History of the USA attracted 3,140 candidates in CSS 2025 and allocated 34 of them, a solid allocation count for a high-volume subject. The paper sits a little above the passing line at 34%, just below the field average, so the heavy filtering happens at the merit stage rather than within the exam. With a large field and a reasonable number of seats, it is a competitive but workable choice for the well-prepared.
Punjab took 18 of the 34 seats, just over half, with Sindh Rural on 7 and KPK on 5, and the remainder spread thinly across several provinces. The distribution is reasonably broad and tracks the geography of CSS preparation rather than anything specific to the subject.
Women took 13 of the 34 seats, a 38% share that sits below the CSS-wide rate of 50.7%. The under-representation is notable, indicating that male candidates converted at a higher rate once they cleared the written stage in this subject.
History of the USA's mean of 34% trails the CSS optional-subject average of 43.5% by 9.5 points, placing it among the harder-scoring papers in the examination despite its popularity. Candidates often choose it expecting accessible, narrative-driven content, and the low mean suggests the marking is more demanding than that. Because it sits well below the field average, clearing 33% already lifts a candidate above most of the pack, but with 34 seats against more than three thousand applicants a bare pass is far from a guarantee. The realistic aim is to score clearly above the threshold the mean barely clears.
Of the 3,140 who appeared, 79 passed the written stage at a 2.52% pass rate, and 34 of those were allocated. With a mean of 34% just above the 33% threshold, the subject is marginally clear of being the bottleneck, and candidates who pass then lose just over half their number at the merit cut. The healthy allocation count reflects the subject's popularity feeding a steady stream of seats.
The mean of 34% clears the passing line by only a single point, and with the median of 36% sitting above it the distribution leans slightly to the left. A standard deviation of 13 points places a candidate one deviation below the mean at 21%, well short of passing, which marks this as a moderate-risk paper sitting close to the threshold. The narrow gap above the line means a weaker showing easily drops into failing territory, so preparation that lifts a candidate a few points clear is directly decisive. The paper is passable but unforgiving of a below-par effort. Statistically the median two points above the mean marks a left skew, where a minority of weak scripts drags the average down, so the typical candidate clears the line by slightly more than the thin mean suggests.
History of the USA is a competitive choice whose popularity outpaces its generosity, with a barely-above-threshold mean and a demanding marking profile. It rewards candidates with disciplined analytical command of the material who can write a few points clear of the line under pressure. The healthy allocation count makes it viable, but the notable gender gap and the low mean are reasons to attempt it from genuine strength.