PMS Exam in Pakistan

What is PMS Exam?

PMS is a government service, like CSS, but its goal is to focus on provincial management. The provincial governments of Pakistan constituted it with the aim of enhancing the bureaucratic service framework in the provinces. After the announcement by S&GAD Punjab, the PMS was established in the province of Punjab on January 17, 2014. The Punjab province and other provinces are mostly administered by the Federal Bureaucracy, particularly the Pakistan Administrative Service (formerly known as the District Management Group or DMG).

What does PMS stands for in Pakistan?

PMS stands for Provincial Management Service (PMS). It is similar to CSS, which is a federal government recruiting commission, on the contrary, PMS is a provincial government service. The provincial governments of Pakistan are holding this competitive exam through their commissions, the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC), the Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC), the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission (KPSC), and the Azad Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission (AJKPSC). Candidates who take the exam must pass both the written exam and the psychology test, as well as an interview. Candidates who successfully complete their tests are subsequently given government positions as first-class officers (Grade 17). A person who passes these tests is known as a PMS officer. We will go over a comprehensive guide to the PMS exam for each province in detail.

PMS is made up of government officers who are appointed directly in Grade 17 following a competitive test administered by the Public Service Commission at the province level. PMS Officers appointed in Scale-17 are promoted to Scale-18, Scale-19, and Scale-20 under the notified Service Rules known as the PMS Rules of 2004. PMS Officers are commonly assigned to positions such as:

Section Officer
Assistant Commissioner
Magistrate
Deputy Secretary
Additional Secretary
DCO
DG
Commissioner
Secretary, or any other grade-appropriate position.

PMS Officers are a significant element of the province’s top-level administration, performing tasks at the Tehsil, District, Division, and Provincial levels in crucial positions.

Difference between PCS and PMS exam in Pakistan

In Pakistan, PMS stands for Provincial Management Service and PCS stands for Provincial Civil Service. Both are the same because the PCS service was integrated with the PMS service. PCS was divided into two tiers: PCS-Executive and the Provincial Secretariat Service. PCS Officers, like PMS Officers, were appointed via a competitive test administered by the Public Service Commission. Those with superior merit chose PCS-Executive, while the others entered the Secretariat Service. In 2004, these two groups (PCS-Exe and PSS) were merged into the Provincial Management Service (PMS), which comprises all positions previously held by PCS and PSS Officers. Furthermore, the number of postings for PMS Officers has grown.

Eligibilty Criteria for PMS Exam

PMS Exam Qualification Requirement

A graduate degree in any field with a minimum of a Second Division from a recognized university.
All Punjab residents, male, female, and transgender, are eligible to apply for the PMS Exam in Pakistan.
Eligible candidates include recent graduates and those who have already worked in the private or governmental sectors.

As per Government of the Punjab, S&GAD Notification No. SOR-III(S&GAD)1-25/94(P) dated 29-11-2012, Punjab Delegation of Powers (Relaxation of Age) Rules, 1961 shall not apply to the posts of the Government required to be filled through Combined Competitive Examination conducted by the Punjab Public Service Commission.

The cutoff date for determining the eligibility as far as age is concerned shall be the 1st January 2020. However, the candidate must fulfill and complete all other preconditions/ qualifications for the examination on or before the Closing Date as given in this Advertisement. The candidates will produce the original certificates at the time of Psychological Assessment and Interview to authenticate their claim in the application form.

PMS Exam Age Limit

The minimum age for candidates to the PMS exam is 21 years. This implies that the candidate must be 21 years old on the date the PMS Exam is advertised. The maximum age restriction is applying for PMS is 30 years. The candidate must be under 30 years old on the deadline for applying to the PMS test.

If a candidate works in government service, they are eligible for an age relaxation of up to five years. According to Punjab government guidelines, a special person is also granted an age relaxation of up to ten years. Furthermore, various provincial governments have policies regarding age relaxation.

