CSS Syllabus: Complete Subjects & Topic Checklist

Use this complete CSS syllabus checklist to understand what to study for Pakistan’s Central Superior Services examination. Start with the six compulsory written papers, select optional subjects totalling 600 marks under the FPSC group rules, and prepare separately for the MCQ-based Preliminary Test (MPT).

CSS exam structure at a glance

Open CSS subjects and past-paper practice or read the CSS examination overview.

How to choose a valid optional combination

Choose optional subjects totalling exactly 600 marks. Group I permits one 200-mark subject. Group II permits one 200-mark subject or two 100-mark subjects. Groups III, IV, V, VI and VII each permit one 100-mark subject. You do not have to choose from every group. Check the current FPSC rules before submitting your choices.

For example, International Relations (Group I, 200), Public Administration (Group III, 100), History of USA (Group IV, 100), Gender Studies (Group V, 100) and Sociology (Group VII, 100) total 600 marks. This illustrates the rules rather than recommending the same subjects to everyone.

Compare academic background, interest, ability to answer past-paper questions, syllabus size and access to reliable material. Try a written answer in each shortlisted subject before deciding. A claimed scoring trend cannot guarantee your result.

Find your subject quickly

Jump to a compulsory paper or one of the 45 optional subjects. Read your selected optional combination in depth.

Browse all subject checklists

• English Essay - 100 marks
• English Precis & Composition - 100 marks
• General Science & Ability - 100 marks
• Current Affairs - 100 marks
• Pakistan Affairs - 100 marks
• Islamic Studies - 100 marks
• Accountancy & Auditing
• Economics
• Computer Science
• Political Science
• International Relations
• Physics - 200 marks
• Chemistry - 200 marks
• Applied Mathematics - 100 marks
• Pure Mathematics - 100 marks
• Statistics - 100 marks
• Geology - 100 marks
• Business Administration
• Public Administration
• Governance & Public Policies
• Town Planning & Urban Management
• History of Pakistan & India
• Islamic History & Culture
• British History
• European History
• History of USA
• Gender Studies
• Environmental Sciences
• Agriculture & Forestry
• Botany
• Zoology
• English Literature
• Urdu Literature
• Law
• Constitutional Law
• International Law
• Muslim Law & Jurisprudence
• Mercantile Law
• Criminology
• Philosophy
• Journalism & Mass Communication
• Psychology
• Geography
• Sociology
• Anthropology
• Punjabi
• Sindhi
• Pashto
• Balochi
• Persian
• Arabic

A. COMPULSORY SUBJECTS - 600 MARKS

Everyone prepares these six papers, each worth 100 marks.

1. English Essay - 100 marks

FPSC does not prescribe a fixed list of essay topics. It tests your knowledge, reasoning, expression, and ability to organise an essay.

Prepare these writing skills:

• Understanding the topic and answering its exact demand.
• Creating a clear outline.
• Writing an introduction and thesis statement.
• Developing arguments in organised paragraphs.
• Supporting arguments with facts, examples, and evidence.
• Discussing opposing viewpoints where relevant.
• Connecting paragraphs logically.
• Writing a conclusion.
• Using accurate grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation.

Useful practice themes include education, governance, democracy, economy, technology, environment, society, international relations, and philosophical ideas. These are preparation themes, not a fixed FPSC topic list.

2. English Precis & Composition - 100 marks

The published syllabus gives this breakdown:

The syllabus allocates 15 marks to the precis and 5 to its title.

Your detailed English checklist should include:

• Precis: central idea, essential arguments, compression, paraphrasing, coherence, and title selection.
• Comprehension: main idea, supporting information, inference, meaning in context, and concise answers.
• Grammar: tenses, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, sentence structure, agreement, and punctuation.
• Vocabulary: synonyms, antonyms, phrasal verbs, and correct word choice.
• Sentence correction: grammatical errors, incomplete structures, unnecessary words, and incorrect punctuation.
• Confusing pairs: examples such as affect/effect, principal/principle, and complement/compliment.
• Translation: Urdu sentence structures, idiomatic expressions, appropriate English wording, and preservation of meaning.

