The website of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) encountered an unexpected error on Saturday afternoon, which is likely to take its toll on thousands of CSS aspirants.

According to details, the website has run into PDOException. This error occurs whenever the handling of a database connection or a query goes wrong.

Here is a screenshot of the error which the FPSC’s website ran into:

What makes this development significant is the fact that thousands of CSS aspirants face the prospect of not being able to appear in the written part of the CSS examination next year.

It is likely to happen because the FPSC had introduced a mandatory MCQ-based screening test prior to the written CSS exam earlier this year in October and the deadline to apply for the screening test is 15 December.

Since aspirants are required to apply only through FPSC’s website, they are unable to do it because of the error. Moreover, the FPSC office remains closed on weekends and its IT teams are expected to get to work on Monday, 13 December.

In case FPSC fails to sort out the error by 15 December and it doesn’t extend the deadline for submitting applications for the MCQ-based screening test, thousands of aspirants fear that their years-long efforts to clear CSS exams could go in vain.

FPSC’s official response on the matter is yet to be released.

Source: Pro Pakistani