IN particular aspects, a candidate should try in the first place to pass compulsory subjects. Most of the candidates, as much as, ninety percent are out of the game on the very first day of their exam.. in first two papers. that is english essay and composition. Therefore, special endevours are to be specified in this direction. one's essay skills should be perfected well before time. and particular areas of composition should be prepared whole-heartedly by an aspirant if he wishes to pass it.
There is an old saying which is equally worth mentioning today : the best way to write an essay is to 'write it' I think, no one can deny incremental effects of practice. An adage ,'' Practice makes men perfect'' is only half true because if practice makes man perfect and no body is perfect then why practise? ACtually , it is only Right practice that makes you perfect. Right practise should be learned, understood, internalized. it is said that science is based upon obsrvation, of which material are found in laboratory where hypothesis are tested before they become laws. in the case of art, it needs to be practised. you must not only practise every day. but also stay vigilant over what you write. Read your material as write. Note any mistakes in your paragraph. any spelling error, any vague sentence, any meaningless extravagant sentence should be obiliterated immediately. Read your essay after finishing it as you would read essays of your friend ie with a critical look. because there is always room for improvement.
in css exam you are required to write for long three hours. it is indeed test of your ultimate skills. i mean to say, how can one write for long three hours impromptu ? Mark twain once said, '' to prepare impromptu speech, you atleast need three days'' so the crux of the matter is, on the face of it, a thing may seem effortless, yet behind it,if you discover there is arduous work of craftsman. My dear brothers, therefore, put your efforts in this direction. Please do not get deluded that if your english is good, you will necessarily write a good essay. it is not always the case. and if this assumption of yours proved wrong on the exam day, then you will surely 'fail'
Essay skills include narrative, descriptive, argumentative, persuasive.. prepare each of these skills accordingly. You will find essay of one description or another in your paper. css essay question range from religion, to current affairs, to philosophy and quotational. memorize alot of relevant quotations. maintain a diary for this purpose.
Secondly, get your essays checked by atleast few qualified candidates. who got qualified in essay paper. ask them their ways. if possible, ask them to write one essay for you.
For composition paper, precise is just like ''telling a story of movie of three hours to your friend in five minutes'' you will try to condense it, present only relevant points. if you have understood orginal precise, i m sure you will make out good one for you. befuddled ideas, hazy picture of precis will be composed in the like manner. So, if a person has not understood his precise well, how can he come up with strong 'title' for it? Rules on how to write a good precise are found in most good books. i m just mentioning here how i percieve it.
For comprehension of paragraph, again practise of comprhension will help you. Try to be build your vocabulary. inculcate 3700 words of GRE list. i m sure u will not miss any word in synonmous and antonymous portion, as well as, in comprehension passage.
While attempting a question asked in paragraph. there are many methods assumed by candidates. my method was to give impression to my checker that i have comprehended given paragraph completly. i used to give relevant points in my words starting with how the question is asked.
Do direct indirect from exploring, correction of sentences from exploring. In addition, if you can manage to read 'models' from Toefl book. it will be of much advantage.
Expansion of passage, in this it should be assumed that you understand title of your expansion accurately. because if you will not accurately grasp its essence u wud divert while writing on it.

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There are only four questions of value in life, Don Octavio: What is sacred? Of what is spirit made? What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? The answer to each is only love."
Don Juan DeMarco(Johnny Depp), in Don Juan DeMarco