3. General Science & Ability - 100 marks

General Science: 60 marks

Also cover biofuels, population planning, remote sensing, GIS, and environmental agreements.

General Ability: 40 marks

• Arithmetic, averages, ratios, rates, and percentages.
• Algebra, equations, sets, remainders, and rounding.
• Geometry, angles, and triangles.
• Random sampling.
• Logical reasoning and drawing conclusions.
• Analytical problem-solving.
• Verbal, numerical, mechanical, and social abilities.

4. Current Affairs - 100 marks

Prepare:

• Pakistan’s relations with India, China, Afghanistan, and Russia.
• Relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Turkey.
• Pakistan–United States relations.
• UN, SAARC, ECO, OIC, WTO, and GCC.
• International security and political economy.
• Human rights and population trends.
• Terrorism and counterterrorism.
• Climate change and environmental agreements.
• Energy politics.
• Nuclear proliferation, security, and South Asian nuclear politics.
• International trade and globalisation.
• Competition and cooperation in the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific.
• Development goals.
• Middle East crises.
• Kashmir and Palestine.

The published syllabus contains some older references. For preparation, understand their historical context and follow current developments under the same themes.

5. Pakistan Affairs - 100 marks

Prepare these topic areas:

• Ideology: meaning, historical background, Iqbal’s ideas, and Jinnah’s statements.
• Muslim reform movements: Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi, Shah Waliullah, Syed Ahmad Shaheed, Aligarh, Deoband, and Nadwah.
• Educational institutions: Sindh Madrassah and Islamia College Peshawar.
• Land and people: geography, society, natural resources, agriculture, industry, and education.
• Political development: democracy, political evolution after 1971, and civil–military relations.
• National integration: ethnicity, identity, and social cohesion.
• Constitution and law: constitutional amendments, legislation, important cases, and higher courts.
• Economy: economic challenges, Economic Survey, budgets, and major economic sectors.
• Social problems: poverty, education, health, and sanitation.
• Security: traditional and non-traditional threats, non-state actors, proxy wars, and sovereignty.
• Nuclear programme: development, safety, security, and international concerns.
• Foreign policy: national interest, regional role, and post-9/11 developments.
• Regional organisations: SAARC, ECO, and SCO.
• India: relations since 1947 and the Kashmir dispute.
• Afghanistan: war since 1979 and its effects on Pakistan.
• Other neighbours: relations and regional challenges.
• United States: Pakistan’s role in the War on Terror.
• Water and energy: domestic and regional water disputes, energy shortages, and their effects.
• Palestine: the issue and its relevance to Pakistan.

6. Islamic Studies - 100 marks

• Introduction to Islam: concept of Islam, Din, religion, beliefs, and fundamental practices.
• Worship: spiritual, moral, and social effects.
• Seerah: Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as an individual, diplomat, educator, military strategist, and peacemaker.
• Human rights: dignity, rights, and the status of women.
• Islamic civilisation: Tawhid, purification, equality, justice, tolerance, moral values, and rule of law.
• Islam and the world: Muslim civilisation’s influence, contemporary challenges, and extremism.
• Governance: public administration, responsibilities of officials, accountability, and Hisbah.
• Islamic systems: social, political, economic, judicial, and administrative systems.
• Ijma and Ijtihad: their meaning, procedures, and role.

Alternative for non-Muslims: Comparative Study of Major Religions - 100 marks

• Religion as a concept and academic discipline.
• Hinduism: history, scriptures, doctrines, deities, sects, caste, and reform movements.
• Buddhism: Buddha’s life, teachings, scriptures, schools, and development.
• Judaism: history, scriptures, beliefs, religious law, and traditions.
• Christianity: Jesus’s life, Bible, beliefs, denominations, and religious practices.
• Islam: origins, scriptures, beliefs, worship, and religious institutions.

