enter the hall.

If your CNIC has expired, renewing your CNIC takes priority over revision this week. Nobody will let you in on a photocopy.

After the test, FPSC publishes the MPT result on its website only. It does not send letters. Pick your written exam optional subjects early, because FPSC's rules say a subject choice is final once the application closes.

What can still change in the CSS 2027 schedule

Every written exam date for CSS 2027 is tentative. FPSC's 5 July notice uses that word, and it has already moved the MPT once. The binding dates will be in the written exam advertisement due on 8 November 2026.

Last year shows how far the dates can move. The CSS 2026 written exam notice was dated 7 December 2025 and set the start for 4 February 2026. The 2027 plan brings the notice about a month earlier and the first paper about a week earlier.

FPSC says it does not send individual letters about schedules or results. Check its notices page once a week until January. If you are also applying for other federal posts, government jobs online follow a similar PSID process on the same portal.

Common questions

When is the CSS 2027 written exam?

From 27 January 2027, according to FPSC's tentative schedule of 5 July 2026. The final date will be in the advertisement due on 8 November 2026.

What is the age limit for CSS 2027?

21 to 30 years on 31 December 2026. Some groups, such as candidates from AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan and government servants with two years' service, get two more years.

What is the CSS MPT pass mark?

33 percent, or 66 out of 200 marks, under rule 10A of the CSS Competitive Examination Rules, 2019.

Can I apply for the CSS 2027 written exam without passing the MPT?

No. Only candidates who pass the MPT of the same year can apply for the written exam.

How many attempts are allowed in CSS?

Three. A candidate who has used three chances cannot even apply for the MPT. Sitting any one paper counts as a chance.

Last checked and sources

Last checked on 26 September 2026. The full CSS 2027 schedule is from FPSC's advance public notice No.F.2/1/2026-CE of 5 July 2026, which calls it tentative. The new MPT date is from FPSC's notice of 19 August 2026. The degree, age, cutoff date, 19 cities and Rs 250 MPT fee are from FPSC's MPT notice of 2 August 2026. The MPT format, pass mark, three-chance bar and entry documents are from S.R.O. 1510(I)/2021. Age relaxation, the attempt rule and the fee schedule are from the CSS Competitive Examination Rules, 2019. The application steps and the Rs 2,200 fee are from FPSC's CSS 2026 written exam notice of 7 December 2025. All are published on the FPSC website. The admission certificate listing is from FPSC's CSS exam schedule, dated 24 September 2026.