On this page 6 sections
How are academic marks weighted in PPSC merit? From 1 January 2026, they are not weighted at all: academic marks carry zero weight in PPSC merit. Merit is now written test 80% plus interview 20% only. This guide explains the formula for each body, with worked examples, and why NTS has no single formula of its own.
Merit is the score that ranks you against every other candidate. Each body calculates it differently, and the rules changed in 2026. Our merit list guide explains how to find and read a merit list; this guide explains the numbers behind it.
Merit at a Glance#
| What | Answer |
|---|---|
| PPSC (from 1 Jan 2026) | Written 80% + interview 20% |
| PPSC academic marks | Zero weightage |
| PPSC written pass | 40% minimum |
| CSS final merit | Written 1,200 + viva 300 = 1,500 |
| FPSC interview | 200 marks, qualifying 101 and up |
| NTS jobs | No single formula: the body sets it |
PPSC: Written 80% + Interview 20%#
The formula is: Final merit = (written score x 0.8) + (interview score x 0.2). Both scores are percentages. A written score of 72% and an interview score of 80% gives 72 x 0.8 + 80 x 0.2 = 57.6 + 16 = 73.6 out of 100.
Academic marks were abolished from 1 January 2026. PPSC Chairman Lt. Gen. (retd) Muhammad Abdul Aziz announced the reform in November 2025: merit is now determined solely by the written examination and the interview. Your Matric, Inter, Bachelor’s and Master’s marks no longer affect your PPSC merit at all. Additional marks for research work and non-clinical experience were discontinued at the same time.
The written test is 100 MCQs in 90 minutes, worth 100 marks. You need 40% minimum to qualify: 40 marks out of 100. There is negative marking of 0.25 per wrong answer, so guessing costs you. If you score below 40%, you do not reach the interview at all.
Worked examples show what the 80/20 split means. Written 85% and interview 60% gives 68 + 12 = 80.0. Written 90% and interview 50% gives 72 + 10 = 82.0. The interview carries only 20%: a perfect interview cannot rescue a weak written score, and a weak interview costs little if your written score is strong. Put your preparation time where the marks are: the written test.
PMS has its own thresholds. For the Provincial Management Service, you need 40% in each subjective paper and 50% in the aggregate (600 marks) to qualify for the interview, then 50% in the interview to be eligible for the final merit list. Our PPSC online apply guide explains how to apply.
The old formula is history. Before 2026, PPSC merit used a 200-mark aggregate: academic marks worth 40, the written test worth 100 scaled to 50%, and the interview worth 100 with a 50% minimum to qualify. That formula no longer applies to any exam held after 1 January 2026. Do not use old merit calculators that still add your academic marks.
FPSC and CSS: Written 1,200 + Viva 300#
CSS final merit is written 1,200 plus viva 300, a total of 1,500 marks. The written examination is 12 papers worth 1,200 marks, and the viva voce is worth 300 marks. A candidate with 780 in the written and 210 in the viva scores 990 out of 1,500, which is 66.0%. A candidate with 650 and 180 scores 830 out of 1,500, which is 55.3%.
The FPSC interview is 200 marks, with a qualifying score that rises by grade. You need 101 marks for BS-16 and BS-17, 111 for BS-18, 121 for BS-19, 131 for BS-20, and 141 for BS-21 and BS-22. Below the qualifying score, you do not make the final list however strong your written marks are.
FPSC general screening tests need 50% minimum. That is the qualifying threshold for the screening test itself, before the interview stage.
CSS seats are then allocated by quota. The federal quota is: Merit 7.5%, Punjab including Islamabad 50%, Sindh 19%, NWFP 11.5%, Balochistan 6%, Northern Areas and FATA 4%, and AJ&K 2%. Women get 10% from the provincial and regional shares, except the merit quota. Your merit position decides your place in the queue; your domicile decides which quota queue you stand in. Our FPSC online apply guide explains the application process.