B. OPTIONAL SUBJECTS - SELECT 600 MARKS

You only prepare your selected combination. Below is what each available subject covers.

GROUP I - 200 marks per subject

7. Accountancy & Auditing

Paper I:

• Accounting principles, concepts, assumptions, and conventions.
• Accounting cycle and financial statements.
• Quality and usefulness of accounting information.
• Accounting for different business organisations.
• Non-profit and public-sector accounting.
• Non-current tangible assets.
• Financial statement analysis.
• Cost accounting principles.
• Material, labour, and factory overhead accounting.
• Job and process costing.
• Management accounting for planning, decisions, and control.

Paper II:

• Auditing principles and procedures.
• Internal controls and audit evidence.
• Auditor’s duties, rights, and responsibilities.
• Pakistan’s taxation system.
• Income tax and sales tax.
• Business organisation and management.
• Finance and financial management.

8. Economics

Paper I:

• Microeconomics: consumers, firms, markets, and pricing.
• Macroeconomics: national income, employment, inflation, and policy.
• Money and banking.
• Public finance.
• International trade.
• Economic development.

Paper II: Pakistan’s economy

• Measuring development and underdevelopment.
• Economic planning.
• Agricultural policies and development.
• Industrialisation.
• Foreign trade and aid.
• Privatisation, denationalisation, and deregulation.
• Interest-free banking.
• Energy policy.
• Social-sector development.
• Major economic problems, including governance and corruption.

9. Computer Science

Paper I:

• Introduction to computing.
• Programming fundamentals.
• Object-oriented programming.
• Algorithms and data structures.
• Software engineering.
• Compiler construction.

Paper II:

• Computer organisation and architecture.
• Communications and networks.
• Operating systems.
• Database systems.
• Digital image processing.
• Web engineering and technologies.

10. Political Science

Paper I:

• Western political thinkers.
• Muslim political thinkers.
• State and political systems.
• Sovereignty, liberty, equality, rights, and related concepts.
• Comparative politics.
• Political participation.
• Political institutions.
• Forms of government.
• Political ideologies.
• Local government.

Paper II:

• Comparative political systems.
• Global and regional integration.
• Political movements in colonial India.
• Government and politics in Pakistan.
• Constitutional and political development.
• International relations.
• Foreign-policy determinants.
• Pakistan’s foreign-policy-making process.

11. International Relations

Paper I:

• Nature and scope of international relations.
• Major theories and approaches.
• International security.
• Strategic studies.
• International political economy.
• International political community.
• Peace and conflict resolution.
• International institutions.

Paper II:

• International relations between the world wars.
• Cold War and post-Cold War developments.
• International and regional organisations.
• Foreign policies of selected countries.
• South Asian politics and security.
• Weapons of mass destruction.
• Contemporary international issues.

GROUP II - Physics/Chemistry: 200 each; other subjects: 100 each

12. Physics - 200 marks

Paper I: mechanics, fluid mechanics, waves, oscillations, optics, heat, and thermodynamics.

Paper II: electricity, magnetism, modern physics, quantum physics, solid-state physics, and nuclear physics.

Prepare mathematical derivations, concepts, and numerical problems.

13. Chemistry - 200 marks

Paper I:

• Atomic structure and quantum chemistry.
• Electrochemistry.
• Thermodynamics.
• Chemical kinetics.
• Surface chemistry and catalysis.
• Chemometrics.
• Separation methods.
• Inorganic chemistry.
• Acids and bases.
• Transition and inner-transition elements.

Paper II:

• Organic chemistry fundamentals.
• Saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons.
• Aromatic compounds.
• Functional groups.
• Substitution and elimination reactions.
• Stereochemistry.
• Organic spectroscopy.
• Biomolecules and metabolism.
• Chemical industries.

