1..Pros and cons of afghan election .
2...IP, and its role to solve energy crisis
3...water issue
4...insurgency in balochistan
5.. terrorism, peace talks
best of luck
stay blessed

How to Write Scoring Essays in CSS Exam?

One of the toughest tasks in CSS written part is to get through the Essay paper. CSS aspirants put around 60% of their efforts in preparing English Essay, and English Grammar & Composition papers. However, they account for only 17% of the overall weightage. Some clichés, false practices and our mindset make it a herculean task. Without delay, let us ponder on the issue and hope things will get easier after that.


COMMON HURDLES

Psychological barriers
It is commonly believed that if you pass the Essay paper, you will be a CSP. This extra conscious approach makes it harder to get through as English always has its “fear factor”.

Language barrier and ill practices
Feeling weak in English, we make relentless efforts to learn it. Here, I disapprove those tutors who take 3 months or so to teach how to write correct English. It means out of 240 days (8 months) to prepare for CSS written part, only 90 days (3 months) are reserved for preparing 'Essay', and 'Composition' papers with no surety to get through. Therefore, individual tuition should be discouraged in order to utilize energies evenly in right direction.

Misunderstanding the topic
Most candidates, in haste, often don't comprehend the topic, hence, ultimately end up as a failure. Understanding topic is crucial to achieving success in Essay paper.

Time (Mis)management
Essay is the first paper. It is also true that we always take time to kick off. By the time we start writing essay, it is almost 100am. So, do manage your time .

ROAD TO ESSAY WRITING
Sans practicing right things, you cannot ensure successful culmination. Follow the following path to get through:
1. Stick to the basics; parts of speech, tenses, punctuation, sentence structure, vocabulary, paragraph writing, and all other basic components of English should be learnt. This can be done by reading a simple grammar book.
2. There are few common rules of writing essay that should be learnt rigorously.
3. Practicing short essays will give you command over essay writing and putting firm foundation for full length essay.
4. Going through past papers, and by following current trends, shortlist some topics and collect relevant material. How much will be sufficient can be gauged by developing detailed outline of each topic.
Material can be gathered from two sources: One; books, magazines, newspapers, journals, etc. Two; from official documents like Quarterly reports of SBP, Economic Survey of Pakistan; reports of international agencies like WB, IMF, ADB, UN, USAID etc; treaties, agreements, etc. They are significant in order to strengthen your discourse skills.
5. Practice essay after CSS pattern and get it evaluated. This should be done regularly especially in Dec and Jan. In this way, you will feel less pressure in actual examination.

TECHNIQUES FOR CSS ESSAY
1. Selection of Topic
This is crucial. Read question paper extensively. List the topics you can write on and brainstorm. Make rough outlines of those and then finalize one topic.

2. Uncommon Topics
There are some unusual topics in paper, which need advanced knowledge of a particular field or sometimes general understanding of many concepts. Let’s elaborate few topics from past papers to understand this:

“Literature is the best criticism of life” (2010)
1. Preamble:
2. What is Literature; definitions:
3. Origin of Literature as a reflection of life:
4. Development of Literature and shades of society in it:
5. Excerpts from Medieval English poetry and Elizabethan
drama to authenticate its relationship with life:
6. Arabic literature; pre-Islamic & Islamic periods:
7. Pakistan Movement and Urdu Literature:
8. Literature and Pakistani Society:
9. Global trends in modern literature & relevance to life:
10. Critical Analysis:
End Note:

“Beggars cannot be choosers” (2012)
1. Introduction:
2. Meaning and relevance of the Quote:
3. Economic dependency of Pakistan:
4. Economic aid and its impacts on Foreign Policy:
5. Can Pakistan achieve economic independence ever:
6. Relevance of the quote with Indo-Pak ties:
7. Suggestions to make Pakistan truly independent:
8. Conclusion:

“Freedom of speech should have limitations” (2013)
1. Introduction
2. Media in Pakistan; perfect match for the quote
3. Freedom of speech, if unbridled can be dangerous; elabo
rations and illustrations from Pakistan
4. Government policies and freedom of media in Pakistan
5. Challenges to freedom of speech in Pakistan
6. Ways and means to ensure freedom of speech with re
sponsibility
7. Conclusion


3. Outline
Outline is the skeleton of essay. It should be very comprehensive and elaborated.
A sample outline of topic “Failure of Governance in Pakistan”
1. Introduction
2. Prerequisites of good governance:
2.1 Rule of law
2.2 Accountability
2.3 Equal distribution of resources and opportuni
ties
2.4 Service delivery
3. Evidences of failure of governance in Pakistan
3.1 Absence of rule of law
3.2 state organs and national institutions are con
tradicting and overriding each other
3.3 Rampant extremism, terrorism and security is
sues
3.4 Insurmountable domestic and international
political Challenges
3.5 Nepotism, favoritism and corruption have be
come inherent features of institutions
3.6 Consistently deploring economic condition
and rising unemployment, poverty and
inflation
3.7 Rupturing social infrastructure, degrading
social institutions and widespread social
unrest
4. In-depth analysis on current state of governance:
5. Solutions to ensure good governance in Pakistan:
5.1 Strong and independent parliament
5.2 Rule of law and no institutional activism
5.3 Drastic measures to curb Terrorism
5.3 De-politicization of administration
5.4 Strict enforcement of Law and accountability
5.5 Ensuring service delivery through public private
Partnership, higher GDP allocations and by attracting
FDI
5.6 Building human resource and enhancing job base to
utilize human resource
5.7 Optimum utilization of indigenous resources to re
duce fiscal and trade deficits and economic uplift
5.8 Planned urbanization, controlled population growth
and infusing high moral
6. Conclusion

4. Language
Write short sentences. Use simple vocabulary. Avoid informal writing and contractions.
Give statistics with reference. Quote properly. Analyze with reason.

