FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION – 2026
FOR RECRUITMENT TO POST IN BS – 17
UNDER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
TIME ALLOWED: THREE HOURS
PART-I (MCQs) : MAXIMUM 30 MINUTES
(PART-I MCQs) MAXIMUM MARKS: 20
(PART-II) MAXIMUM MARKS: 80
NOTE: (i) First attempt PART-I (MCQs) on separate OMR Answer Sheet which shall be taken back after 30 minutes.
(ii) Overwriting/cutting of the options/answers will not be given credit.
(iii) There is no negative marking. All MCQs must be attempted.
PART-I (MCQs)(COMPULSORY)
NOTE:
(i) Part – II is to be attempted on the separate Answer Book.
(ii) Attempt ONLY FOUR questions from PART – II. ALL questions carry EQUAL marks.
(iii) All the parts (if any) of each Question must be attempted at one place instead of at different places.
(iv) Candidate must write Q. No. in the Answer Book in Accordance with Q. No. in the Q. Paper.
(v) No Page / Space be left blank between the answers. All the blank pages of Answer Book must be crossed.
(iv) Extra attempt of any question or any part of the attempted question will not be considered.
Q.1. (i) Select the best option/answer and fill in the appropriate Box ☐ on the OMR Answer Sheet. (20×1=20)
(ii) Answers given anywhere else, other than OMR Answer Sheet, will not be considered.
1. The founding father of the theory of Bureaucracy was:
(A) Herman Finer
(B) Henri Fayol
(C) Albert Lepawsky
(D) None of these
2. Which of the following is not one of the core values of public administration?
(A) Efficiency
(B) Effectiveness
(C) Bureaucracy
(D) None of these
3. Which of the following best distinguishes Good Governance from New Public Management?
(A) Emphasis on efficiency
(B) Focus on public service delivery
(C) Stress on participation and inclusiveness
(D) None of these
4. The process by which a manager assigns some of his total workload to others is:
(A) Decentralization
(B) Delegation
(C) Centralization
(D) None of these
5. The three components that compromise publicness and privateness in society are:
(A) Bureaucracy, consistency and budget
(B) Administration, management and organization
(C) Execution, regulation and structure
(D) None of these
6. Which theory argues that bureaucratic behavior is driven by self-interest and utility maximization?
(A) Human Relations Theory
(B) Public Choice Theory
(C) Institutional Theory
(D) None of these
7. The traditional theory of motivation is the theory of:
(A) Fear and punishment
(B) Participation
(C) Motivation hygiene
(D) None of these
8. Job enrichment:
(A) Must be directed towards individuals
(B) Must be directed towards groups
(C) Can be directed toward either groups or individuals
(D) None of these
9. “Leaders are born and not made”, is a perception based on:
(A) Contingency Theory of leadership
(B) Trait Theory of Leadership
(C) Fiedler’s Model of Leadership
(D) None of these
10. Network Analysis assumes that ______ help one another because they believe that cooperation advances their goals.
(A) Organizations
(B) Interest groups
(C) Bureaucrats
(D) None of these
11. The New Public Management can be best described as:
(A) Public administration in the 21st century
(B) Application of business practices in public management
(C) A mechanism for improving service delivery
(D) None of these
12. Which of the following best characterizes 21st-century public administration?
(A) Emphasis on flexibility, networked governance, and citizen participation
(B) Strict adherence to hierarchical authority and rules
(C) Exclusive focus on bureaucracy and control
(D) None of these
13. The famous fourteen principles of organization were given by:
(A) Max Weber
(B) Plato
(C) Fredrick Taylor
(D) None of these
14. Which of the following is a core function of Public Administration?
(A) Policy formulation and implementation
(B) Political campaigning
(C) Private profit maximization
(D) None of these
15. Management is a ______ use of resources.
(A) Proper
(B) Systematic
(C) Maximum
(D) None of these
16. Balancing and reconciling possible conflicts among goals is:
(A) Optimizing
(B) Communication
(C) Inconsistency
(D) None of these
17. Maslow’s highest need in his “hierarchy of needs” was:
(A) Love of affiliation needs
(B) Physiological needs
(C) Esteem needs
(D) None of these
18. Supervision as a mechanism of control over subordinates is:
(A) The most effective mechanism of control
(B) As effective as input control
(C) More effective than behavior control
(D) None of these
19. In public sector planning, top-down approaches are most effective when:
(A) Policy goals are clear, and objectives are non-controversial
(B) Street-level discretion is critical
(C) Citizen participation is the primary driver
(D) None of these
20. In the context of 21st century public administration, which approach highlights collaboration among government, private sector, and civil society actors?
(A) Classical bureaucracy
(B) New Public Management
(C) New Public Governance
(D) None of these
PART II
Q. No. 2. Public Administration is inherently interdisciplinary. Conceptualize the field and discuss its linkages with five key related disciplines. (20)
Q. No. 3. In an era of increasing reliance on public-private partnerships, does Public Administration continue to remain central to effective governance? Discuss. (20)
Q. No. 4. Differentiate between classical and contemporary theories of public administration. How can these theories, which hold contrasting views, be integrated in modern complex public sector organizations? (20)
Q. No. 5. Differentiate between development administration and administrative development. Critically analyse the role of bureaucracy in development administration, especially in emerging economies like Pakistan. (20)
Q. No. 6. Separation of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches is crucial for checks and balances and ultimately accountable public administration. However, maintaining this balance is highly challenging and leads to institutional conflict. To what extent have these conflicts strengthened or weakened accountability and public administration in Pakistan? Critically evaluate with empirical and constitutional evidence. (20)
Q. No. 7. Digital governance has changed the traditional bureaucratic models and service delivery frameworks. Critically evaluate how the integration of such technological approaches in developing countries’ contexts reshapes administrative decision-making processes, ensuring accountability and transparency, maintaining administrative sustainability, considering the administrative capability constraints, and financial and ethical challenges. (20)
Q. No. 8. Write short notes on any TWO of the following:- (20)
a. Causes of globalization
b. Challenges of Digital Governance
c. Evolution of Public Administration
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