Physics drew 292 candidates in CSS 2025 and allocated 4 of them, an overall conversion of just over 1%. The paper sits a little below the field average at 40%, though above the passing line, so the scarcity of allocations reflects a thin written pass and a hard merit cut. Only six candidates cleared the written stage from the full field.
Of the four allocated candidates, one was a woman and three were men, a 25% female share in a sample too small to generalise from. The figure simply records the outcome for four individuals.
Physics' mean of 40% trails the CSS optional-subject average of 43.5% by 3.5 points, placing it modestly below the field. The gap is minor and overshadowed by the subject's thin written pass and four allocations from 292 candidates. For a prospective candidate, the near-average mean matters far less than the reality that very few cleared the paper to a competitive standard, amid an unusually wide scoring spread.
Of the 292 who appeared, 6 passed the written stage and 4 of those were allocated. With a mean of 40% above the 33% threshold, the paper is not the principal barrier, yet the low written pass count shows how few candidates reached a passing standard in this technical subject. The good conversion of written passers into seats suggests the merit stage was relatively forgiving for the rare candidates who cleared the paper.
At 40% of the 200 available marks the mean clears the passing line, and the median, close behind at 42% of max, sits near it, suggesting a balanced distribution. The standard deviation of 43 marks, around 21.5 percentage points, is exceptionally wide, placing a candidate one deviation below the mean at 18.5%, deep into failing territory. This is a moderate-risk paper where the average candidate passes but the very large spread drops a substantial share well below the line. In a technical subject with this much volatility, accuracy across the whole paper is what keeps a candidate safely above the threshold. Statistically the small gap between a 42% median and a 40% mean reflects a mild left skew, where the weakest scripts pull the average down a touch, so the middle candidate scores just above the headline mean.
Punjab took 3 of the 4 seats, with Sindh Urban taking the fourth. With only four allocations there is little distribution to interpret beyond the usual concentration in Punjab.
Physics suits candidates with a strong scientific foundation who can deliver accurate, complete solutions under exam pressure, and even they should note how few succeeded in 2025. Four allocations from 292 applicants is a slim record. The very wide scoring spread rewards genuine technical command and punishes partial preparation severely.