PMS Exam Pattern

The PMS exam in Pakistan consists of two parts, a written exam, and an interview. The written test has multiple-choice questions, but the interview evaluates the candidate’s personality, communication skills, and leadership potential. Candidates who do well in both the written test and the interview are qualified for civil service. The marks for each test are as follows

Written Examination – 1200 marks (600 compulsory subjects, 600 optional subjects)
Viva voce/Interview – 200 marks

To prepare for the PMS test, applicants should familiarize themselves with the exam format and content. They should also work on expanding their general knowledge, honing their English language abilities, and mastering Maths. Furthermore, applicants should remain up-to-date with the current Pakistan affairs.

PMS Exam Syllabus

Each public service commission in the province has its own PMS Exam syllabus. However, the PMS test syllabus is largely identical, with just slight variations in courses. The PMS Exam consists of twelve subjects. Depending on the subjects you choose, each one is either 100 or 200 marks. Each candidate must take three optional topics (almost one from each category) for a total of 200 marks in addition to the mandatory courses. As a result, the written section of this test carries a total of 1200 marks.

PMS Exam Compulsory Subjects

No.	Subjects	Marks
1	English essay	100
2	English (Precise,Comprehension and Translation)	100
3	Urdu (Precise,Comprehension and Translation)	100
4	Islamic Studies /Ethics (For Non- Muslims Candidates)	100
5	Pakistan Studies	100
6	General Knowledge	100

PMS Exam Optional Subjects

In addition, you must select 3 optional courses from 7 categories offered by each provincial commission. This selection varies for each province but usually you can select atleast 3 or maximum of 6 optional subjects. Please keep in mind there can be limitations in selection of optional subjects. Kindly see official websites for each province.

Each of the subject has 200 marks and we have to select atleast 3 optional subjects that sums up to 600 marks for optional subjects. These subjects can contain a variety of topics, as seen below :

Group – 1	Group – 2	Group – 3	Group – 4	Group -5	Group – 6	Group -7
Commerce	Agriculture	Mathematics	Physics	Political Science	Philosophy	English Literature
Economics	Veterinary Science	Computer Science	Chemistry	History	Psychology	Urdu/Punjabi
Business Administration	Botany	Statistics	Geology	Law	Sociology	Arabic
Public Administration	Zoology	Priniciple of Engineering	Geography	Mass Communication	Social Work	Persian

Job Scope of PMS

Candidates who pass the PMS test must get the requisite training. The training takes roughly six months. This training is organized and provided by the Management and Professional Development Department.

Following that, these PMS officials are assigned as Assistant Commissioner Under Training. This appointment lasts roughly three months. These rookie PMS officials are then assigned to the Civil Secretariat for a two-year term. Following this rigorous training, the newly recruited trainee officials are assigned as Section officials (SO) in the Civil Secretariat’s General, Establishment, Planning, Technical, Litigation, Budget, and Inquiries departments.

They can also be appointed as field officers as follows :

Assistant Commissioner.
Deputy Director Anti-Corruption.
Sub-Registrar.
District Monitoring Officer.
Special Judicial Magistrate
General Revenue Assistant.

PMS Officer Salary

The salary for PMS officers might not be a lot but they have many benefits and privileges. The starting salary of PMS officer is atleast expected to be Rs. 35000 along with the various allownces and facilities which is equivalent to 60,000 to 80,000.

PMS Officer Promotion Scope

The promotion process often includes an assessment of the officer’s effectiveness in handling public affairs, keeping law and order, and enforcing government regulations. The officer’s educational credentials, such as a bachelor’s degree in any area and fluency in the local language, are also considered. Furthermore, holding extra qualifications, such as a law degree or a degree in public administration, might help in the promotion process.

According to the 18th amendment, PMS Officers in Punjab can apply for postings ranging from Basic Scale-17 to Scale-21. As per service rules, their appointment and promotion qualifications are as follows :

Scale – 17

50% of positions are filled through initial recruitment based on Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) recommendations and the results of a combined competitive test.
45% will be filled by promotions as follows with 50:50 ratio respectively :

For Tehsildars with five years of service and are graduates.
For Superintendents and Private Secretaries who are also graduates.

