International Relations
International Relations drew 3,564 candidates in CSS 2025, yet only 16 of them were allocated, an overall conversion of 0.45% that ranks among the lowest of any major subject. The paper is considerably harder than its popularity would suggest, because with a mean of 31.5% the average candidate does not even clear the passing threshold. This is a subject where heavy demand runs straight into a genuinely difficult paper.
Subject vs CSS Average
International Relations' mean of 31.5% trails the CSS optional-subject average of 43.5% by 12 points, which places it among the harder-scoring optionals despite all its visibility. Many candidates pick it expecting an accessible, current-affairs-friendly paper, and the data flatly contradicts that assumption. Because the subject sits below the field average, simply clearing 33% already puts a candidate ahead of most of the pack, yet with just 16 seats set against more than three and a half thousand applicants even a passing mark is far from a safe outcome. The realistic aim is to score well into the upper half of the distribution rather than to scrape over the line.
Candidate Pipeline
Of the 3,564 who appeared, just 53 cleared the written stage at a 1.49% pass rate, and 16 of those were ultimately allocated. Because the mean of 31.5% sits below the 33% threshold, the primary bottleneck is the paper itself, with most candidates failing International Relations before overall merit ever enters the picture. The further fall from 53 passers to 16 allocations shows a second filter operating at the merit stage, but the bulk of the attrition happens inside the paper.
Score Distribution
At 63 of the 200 available marks the mean works out to 31.5%, just shy of the passing line, and with the median at 32% sitting marginally above it the distribution is close to symmetric with a slight left lean. The standard deviation of 20 marks, around 10 percentage points, stretches the band of typical performance from 21.5% at the lower end to 41.5% at the upper, so it straddles the threshold rather than sitting cleanly on either side. That makes it a high-risk paper to score in, since the average candidate fails and only those who beat the cohort mean push into passing territory. Its reputation as a comfortable, popular pick is not borne out by the figures, because this is a paper most candidates do not clear.
Provincial Breakdown
For such a popular subject the allocations were unusually evenly spread, with Punjab taking 5 of the 16 seats and Balochistan, KPK and Sindh Rural each securing 3, leaving Sindh Urban with 2. That flat distribution, which largely dissolves the usual Punjab dominance, reflects how few candidates manage to clear the paper in any single province.
Gender Distribution
Women took only 4 of the 16 seats, a 25% share that falls well short of the CSS-wide female allocation rate of 50.7%, and all four of those allocations came from Punjab. In a pool this small that amounts to a clear under-representation, with female candidates converting at roughly half the rate their overall presence in the examination would lead you to expect.
International Relations is a high-risk choice whose popularity tends to mask the danger, combining a hard paper, a sub-threshold mean and only 16 allocations out of thousands of hopefuls. It suits candidates with a deep, analytical grasp of the field who can write above the cohort under pressure, rather than those drawn in by its profile or its assumed accessibility. The pronounced gender gap and the very low conversion rate are further reasons to take it on only from a position of real strength.
At a 1.5% written pass rate, International Relations tracks close to fellow Group-1 subjects Accountancy & Auditing (0.8%) and Computer Science (2.3%).
Want to see how International Relations stacks up against the rest? Browse every CSS 2025 subject result →
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the pass rate for International Relations in CSS 2025?+
In CSS 2025, 3,564 candidates appeared for International Relations and 53 cleared the written exam — a written pass rate of 1.49%. Of those who passed, 16 went on to be allocated a group, an overall selection rate of 0.45% of everyone who appeared.
How well do candidates typically score in International Relations for CSS?+
International Relations candidates scored a median of 32.0% of the paper's marks in CSS 2025 (median 64 out of 200; mean 31.5%), rating it "Low Scoring".
How competitive is International Relations for CSS allocation?+
53 candidates cleared the written stage for International Relations in 2025, and 30% of them were allocated a group — a "High 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.