NTS: There Is No Single Formula in Pakistan#
NTS does not set the merit formula for jobs. NTS only conducts the test and reports your marks. The recruiting body sets the weightage in its own regulations, and it varies by post and by project. Any calculator that claims one NTS job formula is wrong.
Real examples show how much it varies. For a KP-TEVTA Administrator post in BPS-18, the formula was: Academic 36 + NTS 50 + Higher Relevant Qualification 06 + Interview 08, a total of 100. For a BPS-17 Administrator post, it was: Academic 40% + NTS 20% + Higher Relevant Qualification 03 + Presentation 29 + Interview 08. The same body used different weights for different grades.
The KP-STEVTA formula adds academic marks by grade. Academic marks are counted out of 36 or 40 depending on the BPS of the post, NTS weightage is 20% of the obtained marks, and higher qualification adds 2 marks per step above for BPS-18 posts and 1 mark per step for BPS-17 and below. Worked example for the BPS-18 formula: academic 30 out of 36, NTS 40 out of 50, higher qualification 4 out of 6, interview 6 out of 8 gives 80 out of 100.
Read your advertisement. The formula is printed in the advertisement or the project’s own document. If it is not there, the recruiting body’s regulations state it. Never assume the weights from another post, another body, or a university admissions formula.
University admissions formulas are not job formulas. NUST uses Matric 10% + Intermediate 15% + Entry Test 75%, COMSATS uses Matric 10% + Intermediate 40% + Test 50%, and FAST uses Matric 10% + Intermediate 50% + Test 40%. Those are for university admission, not for government jobs, and they do not apply to a job’s merit list.
From Test to Final List in Pakistan#
Stage 1: the written test. You sit the test, and the testing body marks it. For PPSC, 40% is the pass line; for FPSC screening, 50%. Below the line, you are out.
Stage 2: shortlisting for interview. Only candidates above the pass line are called, usually the top few per post. Your written score is already fixed at this point: it will carry 80% of your final PPSC merit.
Stage 3: the interview. The interview adds the remaining 20% for PPSC, or 300 of the 1,500 marks for CSS. For FPSC, you must also clear the interview qualifying score for your grade.
Stage 4: the final merit list. The body combines the scores by its formula, applies the quota, and publishes the list. That is the list our merit list guide shows you how to check.
Frequently Asked Questions#
How are academic marks weighted in PPSC merit?
From 1 January 2026, academic marks carry zero weight in PPSC merit. Merit is written test 80% plus interview 20% only. Before 2026, academic marks were worth 40 out of a 200-mark aggregate, but that formula no longer applies to any exam held after 1 January 2026.
What is the PPSC merit formula for 2026?
Final merit = (written score x 0.8) + (interview score x 0.2), both as percentages. You must score at least 40% in the written test to qualify for the interview. For PMS, you need 40% in each subjective paper, 50% in the aggregate, and 50% in the interview.
How is CSS merit calculated?
CSS final merit is the written examination (12 papers, 1,200 marks) plus the viva voce (300 marks), a total of 1,500 marks. Seats are then allocated by the federal quota: Merit 7.5%, Punjab including Islamabad 50%, Sindh 19%, NWFP 11.5%, Balochistan 6%, Northern Areas and FATA 4%, AJ&K 2%.
What is the NTS merit formula for government jobs?
There is no single NTS formula for jobs. NTS only conducts the test and reports marks; the recruiting body sets the weightage. For example, a KP-TEVTA BPS-18 post used Academic 36 + NTS 50 + Higher Qualification 06 + Interview 08, while a BPS-17 post used Academic 40% + NTS 20% + Higher Qualification 03 + Presentation 29 + Interview 08. Read your advertisement for the formula that applies to your post.
What is the passing percentage for the PPSC written test?
40% minimum: 40 marks out of 100 on the single-paper test. There is negative marking of 0.25 per wrong answer. FPSC general screening tests need 50% minimum.
