The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) has announced a major change in its recruitment process. In its 175th meeting, the Commission decided to replace all descriptive (written) tests with objective multiple-choice questions (MCQs) for posts ranging from BS-16 to BS-21 under General Recruitment.
According to the official notification, this new policy will take effect from September 21, 2025 (Consolidated Advertisement No. 04/2025). The decision aims to bring uniformity, transparency, and efficiency to the testing system.
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Key Details of the New Policy:
- BS-16 & 17 (All Posts):
- One MCQ-based paper of 100 marks.
- Passing threshold: 40% in each paper.
- Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer.
- BS-18 & 19:
- Doctors: Two MCQ-based papers of 100 marks each (40% passing).
- General Management Posts: Two MCQ-based papers of 100 marks each (40% passing).
- Teaching Posts: Two MCQ-based papers of 100 marks each (50% passing).
- Professional/Technical Posts: Two MCQ-based papers of 100 marks each (40% passing).
- Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer in all categories.
- BS-20 & 21 (All Posts):
- Two MCQ-based papers of 100 marks each.
- Passing threshold: 50% in each paper.
- Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer.
Implications for Candidates
The FPSC’s decision means that candidates will no longer attempt lengthy descriptive answers. Instead, they will be evaluated purely on objective MCQs, making preparation strategies more focused on accuracy and speed. However, with negative marking introduced, candidates will need to answer carefully to avoid losing marks for wrong attempts.
This move is seen as a step toward modernizing recruitment examinations and aligning them with international testing standards. It is also expected to reduce subjectivity in marking and ensure a fairer evaluation process.
