AOA,
Hello Eveyone,

This is Hani Iqbal, I have done my MBA in Marketing with a CGPA of 3.80, Currently i am working at the State Bank of Pakistan as a grade-17 officer and i am also a CSS aspirant as it has been a long time ambition to become a CSP and join the Foreign Services Group.
However, it is pertinent to mention that I belong to Karachi, where you rarely find people going for Government jobs, hence, i am finding it very difficult to get proper guidance on how to prepare, from where to prepare and how to attempt the paper.
I have been going through different threads on this forum but there are quite contrasting opinions which in turn become quite confusing.

I want to use this forum as a medium of proper guidance, and since i haven't got much time left as i am already 26 and have a couple of attempts left, its time to get serious.

There are some queries to which i need answers from people who have actually been able to clear the test(CSPs):

1) Is it possible to prepare for CSS being on job as i have already mentioned?

2) Also, i am not planning to join any academy. is that ok?

3) I think I have good command over english language, also, i have been an editor for my college magazine but i have a really pathetic handwriting although i can write pretty fast, so how do you guys evaluate this?

4) Kindly suggest atleast 2 books each for compulsory subjects which would be good enough for preparation, for some subjects where there are no prescribed books kindly suggest reading material

5) I have shortlisted these as my optional subjects:
-Muslim Law & Jurisprudence
-Business Administration
-Indo-Pak History
-Sociology
-Journalism
-International Relations
Are these subjects scoring, also, I have never studied sociology or journalism.

6) Kindly suggest atleast 2 books each for the aforementioned optional subjects.

7) I have a total commerce background and have never studied Physics, Chemistry, etc. So what should be the strategy with Everyday Science and i have also heard that its a very high scoring subject.

I guess that is enough for now, looking forward to a positive response.

Regards
HANI

It has been 3-4 days since i posted the above thread, but I wonder if the queries put forward by me were so difficult or redundant that nobody has bothered to reply.
I thought this forum provides assistance or is there a special criteria on which replies are given???

w salam
i am not an expert not much experience.............but ans ur query
according to my point of view.........job ka sath css ho sakta ha.........thori effort extra karni parti ha..........but if it is ur aim then i think no pro..........u can surly do it with job........best of luck
ur second question about accedmy.............if u think that u have ample knowledge and capability that u can understand the sub and do it then dont join it.............but if u think u cant do and u cant make ur routine then go for any good accedmy.........it is beneficial.............as u r doing job so i dont think u have so much time that u spare for accedmy..............rest u can think
3 question about writing..........likha huwa samhaj ana chaye...........ap writing competion main nahi ja rahi..........so i think it is not a big pro according to my point of view.........jo kuch likha ha woh samhaj ana chaye bas
books recomedation...........abhi main khud book select karna ki stage sa guzar rahi hon..............so cant ans ur this question
best of luck
regards

First of all welcome to the forum. I hope you will enjoy your stay here to the utmost and will get proper guidance.
Now coming to your query which goes unanswered still I want to say that there is no specific criteria on which replies are given, infact criteria has been fixed by you by putting questions to CSPs only. Since you have requested only CSPs to answer your questions so most of the people here have not privilege to answer your questions. Perhaps the CSPs are little busy or they didn't had a look at your thread that is why they have not replied you. I hope they will do so soon. Best of luck.

P.S Almost all of your questions have been answered several times by the seniors. You will find the answers by going through the previous posts.

Regards,

__________________
It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself!!!!

@ Miss. Very Special: Thankyou for your help
Btw are you planning to to give an attempt in 2012 or 2013?

@ Mr. Usman Cheema: Thankyou brother and i got the sarcasm

Not at all brother I didn't meant that. No hard feelings please. Here are the answers of your questions to the best of my knowledge:

1) It is little difficult to manage the studies with the job but you can do it with a little more effort. In my opinion if you are able to give 4 hours per day to your studies from now on your job will be done.
2) Joining an academy is not necessary for preparation infact according to most of the seniors preparation on your own is much better option.
3) Handwriting should be clear enough for reading. And speed is a real blessing believe me in CSS.
4) Regarding books follow the link:
http://www.cssforum.com.pk/beginners...-subjects.html
5) Among the subjects which you have short listed I have reservation on International Relations, it is not much scoring and you will have to cover a lot of things. Moreover journalism is going through a hard phase since last two years in terms of scoring. My suggestion is to give a look at International law and Mercantile law, I think they will suit you. Sociology is a very general and scoring subject and can be manged easily even if one does not have bachground in it.
6) Regarding books follow this link:
http://www.cssforum.com.pk/beginners...-subjects.html
7) No worries EDS includes only basic knowledge of sciences, and is very easy to handle. If prepared well can fetch very good marks.
For anyother query feel free to ask brother.

