Welcome to our comprehensive collection of CSS Computer Science Past Papers from 2016 to 2024. You can download these past papers for free in PDF format, offering a valuable resource for anyone preparing for the CSS examination.
CSS Computer Science past papers are crucial whether you’re just starting your preparation or have already begun. These papers provide key insights into the types of questions, topics frequently covered, and the overall format of the CSS exam.
They help you approach the CSS Computer Science paper with confidence and a clear strategy.
CSS Computer Science Past Papers I
- Computer Science Past Paper I – 2024
- Computer Science Past Paper I – 2023
- Computer Science Past Paper I – 2022
- Computer Science Past Paper I – 2021
- Computer Science Past Paper I – 2020
- Computer Science Past Paper I – 2019
- Computer Science Past Paper I – 2018
- Computer Science Past Paper I – 2017
- Computer Science Past Paper I – 2016
CSS Computer Science Past Papers II
- Computer Science Past Paper II – 2024
- Computer Science Past Paper II – 2023
- Computer Science Past Paper II – 2022
- Computer Science Past Paper II – 2021
- Computer Science Past Paper II – 2020
- Computer Science Past Paper II – 2019
- Computer Science Past Paper II – 2018
- Computer Science Past Paper II – 2017
- Computer Science Past Paper II – 2016
CSS Optional Subject Group I
Group I of the CSS optional subjects includes the following subjects, each carrying 200 marks:
- Accountancy & Auditing
- Economics
- Computer Science
- Political Science
- International Relations
Let’s focus on the pros and cons of each subject and help students who want to choose Computer Science understand their options.
1. Accountancy & Auditing
- Pros:
- A good option for those with strong math skills and an interest in finance.
- Scoring subject if you understand accounting and financial reports well.
- Cons:
- Not ideal for those without a background in accounting or finance.
- Requires a lot of practice with calculations and understanding complex financial rules.
- Who should opt for it?:
- Students with backgrounds in Accounting, Business, or Finance.
Read More: CSS Accountancy & Auditing Past Papers
2. Economics
- Pros:
- Helps understand how economies, markets, and governments function.
- Great for students interested in trade, businesses, and financial policies.
- Cons:
- Some math and graph-based problems can be challenging for those without a strong grasp of the subject.
- Needs a mix of theoretical knowledge and math skills.
- Who should opt for it?:
- Students who have studied Economics, Commerce, or Business Studies.
Read More: CSS Economics Past Papers
3. Computer Science
- Pros:
- Ideal for tech-savvy students who enjoy programming, coding, and understanding computer systems.
- A scoring subject if you have good command over programming languages, algorithms, and computer networks.
- Useful in a world that’s rapidly moving toward technology, with high demand for IT skills in both public and private sectors.
- Cons:
- Not the best choice if you don’t have a background in technology or find coding difficult.
- Requires continuous learning, as technology keeps changing, so staying updated is crucial.
- Who should opt for it?:
- This subject is perfect for students with Computer Science, IT, or Engineering backgrounds. If you’ve studied coding, algorithms, databases, or computer networks, this subject is a great fit for you.
4. Political Science
- Pros:
- Helps understand political systems, governments, and how countries operate.
- Good for students interested in politics, law, and governance.
- Cons:
- Requires a lot of reading and memorizing of political theories and systems.
- Needs strong critical thinking and writing skills.
- Who should opt for it?:
- Students with backgrounds in Political Science, Law, or History.
5. International Relations
- Pros:
- Great for understanding global issues, diplomacy, and foreign affairs.
- Useful for students interested in Pakistan’s international relations and foreign policy.
- Cons:
- Requires a lot of reading and keeping up with current international events.
- Needs strong analytical and writing skills.
- Who should opt for it?:
- Best for students who have studied International Relations, Political Science, or History.
Why Choose Computer Science?
Computer Science is the best choice for students who love technology, enjoy problem-solving, and are comfortable with programming and technical concepts.
It’s a scoring subject if you have strong skills in coding, software development, computer networks, and algorithms.
If you have studied Computer Science, IT, or Software Engineering, or if you have a solid understanding of computers, programming, and technology, this subject will play to your strengths and can help you score well in the CSS exam.
