FPSC Test Pattern in Pakistan: 100 Marks for BS-16 and BS-17, 0.25 Off per Wrong Answer
Check the FPSC test pattern by grade: 100 marks for BS-16 and 17, 200 marks above, 40% to 50% pass mark and 0.25 off per wrong answer. Plan your study now.
Short answer: Every FPSC general recruitment test for BS-16 and above is MCQ based. BS-16 and BS-17 get one paper of 100 marks in 100 minutes with a 40% pass mark. BS-18 and above get 200 marks in 200 minutes. Each wrong answer costs 0.25 marks.
Many candidates prepare for the wrong paper. A BS-17 applicant studies the heavy syllabus meant for a BS-19 post, or a teaching candidate skips the English part. The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) prints the pattern in its General Instructions, and it is easy to read once it is laid out.
We read the General Instructions, updated on 12 August 2026, on 14 October 2026. Below is the pattern for each group of posts, with the pass mark and the penalty for a wrong answer.
BS-16 and BS-17 posts sit one 100-mark MCQ paper
For BS-16 and BS-17, all posts get a single MCQ paper of 100 marks. The time is 100 minutes. The passing threshold is 40%, which is 40 marks, and a wrong answer carries negative marking of 0.25 marks.
MCQ means multiple choice question, where you tick one answer from several. FPSC does not say how many questions make up the 100 marks on this page, so check the syllabus for your case. Every case has a syllabus on the FPSC website, and the latest consolidated advertisement listed there is 03/2026, dated 21 August 2026.
BS-18 and BS-19 posts use a 200-mark paper in two parts
From BS-18, the paper is 200 marks in 200 minutes. It splits into Part-I and Part-II. You must score 40% in each part, not only in total. The split of the parts depends on the type of post, as the table shows.
| Post type (BS-18 and BS-19) | Part-I | Part-II |
|---|---|---|
| Doctors | Core courses of MBBS, 50% | Field of specialization, 50% |
| General management posts | English 20%, public administration, office management, HRM, financial management and IT 30% | Professional, 50% |
| Teaching posts | English 20%, teaching methodology 30% | Subject, 50% |
| Professional posts such as engineers | English 20%, general intelligence 30% | Professional, 50% |
All four rows carry a 40% pass mark in each part and the same 0.25 negative marking. Half of every paper is about your own field. So the best use of study time is the Part-II subject, then English.
BS-20 and BS-21 posts need 50% in each part
For BS-20 and BS-21, all posts sit a 200-mark paper in 200 minutes. Part-I is English at 20% and rules and public finance topics at 30%. Part-II is a job oriented test at 50%. The pass mark is higher, at 50% in each part.
The rules topics named by FPSC are the Constitution, the Rules of Business, the Civil Servants Act and its rules, public finance, budget matters, and the role of the Principal Accounting Officer and the head of the department. A senior candidate should treat these as the base of the paper.
Negative marking is 0.25 for every wrong answer
FPSC applies negative marking of 0.25 per wrong answer in every grade. A blind guess is a risk, because each wrong answer lowers your score. Leave a question blank if you have no idea, and guess only when you can drop at least one option.
- Answer the questions you know well first.
- Mark a second round for the questions where you can drop two options.
- Leave the rest blank unless your pass mark is in danger.
- Use a black ball pen on the OMR sheet. Ink pens, gel pens and pointers are not allowed.
The pen rule and the time rule are in the FPSC exam day rules. Bring the downloaded certificate too, as shown in how to download your FPSC admission certificate. FPSC also posts notices that change the rules for a test, such as when it allowed calculators in some Phase 3 tests.
Large cases are tested in batches
If more than 20,000 applications come in for a case, FPSC holds the test in batches. It sets a different paper of the same difficulty for each batch. The result is still one merit list for the case.
Assistant Private Secretary posts in BS-16 are different. They get a combined test of typing, computer literacy and shorthand. A candidate must first pass the typing test with 90% accuracy, and only then move to shorthand and computer literacy.
FPSC also does not allow re-checking. Its instructions say no request for re-evaluation or re-checking of marks will be entertained under any circumstances. OMR sheets are kept for one year only and then destroyed. After the test, the result list shows pass and fail names in order of merit, but not the marks. Marks appear in the final result after the interview. To read that list, see how to check your FPSC result, merit list and marks sheet.
Common questions
What is the pass mark in the FPSC test?
It is 40% for BS-16 and BS-17, and 40% in each part for BS-18 and BS-19. For BS-20 and BS-21 it is 50% in each part.
Is there negative marking in FPSC tests?
Yes. FPSC takes off 0.25 marks for each wrong answer, in every grade covered by its General Instructions.
How long is the FPSC paper?
It is 100 minutes for the 100-mark paper of BS-16 and BS-17, and 200 minutes for the 200-mark paper of BS-18 and above.
Are FPSC tests all MCQ based?
Yes. The instructions say the test of all posts shall be MCQ based, with typing, shorthand and computer tests added for some posts like Assistant Private Secretary.
Can I ask FPSC to recheck my marks?
No. FPSC says no request for re-evaluation or re-checking of marks will be entertained under any circumstances.
Where do I find my syllabus?
On the FPSC syllabus page, listed by consolidated advertisement number. Open the PDF for your advertisement and case.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 14 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the FPSC General Instructions updated on 12 August 2026, which cover the type of tests for BS-16 and above, and the FPSC syllabus page. We did not open each syllabus PDF, so topic lists for a single case may be more detailed than the table above. The advertisement and its syllabus for your post decide the final pattern. Confirm on fpsc.gov.pk before you start your preparation.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
