English Literature
English Literature produced no allocations in CSS 2025, with its pipeline failing at the written stage. Of the 68 candidates who appeared, none cleared the written paper, so none advanced toward a seat. Set against a small field, that clean sweep of failure makes the subject one of the riskier optional choices on offer.
Subject vs CSS Average
English Literature's mean of 32% trails the CSS optional-subject average of 43.5% by around 11 points, placing it among the weaker-scoring papers in the examination. The gap below average is real, but it is overshadowed by the harder fact that the subject produced no written passes and no allocations among its 68 candidates. For anyone weighing it up, the 32% mean is best read not as 'almost passable' but as confirmation that this is a difficult paper that, in 2025, rewarded no one.
Candidate Pipeline
All 68 candidates who appeared failed the written stage, leaving zero passers and zero allocations. Because the collapse occurred within the paper rather than at the later merit cut, the subject stopped its entire field before aggregate scorecards were ever considered, which is the most severe form the funnel can take.
Score Distribution
The mean of 32% lands just a point below the 33% passing threshold, and with the median slightly lower at 30% the distribution carries a thin upper tail doing most of the work of holding the average up. A standard deviation of 20 points is wide for a mean this modest, so the scores ran from very low to comfortably above the line rather than clustering, which marks this as an unpredictable paper to score in. That high-risk profile fits the outcome, since the typical candidate fell short and even the stronger ones could not convert their marks into a pass. A strong script was possible here, but it was clearly the exception rather than anything a candidate could count on.
Provincial Breakdown
No provincial allocation data recorded
No province secured an allocation, because the subject allocated no one. With all 68 candidates stopped at the written stage, geography had no bearing on a result that was nil everywhere.
Gender Distribution
No gender breakdown available — no candidates were allocated in this subject.
No gender breakdown exists, since not a single candidate was allocated. English Literature offered no path to a seat in CSS 2025 for any candidate, whatever their gender or preparation.
English Literature is a sensible choice only for candidates with a genuine command of the literary canon and the analytical writing it demands, and even they should note the 2025 outcome. Sixty-eight candidates attempted it and not one was allocated. A small candidate pool can look like an opportunity, but here it is closer to a warning that the subject seldom produces a successful result.
68 candidates sat English Literature — a turnout close to fellow Group-5 subjects Botany (90) and Urdu Literature (136).
Want to see how English Literature stacks up against the rest? Browse every CSS 2025 subject result →
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the pass rate for English Literature in CSS 2025?+
In CSS 2025, 68 candidates appeared for English Literature, but none cleared the written exam — a 0% written pass rate for the year. With no qualifiers, no candidate was allocated a group through English Literature in 2025.
How well do candidates typically score in English Literature for CSS?+
English Literature candidates scored a median of 30.0% of the paper's marks in CSS 2025 (median 30 out of 100; mean 32.0%), rating it "Low Scoring".
How competitive is English Literature for CSS allocation?+
No candidate cleared the written stage for English Literature in 2025, so the subject produced zero allocations that year — the toughest possible outcome, independent of how the paper itself was marked.
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.