14. Applied Mathematics - 100 marks

15. Pure Mathematics - 100 marks

• Modern algebra: groups, subgroups, rings, fields, vector spaces, matrices, transformations, determinants, and linear equations.
• Calculus: limits, continuity, differentiation, integration, Taylor’s theorem, partial derivatives, maxima/minima, and multiple integrals.
• Analytical geometry: conics, coordinate systems, planes, spheres, and other surfaces.
• Complex variables: analytic functions, Cauchy’s theorem, series, singularities, residues, and contour integration.
• Fourier series and transforms.

16. Statistics - 100 marks

• Descriptive statistics.
• Probability.
• Probability distributions.
• Regression and correlation.
• Non-parametric methods.
• Sampling and sampling distributions.
• Statistical inference.
• Experimental design.
• Population analysis and vital statistics.

17. Geology - 100 marks

• Physical geology.
• Stratigraphy and palaeontology.
• Mineralogy.
• Structural geology and tectonics.
• Petrology and petrography.
• Geophysics.
• Sequence stratigraphy.
• Petroleum geology.
• Engineering and environmental geology.
• Mineral and energy resources.
• Economic and applied geology.

GROUP III - 100 marks per subject

18. Business Administration

• Management: planning, organising, leadership, and control.
• Human-resource management.
• Financial management.
• Operations and supply-chain management.
• Marketing.

19. Public Administration

• Concepts, approaches, and context.
• Classical and contemporary administrative theories.
• Public-policy planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Budgeting and financial management.
• Human-resource management.
• Administrative law.
• Public-management skills.
• Pakistan’s civil service.
• Provincial and local government.
• Governance and administrative reform.
• Accountability and control.
• Administration and development.

20. Governance & Public Policies

• Governance concepts and theories.
• Governance indicators.
• Planning and policy institutions.
• Accountability.
• Bureaucracy.
• Policy formulation and implementation.
• Governance at different levels in Pakistan.
• Federalism, devolution, and decentralisation.
• Citizen participation.
• Good governance in Islam.

21. Town Planning & Urban Management

• Town-planning concepts and objectives.
• History of urban planning.
• Urban–rural differences and settlement hierarchies.
• Planning history in Pakistan.
• Managing urbanisation.
• Housing, communities, and economic development.
• Public policy and urban-design management.
• Sustainability and environmental planning.
• Urban information systems, GIS, and spatial analysis.

GROUP IV - 100 marks per subject

22. History of Pakistan & India

• Muslim rule and heritage, 712–1857.
• British rule, 1857–1947.
• Constitutional and political reforms.
• Muslim reform and independence movements.
• Pakistan Movement.
• Pakistan’s history after independence.
• Military governments.
• Separation of East Pakistan.
• Democratic governments and political parties.
• Pakistan’s foreign policy.

23. Islamic History & Culture

• Pre-Islamic Near East.
• Prophetic period.
• Rightly Guided Caliphs.
• Early Islamic political institutions.
• Development of Muslim civilisation.
• Umayyads.
• Abbasids.
• Muslim Spain.
• Crusades.
• Ottoman Empire.
• Sufism.
• Islam and modernity.

24. British History

• Glorious Revolution.
• Hanoverian period.
• Unions with Scotland and Ireland.
• Colonial system.
• French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.
• Industrial and agricultural revolutions.
• Robert Peel.
• Victorian and Edwardian periods.
• First World War and aftermath.
• Second World War and aftermath.
• Britain during the Cold War.
• Thatcherism through the Cameron period specified in the syllabus.

25. European History

• French Revolution and Napoleon.
• Concert of Europe.
• Liberalism, nationalism, and revolutionary movements.
• Eastern Question.
• Italian and German unification.
• Origins of the First World War.
• First World War and aftermath.
• European dictatorships.
• Second World War.
• Post-war reconstruction.
• Cold War Europe.
• European developments after 1991.