5% by merit selection from among public officials holding corresponding jobs on a regular basis in Basic Scale-05 to Basic Scale-16 with a Master’s Degree, Degree (4 years), or LLB from a recognized University functioning under the Government and having the following experience :

For Officials in Basic Scale-11 to Basic Scale-16 = 5 years,
For Officials in Basic Scale-05 to Basic Scale-10 = 08 years.

Note : The selection against this quota of 5% shall be made by the Punjab Public Service Commission.

Scale – 18

Promotion is based on seniority and fitness from PMS/Basic Scale-17 cadre members with at least five years of service and Prescribed Departmental Training/Exam.

Scale – 19

Promotions from PMS Officers holding posts in Basic Scale-18 and having at least 12 years of service against posts in Basic Scale-17 and above—of which at least 04 years of service should be in Basic Scale-18 following Prescribed Departmental Training/Examination—are used to fill 100% of the Basic Scale-19 positions. Selection is based on merit.

Scale – 20

Promotion from among PMS Officers holding posts in Basic Scale-19 and having at least 17 years of service against posts in Basic Scale-17 and above is used to fill 100% of the Basic Scale-20 posts. Of those, at least 3 years of service should have been in BS-19 following an Advance Training Course.

Scale – 21

Promotions from PMS Officers holding positions in Basic Scale-20 and having at least 22 years of service are used to fill 100% of the Basic Scale-21 posts. Promotions are made based on merit from among posts in Basic Scale-17 and higher, where at least two years of service must be in Basic Scale-20.

Conclusion

A candidate chosen through PMS services gets a privilege to work at prestigious national institutions. It is not a simple task to prove your performance as a PMS Officer. They must complete their in-service training and stay current with global and Pakistan affairs. But once you enter this career pathway you have a bright future in the Bureaucracy of Pakistan. In this article, we have covered PMS eligibility criteria, PMS curriculum, PMS officer salary and promotion scope, and all other pertinent details regarding the PMS exam in Pakistan.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

What is the PMS exam?

In Pakistan, candidates are sorted after for provincial management roles through a competitive exam called the PMS.

What does PMS stands for in Pakistan in context of examination?

PMS stands for Province Management Service, which is a competitive examination administered at the province level in Pakistan to choose candidates for administrative jobs in the provincial civil services.

Which authority conduct PMS exam ?

The PMS exam is conducted by the respective Provincial Public Service Commissions (PPSC) in each province of Pakistan.

What is the eligibility criteria for the PMS exam in Pakistan ?

A bachelor’s degree is a minimum requirement, as are age limitations, residency requirements, and other conditions. Criteria might vary by province.

What is the age limit appearing in PMS exam ?

The age restriction for the PMS exam differs by province and category. Generally, it runs between 21 and 30 years, with some flexibility for specific groups, such as government employees or candidates from underprivileged populations.

How often is the PMS exam conducted?

The PMS test is typically conducted on a yearly basis, however the frequency may vary based on the needs and openings in each province.

What is the exam pattern for the PMS exam?

The PMS exam is normally divided into two parts: a written test and an interview. The written test consists of compulsory and elective subjects selected by the applicant.

What are the compulsory subjects in the PMS exam?

The PMS exam normally includes required courses such as English Essay, English Precis and Comprehension, Pakistan Affairs, Islamic Studies/Ethics, General Knowledge and General Science.

Can candidate select optional subjects in the PMS exam?

Yes, candidates must choose optional subjects from a list provided by the provincial public service commissions. The number of optional subjects varies, although it normally 3 or 6.

How can I prepare for the PMS exam?

To prepare for the PMS test, students should focus on comprehending the curriculum, reading appropriate books and resources, practising previous years’ question papers, and taking coaching or online preparation courses as well.