Cheers and best regards,

__________________
It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself!!!!

Welcome.
I don't know much about urdu speaking people but most of the sindhis, reside at karachi,willing to go for government jobs rather than private.
As far your query of attempting the paper is concerned, there are various methods.
For Instance, In some papers you will have to mention headings,sub headings while in essay writing except outline you need not to mention any heading in the body of the essay.

Essay (dawn newspaper, jahangirs essay book,net etc)
Composition (Exploring the world of English ,micheal swan, paragraphs by sohail bhatti)

Pak Affairs ( Ikram Rabbani and Sohail bhati)

C A ( Contemporary Affairs and English newspapers)

Everyday science( Dr samo and kashmiri)

Islamiat ( Towards Islamiat by s m dogar and Islam at glance by Islahi)


INDO PAK ( I H QURESHI AND K ALI BOTH VOLUMES)

Journalism ( Imtiaz shahid mass communication and A to Z journalism)

International Relations ( Hameed akhond and parkash chandar)

Everyday science will be quite easy for you as you have mentioned that you do have background of science.
You can also use your previous science buks or notes in order to acquire gud command over this subject.

Best of luck

__________________
You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

Ofcourse you can, many of the forum members are doing this practise. and many of the CSP cleared their exam while doing another jobs. just make your proper time table for studies, it is easy to do that if you had proper planning.


[B]Academy would not feed any student with spoon, they will only provide a guidence for study, but if you think you had ability to do it by yourself then you dint need any academy, by the way i think academy will only loss your time, beacuse you are doing job, and if after job timings you will suppose to go to academy, then you woudnt got any time for self study.[/B]

3) Profeciency in english is basic factor for CSS examination.



visit the book suggetion section, link given below

Books Suggestions - CSS Forums

there isnt any funda of scoring and non scoring subject, so just choose those subjects which suits your knowledge, and ability to deal with the subject.


visit the link
Books Suggestions - CSS Forums


it is not about core physics and chmistry, EDS is a having slight touch of all informative and basic knowledge off all those kind of science subjects, so dont be panic. just start your study you will find it very easy

__________________
It's Not Over 'til I Win

AOA
i am planing for 2012
regards

Dear we are here to help u.
1) It is no issue u can not prepare for css along with ur job. A respectable member of forum Fayyaz Hussain from karachi got allocation in 2009 although he was Deputy Director in SBP. In our batch more than 50% officers were job person.. they got their allocation. I myself was undergoing Elite Force Training Course which is tough physical course after SSG of Army and Alhamdulillah i got my allocation in commerce and trade group. So dear dont excuse. Only hardwork is required in planned and managed way.

2) There is no need to join any acadmy. Acadmies are only money making factories. Forum members are very coperative. they are here to help u. But response may be delayed as every person has other responsibilities of life.
u should take coaching only in Essay and Compsition from an expert teacher.

3) It is good u have have command over english language. But dont overstimate. U should learn the techniques how to pass essay and composition paper and how u will raise ur aggregate score.

4) It is not essential u consult 2 books for each subject. In some cases may b one book is sufficient and in other cases may it is essential to consult 3 to 4 books. It depends on the requirement of particular paper.

5) Muslim Law and sociology are scoring subjects. Indian history sometimes scoring sometimes not, so its average subject. I.R is not good option. journalism may be good after 2013 but not scoring now a days. I dond have idea about Business AD.

I also post some tips which may help u.

Best of Luck

__________________
People will always throw stones in your path, it depends on you whether you make a wall of difficulties or a bridge of success.
Fail to Plan is Plan to Fail.