26. History of USA

• Colonial America.
• Independence.
• Territorial expansion.
• Constitution.
• Civil War.
• Industrialisation and rise as a world power.
• Progressive reforms.
• Great Depression and New Deal.
• World wars.
• United Nations and international organisations.
• Cold War.
• Civil Rights Movement.
• International conflicts and War on Terror.
• Pakistan–US relations.
• Presidential elections.
• Congress.
• Separation of powers and checks and balances.

GROUP V - 100 marks per subject

27. Gender Studies

• Gender Studies and Women’s Studies.
• Social construction of gender.
• Feminist theories.
• Feminist movements.
• Gender and development.
• Women’s status in Pakistan.
• Gender and governance.
• Gender-based violence.
• Prescribed case studies.

28. Environmental Sciences

• History of environmental thought.
• Sustainable development.
• Connections with other disciplines.
• Environmental pollution.
• Climate change.
• Environmental governance in Pakistan.
• International environmental agreements.
• Environmental impact assessment.
• Environmental management systems.
• Waste management and pollution control.
• Disaster management.
• GIS, remote sensing, and resource management.

29. Agriculture & Forestry

Agriculture:

• Integrated agriculture.
• Pakistan’s agricultural challenges.
• Climate and crop growth.
• Farming systems.
• Crop improvement and genetically modified crops.
• Seed production.
• Horticulture.
• Crop pests and diseases.
• Rainfed and irrigated agriculture.
• Mechanisation, land tenure, and reforms.

Forestry:

• Forests, rangelands, and wildlife.
• Forest management and silviculture.
• Forest products and industries.
• Range management.
• Wildlife conservation and ecotourism.
• Agroforestry and social forestry.
• Forest biometrics.
• Watershed management.
• Climate change.
• Forest laws and policies.

30. Botany

• Algae, fungi, and bryophytes.
• Pteridophytes and gymnosperms.
• Plant anatomy and embryology.
• Angiosperm taxonomy.
• Plant physiology.
• Ecology.
• Cytology.
• Genetics.
• Evolution.
• Molecular biology.

31. Zoology

• Invertebrate diversity.
• Chordates: fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
• Taxonomy and evolutionary relationships.
• Cells, tissues, and biomolecules.
• Genetics and inheritance.
• Ecology and conservation.
• Evolution and speciation.
• Support, movement, digestion, and nutrition.
• Circulation and respiration.
• Excretion and temperature regulation.
• Nervous and endocrine systems.
• Animal behaviour.

32. English Literature

This is a separate optional subject from compulsory English.

Prescribed works include:

• Essays: The Conquest of Happiness; Politics and the English Language; The Prevention of Literature; The Transcendentalist; Self-Reliance.
• Stories: The Lotus-Eater; A Somewhat Improbable Story; The Gift of the Magi.
• Drama: Hamlet; King Lear; Twelfth Night; The Way of the World; Pygmalion; Heartbreak House; The Caretaker; Waiting for Godot; Long Day’s Journey into Night.
• Novels: Far from the Madding Crowd; Sons and Lovers; Nineteen Eighty-four; A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man; Under the Net; The Scarlet Letter or The Sound and the Fury.

Use printed pages 68–69 of the official PDF for the complete poem selections.

33. Urdu Literature

• Development of Urdu language and literature.
• Literary movements and historical periods.
• Classical and modern poetry.
• Major prose forms and writers.
• Literary criticism.
• Analysis of prescribed poetry and prose.

The exact prescribed selections appear on printed pages 152–153 of the official PDF; prepare those selections alongside literary history.

GROUP VI - 100 marks per subject

34. Law

• Meaning and definitions of crime.
• Arbitration.
• Civil courts and their original/appellate jurisdiction.
• Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
• Pakistan Penal Code, 1860.
• Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984.
• Criminal Procedure Code, 1898.

35. Constitutional Law

• Nature and scope of constitutional law.
• Basic constitutional concepts.
• Comparative constitutional principles.
• Constitutional systems of the countries specified by FPSC.
• Pakistan’s constitutional history.
• Pakistan’s constitutional principles and institutions.
• Constitutional and legal developments.

