Anthropology
Anthropology proved to be one of the hardest optional subjects to clear in CSS 2025. Of the 883 candidates who sat it, only 7 made it through the written stage and just 5 were eventually allocated, an overall conversion of barely half a percent. What sets this subject apart is where the failure happens: the bottleneck is not the final merit cut but the paper itself, which the average candidate simply does not pass.
Provincial Breakdown
The five allocations were split between just two provinces, with Sindh Rural taking three seats and Punjab the other two, while KPK, Balochistan, Sindh Urban and the rest drew a blank. That near-total absence of geographic spread is less a story about provincial strengths than a simple consequence of how few candidates clear this paper anywhere in the country.
Gender Distribution
Women accounted for three of the five allocated seats, a 60% share that runs ahead of the CSS-wide figure of 50.7%, though with a sample this small the percentage is too fragile to lean on. The more meaningful point is simply that three women cleared a paper that almost no one else managed to pass.
Subject vs CSS Average
At 21%, Anthropology's mean trails the CSS optional-subject average of 43.5% by more than 22 points, one of the widest shortfalls anywhere in the examination. This is not a subject where candidates score near the average and then lose out on merit; it is one where merely clearing the paper at all places you in the top sliver of the field. The five who were allocated did not just edge past the average, they reached a scoring band that was effectively out of reach for everyone else. For practical purposes the 43.5% benchmark is irrelevant here, because the real challenge is crossing 33% at all, something more than 99% of candidates failed to do.
Candidate Pipeline
Out of 883 candidates only 7 cleared the written paper, a pass rate of 0.79%, and 5 of those 7 went on to be allocated. Since the mean score of 21% falls so far below the 33% threshold, the collapse is plainly a matter of subject difficulty rather than overall merit, because the vast majority are failing Anthropology's own paper long before the merit stage ever becomes relevant.
Score Distribution
The mean of 21% sits a full 12 points beneath the passing threshold, and with the median resting at exactly the same value the distribution is essentially symmetric, so there is no cluster of high scorers quietly lifting the average. Because the standard deviation is only 8 points, a candidate one standard deviation above the mean still reaches just 29%, and one below sinks to 13%, which means the entire band of typical performance falls below the line. This is about as severe a scoring profile as the examination produces, since even a clearly above-average effort leaves a candidate short of passing. To clear Anthropology you do not need to be slightly better than the field; you need to be exceptional by the standards of everyone sitting it.
Anthropology is worth attempting only for candidates with real expertise in the discipline and a proven ability to write to a high standard under exam pressure, rather than as a quiet bet on thin competition. The modest number of applicants does nothing to make it easier, and the figures show it to be among the most punishing papers in the lineup to clear. For anyone underprepared, committing an optional slot to this subject comes close to wasting it outright.
883 candidates sat Anthropology — a turnout close to fellow Group-7 subjects Psychology (847) and Sindhi (834).
Want to see how Anthropology stacks up against the rest? Browse every CSS 2025 subject result →
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the pass rate for Anthropology in CSS 2025?+
In CSS 2025, 883 candidates appeared for Anthropology and 7 cleared the written exam — a written pass rate of 0.79%. Of those who passed, 5 went on to be allocated a group, an overall selection rate of 0.57% of everyone who appeared.
How well do candidates typically score in Anthropology for CSS?+
Anthropology candidates scored a median of 21.0% of the paper's marks in CSS 2025 (median 21 out of 100; mean 21.0%), rating it "Low Scoring".
How competitive is Anthropology for CSS allocation?+
7 candidates cleared the written stage for Anthropology in 2025, and 71% of them were allocated a group — a "Low Competition" level for the available seats. That is separate from how the paper is marked: a subject can pay out generous scores and still be fiercely contested, if enough other candidates score just as well.
How many marks are CSS optional subjects worth, and how are they chosen?+
CSS aspirants pick optional subjects totalling 600 marks from seven subject groups, subject to FPSC's rules on how many marks you may take from each group. Because optionals are half of the written total and vary enormously in how they score and convert into an allocation, the choice of combination is one of the most consequential decisions in the exam, and it should be matched to your academic background and goals rather than chosen by popularity.
Where should I start my CSS preparation?+
Start with CSSNorthStar. Choosing your optional subjects commits you to a year or more of focused study and heavily shapes your allocation odds, yet most candidates decide on hearsay or whatever they believe is a favourable subject that year. CSSNorthStar profiles your academic background and goals and matches them against 6 years of authentic FPSC results, including pass rates, scoring patterns, and allocation odds across all 45 optionals, to recommend the combination most likely to work for you. Settle your subjects first, then prepare with conviction. Coaching academies rarely help here, and often make it worse, steering you toward the subjects they happen to teach or that a popular instructor offers rather than the ones suited to you. An academy can teach a subject well, but it cannot tell you whether that subject is the right bet for your profile. Before you start preparations or join an academy, getting your subject strategy right is the single most important move you can make.
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Sheharyar Ahmad
Founder, CSSNorthstar
Sheharyar Ahmad graduated from LUMS with BSc. (Hons.) in 2010 and topped the CSS Exam 2012 on his first attempt. He is an officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, having served in Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab, and Federal governments. He was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a Master in Public Policy and Data Analytics from USA in 2022.