Competitive examinations are held in Nepal for recruiting the suitable candidates for jobs in most of the public sector organizations. These competitive examinations are held in various stages and at different time of the year by an independent constitutional body, Public Service Commission. Public Service Commission (PSC) was established in Nepal on 15 June 1951 A.D. The Commission is involved in selecting meritorious candidates required by Government of Nepal for various vacant posts of the civil service. The continuity of PSC has never been hindered since its establishment. Present Constitution of Nepal 2007(2063 BS) has designated the Public Service Commission as an independent constitutional body.

The functions, duties and powers of Public Service Commission are as follows:

1. To conduct examinations for the selection of suitable candidates to be appointed to various civil service posts.
2. Permanent appointment to any position in the civil service which carries the benefit of pension shall not be made except in consultation with the PSC.
3. Government of Nepal, is required to consult the PSC on the following subjects:
   1. matters concerning the laws relating to the conditions of service of the civil service;
   2. the general principles to be followed in the course of appointment to, promotion to and departmental action concerning the civil service or positions;
   3. matters concerning the suitability of any candidate for appointment to a civil service position for a period more than six months;
   4. matters concerning the suitability of any candidate for transfer or promotion from one service to another within the civil service or any other government service to the civil service;
   5. matters concerning the permanent transfer or promotion of any employee, working in any position of an organization which is not required to consult with the Commission on matters of appointment, to any position for which consultation with the Commission is required;
   6. matters relating to departmental actions proposed against any civil servant.
4. Subject to the Constitution other functions, duties and working procedures of the PSC shall be as regulated by law.
5. Every year, the Public Service Commission shall submit annual report on the works it has performed to prime Minister. Prime Minister shall cause such report to be laid before Parliament.
   
   Process of Selection
   The Public Service Commission conducts examinations for selection of candidates as per the Public Service Commission (Procedure) Act, 2048 B.S. using one or more methods of selection as follows:
   1. Open competitive written examination,
   2. Open competitive practical examination,
   3. Selection,
   4. Interview and,
   5. Any other methods adopted by the Commission.

The primary focus of the written tests in most of these examinations are

• Knowledge regarding concerned subjects
• Current Affairs
• Reasoning
• Quantitative and qualitative Aptitude
• General Awareness

In order to carry out selection process, the Commission publishes vacancy announcement for the concerned candidates in its weekly bulletins published every Wednesday as well as in the "Gorkhapatra", a national daily. The Commission has also adopted an annual calendar of operation of its activities which incorporates all the details of phases of the selection process.

In order to maintain fairness and impartiality in the selection, the commission has adopted a system of "multi-blindness" in which setting and moderation of questions, checking of answer sheets, conduction of interviews as well as result of written examinations and interviews are carried out in a manner that officials involved are kept in anonymity to each other.

The PSC maintains a pool of experts and specialists for the purpose of selection. They are assigned to the specific selection tasks in a confidential manner. The PSC has also initiated the process of screening for certain posts where numbers of candidates are high. The candidates have to get through the preliminary examination in order to appear in the main examination.