36. International Law

• Nature, origins, and foundations.
• International law and domestic law.
• States and recognition.
• Treaties.
• Dispute settlement.
• International humanitarian law.
• Use of force.
• International institutions.
• Territory, jurisdiction, and sovereignty.
• State responsibility and succession.
• Individuals and international law.
• Economic interests.
• Diplomatic and consular representatives.
• Armed conflict and neutrality.

37. Muslim Law & Jurisprudence

• Sources of Islamic law.
• Principles of Islamic jurisprudence.
• Criminal law.
• Family law.
• Contract law.
• Islamic banking and insurance.
• Islamic international law.
• Human rights.
• Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939.
• Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961.

38. Mercantile Law

The published syllabus names:

• Contract Act, 1872.
• Sale of Goods Act, 1930.
• Partnership Act, 1932.
• Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.
• Competition Act, 2010.
• Electronic Transactions Ordinance, 2002.
• Arbitration law.
• Consumer protection.
• Companies Ordinance, 1984.
• Electronic Funds Transfer Act, 2007.

For preparation, distinguish the laws named in the syllabus from subsequent amendments or replacement legislation.

39. Criminology

• Nature and scope of criminology.
• Crime and criminals.
• Theories explaining criminal behaviour.
• Juvenile delinquency.
• Juvenile justice.
• Criminal justice institutions.
• Punishment and rehabilitation.
• Criminal investigation.
• Investigation techniques.
• Legal and ethical responsibilities.
• International policing organisations.
• Contemporary crime and criminology.

40. Philosophy

• Nature and branches of philosophy.
• Philosophical methods.
• Epistemology: knowledge, rationalism, and empiricism.
• Ontology: reality, idealism, realism, and materialism.
• Ethics and moral theories.
• Muslim thinkers.
• Contemporary philosophical movements.

Thinkers include Plato, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, Al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushd, Ibn Khaldun, and other figures specified by FPSC.

GROUP VII - 100 marks per subject

41. Journalism & Mass Communication

• Nature and development of mass communication.
• Communication theories.
• International communication.
• Media and society.
• Mass media in Pakistan.
• Development communication.
• Public relations.
• Media laws and ethics.

42. Psychology

• Nature, scope, schools, and approaches.
• Biological basis of behaviour.
• Sensation and perception.
• Learning and memory.
• Motivation and emotions.
• Psychological testing and assessment.
• Personality.
• Intelligence.
• Social influence and group behaviour.
• Development across the lifespan.
• Abnormal and clinical psychology.
• Industrial and organisational psychology.
• Health psychology.
• Forensic psychology.

43. Geography

Physical geography:

• Landforms and the processes shaping them.
• Internal and external Earth forces.
• Atmosphere and climate.
• Oceans and seas.
• Environmental and climatic change.
• Human effects on the environment.

Human geography:

• Culture and its geographic distribution.
• Agriculture.
• Population growth and structure.
• Settlements.
• Economic activities.
• Political geography and states.

44. Sociology

• Individual and society.
• Culture.
• Communities.
• Social interaction.
• Classes, caste, and social stratification.
• Social control.
• Social and cultural change.
• Public opinion.
• Rural and urban communities.
• Social institutions.
• Pakistan’s social problems.
• Sociological theories.
• Social research methods.

45. Anthropology

• Scope and branches of anthropology.
• Social anthropology.
• Social organisation and institutions.
• Urban anthropology.
• Sociocultural change.
• Ethnicity and race.
• Anthropological theories.
• Research methods and fieldwork.

46. Punjabi

• Punjabi language and literary history.
• Classical poetry.
• Modern poetry.
• Islamic literature.
• Creative prose: fiction, novels, drama, and essays.
• Prescribed texts and literary analysis.

