CSS Forums - Arif Awan (DMG) 40th Common: My story of CSS (Aspire and Achieve)

[QUOTE=ArifAwan;459104]1.Essay:
Honestly speaking, I haven't solved a single essay during my preparation but had to consult economic survey of Pakistan for various Facts and figures that help in writing a good essay. So I would suggest you to get hold of Economic Survey of Pakistan's hard copy or else read it on-line. Values like literacy rate, demographics, social statistics Etc. will be of considerable help for you. As one goes through the material of compulsory and optional subjects, one gets hold of plenty of knowledge to write essays over various topics. Moreover, it important to make outlines and practice their accuracy, add quotations, definitions and Hadith. The best thing would be to write outlines of essays over; Social, Political, Technical, Religious and Literature topics.

2.Precis:
I barely solved last 5 years papers for Precis practice after getting guidelines from Saadat Ali Shah"s "Exploring the world of English". But as they say, practice makes a man perfect,m the more one practices, the more one gets to know. Solving past papers regularly side by side with other subjects will help reduce the burden. For pair of words, idioms and phrases and all other MCQ's, consult with css forums threads;

Solved Pair of words of Past Papers
[url]http://www.cssforum.com.pk/css-compulsory-subjects/english-precis-composition/45205-solved-pair-words-1971-2011-a.html[/url]

Solved Idioms of Past Papers
[url]http://www.cssforum.com.pk/css-compulsory-subjects/english-precis-composition/29862-solved-idioms-1971-2010-a.html[/url]

3.Current Affairs
There were two types of issues for study;
a. Conventional Issues e.g. Palestine, Kashmir, Nuclearization of Asia (Iran and PK with special focus), Rise and Fall in Pak-US partnership etc.
b. Contemporary Issues

For conventional issues, DSS, ISS, SASSI's websites contain seminar reports and research papers which should be studied along with some old contemporary affairs books while maintaining separate file for such issues. Accumulation of various books should be avoided at best. Mastering Pak-US relations will be the best thing to do for preparing current affairs as this has the largest purview among all the topics and helps one understand relations with India, and Pak's relations with the Muslim world as well. The compilation of a separate file for such issues helps one in saving time and revising these topics more than once.

For the contemporary issues, one may buy yearly review of dawn or any other magazine that will give an insight of the whole year's events. Reading newspapers will create ease in MCQ's. For instance a link that I used in preparation is shared here for your information;

Shahid Javed Burki's Articles
[url]http://www.cssforum.com.pk/general/news-articles/21913-shahid-javed-burki-article.html[/url]

4. EDS
I consulted a local book (by Muhammad Tariq Afridi) with short questions and MCQs, Akram Kashmiri's book and Matriculation books for Human physiology and some other basic concepts. During the paper, I made sure to make a figure/diagram for every question and appropriate labeling. I solved past 15 years papers of CSS and PMS and it worked for mein both exams. Make sure to solve as much MCQs as you can. Imtiaz shahid's MCQs book contains solved MCQs.

5. Pakistan Affairs

Pakistan Affairs subject has some overlapping areas with Current Affairs so those over lapping areas such as the Socioeconomic, demographics, indigenous politics etc. should be studied from various sources like sociology books, Ikram Rabbani's book and some features of newspapers. whereas, for the per-partition topics, "Struggle for Pakistan" by IH Qureshi or "trek to Pakistan" or "Making of Pakistan" are suitable books.

6. Islamiat
Islamiat has proved to be a great challenge for CSS aspirants and has been haunting the candidates since 2007. Contemporary issues have replaced the simple translations and basic concepts. Therefore, many of the topics of Islamiat are in fact Current Affairs topics and a good command over CA can help getting through in Islamiat. For the Ijtehad/Sources of Shariah topics consult Islamic Jurisprudence book whereas for the basic pillars of Islam and other Systems of Islamic society like Judicial, financial, political etc. , Sadruddin Islahi's book can suffice. Dogar Unique's book can be used for MCQs and Comparitive relgions. Since Muslim history was one of my optional subjects, Personality of Muhammad S.A.W and topics like last sermon, social reforms, Sulah e hudaibiya etc. were easily covered. The Ahadith in Matriculation and Fsc books were re-studied and they helped a lot in refrences at appropriate places in Islamiat paper. some of the links from css forum, that were consulted are;

Solved MCQ's of Islamiat past papers
[url]http://www.cssforum.com.pk/css-compulsory-subjects/islamiat/islamiat-notes/23873-solved-mcqs-islamiat-past-papers.html[/url]

Dawn's Friday Feature
[url]http://www.cssforum.com.pk/general/news-articles/dawn/2378-friday-features-dawn.html[/url]

MY OPTIONAL SUBJECTS

Sociology: Sociology and Social Problems by Prof. Abdul Hameed Taga (for social problems, social interactions and social concepts)An Introduction to Sociology by JJ Baloch (Summary and headings of all important topics including Sociologists and their contributions)Sociology by Schaffer and lamm or Hortun and hunt (social research methods, Max weber's theory of bureaucrats, sociological perspectives) Past MCQs

Islamic History: A short history of Islam by K.Ali ( This book can cover all aspects briefly except ottoman part)A Short history of the Saracens by Syed Ameer Ali ( for Muslim Spain)Muslim history by Sohail bhatti (its a bulky book and hence only for Ottoman part such as Muhammad the conqueror, Solomon (Suleman) the Magnificent, Ottoman Tanzimaat)Past MCQs

Pushto: Pohanna book Past MCQs at the end of pohanna book and a good pamphlet for pushto matals and folk culture.

International Law: OH Agarwal (all topics with relevant cases) some prefer Tandon and KapoorEmporium series ( for general questions like recommendations to improve the role of UN)

Forestry: Masood A A Qureshi Forests and Foretry in Pakistan by MI Sheikh (forestry statistics)Environment Chapter of Economic Survey of Pakistan Past MCQs

I believe wise use of cssforum is mandatory for short span of preparation. I didn't do hard work precisely due to shortage of time , but relied on smart work which means study based on past repeated questions but made sure to read the whole of syllabus at least once for MCQs preparation. Take good care of your self.

Keep praying.[/QUOTE]
[I][I]Dear Sir: In current affairs strategy you wrote to perpare 'conventional issues from DSS, ISS, SASSI's websites contain seminar reports and research papers' kindly send the web addresses of ISS, SAASI's and DSS websites as i tried but not able to find such websites.

Thanks[/I][/I]