The Bhutanese Leading the way.
A total of 2,192 graduates will sit for the Bhutan Civil Service Examination (BCSE) Main Examination this year, an increase of 209 candidates compared to last year’s 1,983 candidates.
Of the total candidates, 594 are from Administrative Services, 214 from Finance Services, 43 from Dzongkha Services, 229 from PGDE and Statistics, 25 from Law Services, 256 from Medical Services (excluding MBBS and Traditional Medicine), 256 from Bioscience, MBBS, Traditional Medicine and other categories, 265 from Engineering and ICT, and 310 from B.Ed. categories.
Among the 2,192 candidates, 1,383 qualified through the Preliminary Examination (PE), while 809 were exempted from the PE.
As reported by this paper, the PE cut-off mark remains at 55 percent this year following its increase from the traditional 50 percent benchmark last year. While the usual qualifying mark for the PE has been 50 percent, the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) announced during the declaration of the 2025 PE results that candidates would need to secure at least 55 percent to qualify for the Main Examination (ME).
The RCSC had explained that the adjustment was necessary to ensure that the number of candidates progressing to the next stage remained manageable and aligned with recruitment needs. The commission added that the final cut-off point is primarily influenced by the number of vacancies available in the civil service, candidate performance trends, and the overall applicant pool.
This year’s figures indicate that competition for civil service positions will remain intense. The 2,192 candidates will compete for only 711 vacancies announced by the RCSC, meaning that on average there are more than three candidates for every available position.
Administrative Services continues to be the most sought-after category. A total of 594 candidates are competing for only 60 vacancies, leaving a difference of 534 candidates beyond the available positions. This translates to nearly 10 candidates competing for each vacancy in the category.
Finance Services is similarly competitive, with 214 candidates vying for 35 vacancies. This leaves a gap of 179 candidates and reflects strong interest in finance-related positions despite the limited number of openings.
Competition is also expected to be significant in the education sector. For PGDE graduates, 229 candidates will compete for 60 vacancies, leaving 169 candidates without a corresponding vacancy. In the B.Ed. category, 310 candidates will compete for 150 vacancies across primary, secondary, and Dzongkha teaching streams, leaving 160 candidates beyond the available positions.
While education-related vacancies account for a substantial share of recruitment, the number of graduates entering the teaching profession continues to exceed the number of available positions, highlighting the challenge of absorbing all qualified graduates into the civil service.
The Technical Services category has the largest share of vacancies, with 406 positions accounting for more than half of the 711 vacancies announced. The category includes Engineering and ICT, Medical Services, Bioscience, MBBS, Traditional Medicine and other specialized fields.
However, despite having the highest number of vacancies, competition remains strong as the combined number of candidates from these technical disciplines still exceeds the available positions. The figures suggest that while the government continues to prioritize technical and specialized skills, demand for civil service employment remains higher than the vacancies available.
The RCSC states, “The final selection and placement of BCSE candidates into the Civil Service shall be based on obtaining a minimum of 50 percent score in the ME; merit ranking of the ME results within the respective category; and the availability of vacancies.”
The RCSC further stated that in the event of a tie in the final results of the ME for a single vacancy or the last available vacancy, the candidate with the higher score in the written examination will be selected.
The RCSC stated, “If there is a need to further break the tie in the written examination scores, the candidate with the higher viva voce score will be selected.”
According to the RCSC, the ME will be conducted from 1st to 3rd October 2026, after which successful candidates will proceed to the viva voce stage before final placement into the civil service.