Classical writers include Baba Farid, Shah Hussain, Sultan Bahu, Bulleh Shah, Waris Shah, and Mian Muhammad Bakhsh. Use printed pages 137–138 for the specified works.

47. Sindhi

• Sindhi language and its development.
• Literary history.
• Classical and modern poetry.
• Prose and literary genres.
• Major writers.
• Literary criticism and prescribed selections.

Use printed pages 141–144 for the exact topic wording and reading selections.

48. Pashto

• Origins, dialects, and alphabet.
• Grammar.
• Literary history and movements.
• Pashto culture.
• Historical and literary personalities.
• Translation from Pashto into English or Urdu.
• Translation into Pashto.
• Prose and poetry criticism.
• Classical poetry.
• Modern poetry.
• Folk literature.

49. Balochi

• Balochi language and literary development.
• Classical and modern literature.
• Poetry and prose.
• Cultural and literary traditions.
• Major writers and prescribed selections.

Use printed pages 39–40 for the precise syllabus and text requirements.

50. Persian

• Pre-Islamic languages: Avestan, Old Persian, and Pahlavi.
• Origins and development of modern Persian.
• Classical Persian literary history.
• Contemporary poetry and fiction.
• Persian literature outside Iran, including the subcontinent.
• Grammar.
• Essay writing in Persian.
• English-to-Persian translation.
• Prescribed prose and poetry.

Authors include Ferdowsi, Rumi, Saadi, Hafiz, Amir Khusro, Iqbal, and modern writers specified in the syllabus.

51. Arabic

• Pre-Islamic poetry and literary markets.
• Mu‘allaqat.
• Quranic eloquence and rhetoric.
• Influence of Quran and Hadith on literature.
• Early Islamic poetry.
• Umayyad poetry and ghazal.
• Abbasid poetry and prose.
• Andalusian literature.
• Modern drama, novels, short stories, and poetry.
• Literary criticism and oratory.
• Arabic literature in the subcontinent.
• Prescribed poetic selections.
• Syntax: sentence types, nouns, number, gender, and case endings.
• Morphology: roots, verb forms, transitive/intransitive verbs, and active/passive voice.

C. MPT - PRELIMINARY MCQ SYLLABUS

This is separate from the detailed written papers.

The qualifying threshold is 66/200 (33%).

Turn the syllabus into a preparation plan

1. Set up your checklist. Copy the compulsory topics and chosen optionals into a notebook. Add columns for first reading, short notes, practice, feedback and revision.
2. Diagnose your starting level. Attempt a comprehension passage, a precis, an essay outline, a numerical exercise and one question from each optional subject. Record the specific difficulties.
3. Study and produce an answer. Explain each topic from memory, prepare a factual outline, and write one relevant answer using definitions, examples and evidence.
4. Review mistakes. Separate missing knowledge, weak reasoning, grammar errors and timing problems. Fix the cause before repeating the question.
5. Revise cumulatively. Revisit earlier topics each week and attempt timed sections. Alternate objective practice with descriptive answers.

A practical weekly study routine

Adapt this example to your available hours. Reserve a daily English writing block, rotate compulsory and optional subjects, and keep a dated current-affairs notebook. This is a learning routine, not an official FPSC timetable.

Subject and topic preparation links

Use the related links beneath each checklist for existing topic practice. The CSS practice hub brings together matching exam topics and core subjects. Open practice quizzes for retrieval practice, then explain why each answer is correct.

Read the English grammar guide and the guide to using past papers. Official CSS past papers show the descriptive demand of a question. General subject MCQs provide supplementary revision.

Common preparation mistakes to avoid

• Preparing every optional subject instead of a valid 600-mark combination.
• Confusing the MPT syllabus with the written examination.
• Memorising facts without practising explanation, argument and comparison.
• Using undated statistics or unsupported quotations.
• Ignoring prescribed literary texts or subject-specific problems.
• Collecting material without revising and testing it.

For every completed topic, check whether you can explain the concept, use a relevant example and answer a question within the available time.