Syllabus for CSS Computer Science
Paper-I (100 Marks)
Section-A (50 Marks)
I. Introduction to Computing
Introduction to Information Technology and Computers, History of Computing, Computer HW and SW Details, Computer System Components and Communication System, Input & Output devices and their types, Storage Media and their types, Types of Computers Hardware, Software, and Programming languages, Information Representation & Number Systems, User interfaces, Major Software Issues, Creation, formatting, and maintenance of Computer documents, Usage of Word processors, Spread sheets, Power-Point, Email, Search Engines, Browsers, Messengers, and Internet , Computers & Society, Information Security/Privacy, Computer Crimes and Ethical Challenges, Viruses, Plagiarism, Intellectual Property Rights, Difference between computer science, software engineering, information technology, information systems, computer engineering and bioinformatics; IEEE / ACM computing disciplines guidelines.
II. Programming Fundamentals
Basic programming elements and concepts, Problem Solving & Program Design, Components of a programming language, Program development and execution, Program structure, Data types and variable declarations, Standard I/O streams, and statements, Control structures, Standard library functions, User defined functions and parameter passing, Arrays, pointers, and strings, Structures, unions, and bit manipulation operators.
III. Object Oriented Paradigm
Object Oriented Programming Concepts ( Object-oriented paradigm, data abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, Polymorphism), Introduction to Classes and Objects ( classes, objects, data members, member functions), Classes Advanced ( friends, static, composition, this, const), Operator overloading (stream insertion, stream extraction, binary operator, unary operator), Inheritance (single inheritance, multiple inheritances, protected members, method over-riding), Polymorphism (virtual function, pure-virtual functions, abstract class, abstract super class), Standard Template Library (STL), Files & streams (sequential access files, random access files), File processing, Exception Handling.
Section-B (50 Marks)
IV. Algorithms & Data Structures
Fundamental concepts, Properties of algorithms, Criteria for an Algorithm, Parameters for selecting an algorithm, Algorithm Representations, Pseudo Code and Flow Charts, Designing Algorithms, Algorithm Analysis and Asymptotic Notations, Classification of Lists, Abstract Data Types, Implementation of Stacks and Queues using ADTs, Searching and Sorting Algorithms (Linear Search, Binary Search, Bubble Sort, Merge Sort, Quick Sort, Heap Sort), Stacks and Queues, Hash Tables (Linear Probing, Bucketing, Chaining), Recursion, Trees (Binary Trees, Binary Search trees, AVL Trees, Two-Three Trees), Graphs, Heuristic (Guided) Search, Genetic Algorithms, Encryption Algorithms (DES, RSA).
V. Software Engineering
Revised Scheme and Syllabus for CSS Competitive Examination Software Processes, Software Process Models, Agile Software Development, Analysis Modeling, Requirements Engineering, Design Concepts, Architectural Design, Design Implementation, Software Testing, System Delivery and Maintenance, Software Evolution Formal Specification, Software Quality Assurance, Introduction to Proofs of Correctness (LNO), Distributed Software Engineering, Aspect-Oriented Software Engineering, Project Management, Process Improvement.
VI. Compiler Construction
Difference among various type of Translators, Phases of Compilers, Classification of Compilers, Lexical Analysis (Input buffering, Specification & Recognition of tokens, Regular expressions, Finite automata, Syntax Analysis (Context-free grammars and their classification, LL(k) vs. LR(k) grammars, Top-down vs. Bottom-Up parsers, Parsing Techniques, FIRST and FOLLOW sets, Predictive Parsing using LL(1) grammars, Syntax error handling and recovery strategies), Syntax Directed Translation (Synthesized attributes, Inherited attributes, Construction of syntax trees, Top-down translation), Semantic analysis (Symbol tables, Type Expressions, Type Checking of statements), Intermediate Code Generation, Code Generation (Issues in the design of code generation, The target machine, Run-time storage management, Register allocation), Code optimization (Elimination of Redundant code, Folding of Constant, Loop optimization, Peephole optimization, Problems of optimization).