5. Introduction
General structure of introduction should be:
Topic Sentence (addressing the topic directly)
Supporting Sentences (6 – 8 sentences comprising explanations, examples, statistics, quotations etc., in support of topic sentence i.e. statement of essay)
Thesis Statement (gist of essay in 1 or 2 sentences)
A sample introduction for the same topic is as under:
Good governance in Pakistan has become an unrealized dream. (Topic Sentence)
History is evident of the fact that nations did not vanish due to poverty or hunger, but because of mal-administration and bad governance. Pakistan has been home to many serious troubles including terrorism, corruption, energy crisis, water crisis, rising poverty and uncontrolled urbanization. But if causes are traced there is only one answer and that is absence of good governance. If recent events are traced back, it will be unveiled that Pakistan must have not fallen prey to such serious problems had there been better governance system. But quite unfortunately, governance kept deteriorating and so did the system. There must be realization among the giants of administration and governance that why there is always need of judiciary to correct their ills? Why at the end of every disaster foreign aid becomes the sole resort? Why after every security failure foreign hand is blamed? The answer is same that when system of governance is absent; the vacuum is filled by those who have no role to play in it. (Supporting Sentences)
The following paragraphs should highlight main ingredients of good governance followed by the evidences on absence of good governance in Pakistan. Leading to the end. there will be analysis of current situation along with solutions to ensure good governance . (Thesis Statement)

Body
Follow the sequence of the outline
Write paragraph for each major point in outline

Conclusion
Thesis statement
Supporting sentences
Topic sentence

CONCLUSION
Write relevant and practice to get perfection. More prepared you are, lesser are the chances of failure. Remember that aforementioned views and techniques are not absolute. Essay is all about presenting arguments in convincing way. But as CSS candidates have limited understanding of language, restricted time and different things to deal with, it is not advisable to experiment with language. Write less but write quality. Fluency, coherence, brevity and reason will make you win.

The writer is a PAS officer from 37th CTP
[/COLOR]
For comments: sik_khawaja@yahoo.com

__________________
True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. "Socrates"

Thanks. Your posts are really helpful. Could you please guide me that what method/strategy should a new aspirant take to be prepared for Screening Test and also for final exam same time in this period, means from May 2014 to Final Exam 2015 (8-9 months approx.) ?
I am new here I want to be appeared for CE-2015. I need a strategy what should I do on daily basis to get success in Screening Test and Final exam too.

Please help me out, I'll be in your debt.

Regards.

__________________
Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens. (Jimi Hendrix)

Thank you for your liking brother. This is the ideal time to start preparation for Css 2015 as almost 8 month are left and one studying 6 to 8 hours a day can easily cross this barrier. All you need to do is work Smart and here are a few tips

• Do one subject at one time
• Solve past papers, atleast 10 years (Recommended)
• Get you work checked by a good teacher or a qualified CSP
• Go through the tips given by toppers on tips and sharing page of CSsforum
• Do a lot of Writing Practice because in the end this is an exam about your writing skills, knowledge is constant when it comes to CSS
• Try and understand the requirements/demands of question before attempting them

__________________
True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. "Socrates"

Now this is called a real help in essay writing , You must a teacher for essay writing sir . m i right ?

__________________
Hard work pays ! ! ! !

Dear Naveed, is there any alternate to improve my writing skill without get it checked from senior or teacher. Tragedy is that i hail from a remote area, having no access to teacher and i believe most of the aspirant might be trapped in same web of confusion.
Waiting for your valuable response........ Thanks

Yes You are, a good English teacher can make a lot of things easy for you and can save you from disaster when it comes to Css .

You can upload you work on this forum, which you want to be checked. As I personally know many senior members who take keen interest in checking the work ov aspirants on this forum.

__________________
True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. "Socrates"

You can upload you work on this forum, which you want to be checked. As I personally know many senior members who take keen interest in checking the work ov aspirants on this forum.[/QUOTE]


Sir i have been posting expansion of ideas in a relevant thread of this forum but it seems that there is no more any senior to respond queries of juniors. The thread is inactive since months...... Im convinced that no one is responding except you... The proof is that the new threads are being created especially for you....

Sir i have been posting expansion of ideas in a relevant thread of this forum but it seems that there is no more any senior to respond queries of juniors. The thread is inactive since months...... Im convinced that no one is responding except you... The proof is that the new threads are being created especially for you....[/QUOTE]

i am agree with shuaib ahmed. i am facing same problem.

Great work brother . Really appreciated. Please tell us about the length of an ideal essay in terms of words and secondly about the number of quotes/Ayats/statements/references .
I guess 3500-4000 words and 10-12 good Quotes/references etcs are enough . Please state your opinion .

Thanks in advance

__________________
Somewhere Beyond Right and Wrong, There is a Garden. I'll meet you there :Rumi