Paper-II (100 Marks)
Section-A (50 Marks)
I. Computer Organization & Architecture
Fundamental concepts, Overview of a Computer System, Evolution & Performance Languages, Architectural levels, Virtual machines, Processor types, Metrics, Machine instructions, Instruction execution cycle, CISC vs. RISC, Parallelism, Internal/External data
representation, Computer Function and Interconnections, Cache Memory, Internal Memory, External Memory, Input /Output System, Computer Arithmetic Microprocessor and its Bus Structure, I/O Types, Types of Buses, Memory Organization and Structure, information flow and execution in Machine, Instruction Representation, Machine Instruction Characteristics, Instruction Processing, Processor Structure & Function, Control Unit Operation, Micro-programmed Control, Instruction-Level Parallelism And Superscalar Processors, Parallel Processing, Multi-Processor and Multi-core Systems.
II. Computer Communications & Networks
Basic Concepts and Classification of Networks, Circuit switching, Packet switching, Multiplexing (TDM, FDM), Layering: OSI and TCP/IP, Application Layer (Network application architectures, HTTP, FTP, Email, DNS, P2P applications), Transport Layer (Multiplexing in UDP and TCP, Connectionless Transport: UDP, Reliable data transfer and TCP, Congestion avoidance and control), Network Layer (The Internet Protocol, IPv4 Datagram, Internet Address Classes, Special IP Addresses ARP, IPv6, ICMP, Network Address Translation (NAT), Internet Routing Protocols and Algorithms, X.25, Frame relay and ATM, MPLS), Physical & Link Layer Functionalities (Error Detection & Control, ARQ, Link layer addressing, LAN Technologies, Bridges and Hubs, Multiple Access), Special topics (Security, Overlay networks, naming, Content distribution networks, Peer to peer systems, DHTs, Network Attacks).
III. Operating Systems Concepts
Roles of an Operating System, Operating-System Evolution, Structures, and Operations, Classification of Operating Systems, Computing Environments, Design and Components of OS, Process Management, Process Synchronization, Deadlocks, Memory Management, Virtual Memory Management, File Systems (UNIX and Windows Systems), I/O Management.
Section-B (50 Marks)
IV. Database Systems
Introduction to Database Systems, Relational Data Model & Relational Database Constraints, Relational Data Model, SQL, Relational Algebra & Calculus, ER Model, ER to Relational Mapping, PL/SQL Stored Procedures & Triggers, Functional Dependencies and Normalization, Storage & Indexing, Indexing Structure, XML documents & Web Services, Query Processing & Evaluation, Query Optimization, Transaction processing, Object Oriented Databases, Distributed Databases, Database Security & Access Control.
V. Digital Image Processing
The relation between Image Processing, Computer Graphics, Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence; Image Sensing and Acquisition Techniques; Representing Digital Image; Image Sampling and Quantization; Image Storage and Operations; Image Transformations (Translation, Scaling, Rotation, Shear); Image Histogram; Image Enhancement (Contrast, Smoothing, Sharpening); Gray-scale and Color Images; Color Models (RGB, CMYK and HIS); Image Restoration; Noise Models; Morphological Operators (Erosion, Dilation, Opening, Closing, Skeletonization, Thinning); Image Segmentation; Point Detection, Line Detection, Edge Detection and Boundary Detection; Image Compression.
VI. Web Engineering & Technologies
Modeling techniques for web applications, Introduction to web engineering, requirement engineering, requirement, types of requirements, functional requirements, nonfunctional requirements, Requirement engineering process (Elicitation and negotiation, Documentation, Validation and verification, Management), HTML(hypertext markup language), Software Architecture, Styles, Patterns, and frameworks, Components of Web Architecture, Classifications of web architecture , Web Application layered architecture ( client server, n- layered, JSP model, struts, OOHDM ), Integration Architecture, Data Aspect architectures, Cascading Style Sheet(CSS), CSS properties, JavaScript (Functionalities, Events, Variables, Operators), DOM(Document Object Model), XML, RSS, API, Client-side programming using (HTML, XHTML, XML, JavaScript, and CSS), Server side programming using PHP, Web development process, Web Application Development Methodologies, Web site promotion and deployment, Web applications Issues (Accessibility, testing, performance, operation, maintenance, security.