Whatever you have about CSS examination, trust me its way worse than that. No wonder only 2-3% people pass out of the thousands that apply. It is tough, grueling, and there is a strategy to it. But everyone has a unique one. If you ask a successful CSP, you will learn that each has their own approach.
So, I thought why not ask one CSP and give the information to all the perspective CSS exam takers so they can formulate their own strategy.
Before we get to the strategy, let’s go ahead and remove the words “I cannot do it”, “it is very tough”, “not my cup of tea” or “no one clears this test so what is the use of appearing in it” from your mind. A can-do attitude can take you a long way… especially where this exam is concerned.
CSS Examination Strategy
For this blog, I talked to a soon to be a CSP Officer (Assistant Accounts General) Miss Ammara Hassan. I interviewed her and got some very fruitful information in the form of tips which must be used by you to rise and shine in the CSS examination and defy all odds.
1. Subject Selection
To start with the applicants must understand which subjects in the optional list they are inclined towards.
The choice of the optional subjects is the main key to the doors of success in CSS. The choice of the subjects also depends a lot on the past trends and syllabus.
I also had an unsuccessful stint as a potential CSP, failed Essay, go figure!
I was told to steer clear of subjects that I had studied previously, which was odd but I abided by it and it did work for me.
2. Early Preparation
According to Ms. Hassan, the next step is not to wait for someone to say to you that you should start your preparation.
Do it as early as possible and start practicing how to write and how to study right from the start. It will give you an edge over other competitors.
Writing is very important, you don’t want your arm to turn into jelly attempting the exam. Remember, you have to attempt two papers a day. Write, write, and write.
This is what did me in. I started preparations in Oct. Turns out 3 months is not exactly enough time to prepare for the toughest exams in the country. Who knew?
3. Reading Habit
Newspaper reading is one habit which you must acquire to get acquainted with the current affairs and general knowledge, the two main pillars of CSS examinations.
Other than newspapers, TV shows, and magazines etc can also prove to be worthy sources to enhance the knowledge related to current affairs, politics, and general knowledge. Some of the names which you can trust in this regard are The Economist, Herald, Al-Jazeera, and other news sources.
Many people told me that Jahangir World Times was a good source of information but it was too expensive for my taste. You can check it out here if you think it can help.
4. Throw Laziness out
If you are lazy and cannot study every day, then you better drop the idea of appearing in the CSS Examination.
You need to dedicate every minute of your waking hour to your studies.
Breakdown the days of the week which you will dedicate to each subject. There will 12 or 11 subjects that will focus on.
Ms. Hassan recommends that you give equal time to each subject.
Take my example, I took essay very lightly, being a writer and all, and it did me in. SO STUDY EVERY SUBJECT WITH EQUAL DEDICATION!
Study and revise every day in order to retain what you are studying. While studying though, cramming is like killing your chances of succeeding in this test.
You must acquire the conceptual and critical understanding of the concepts and topics you are studying so that you can write on your own even if the questions are molded and not exactly asked in the way you were expecting or predicting.
That will happen, the examiners love to play around with words and ask questions from angles that you will not expect.
5. Don’t be Overconfident
Try not to act over smart. Just stick to the outline which is given, and it must be done smartly and effectively.
You must get a thorough understanding of the topics included in the outlines.
6. English is Vital
English is the most difficult part of CSS Exam by far and I don’t just mean the two papers dedicated to English.
Well, an easy way to get over this hurdle is to practice writing essays, précis, and comprehension etc. It will give your writing a flair which will enable you to impress the examiners.
Getting your written material checked by a qualified and competent English professor is as important as studying for the test.
There a lot of books out there that can help you prepare for CSS examination. Not all of them are good. Speak to CSPs you have access to or teachers to see which ones will be most effective.
You can always go with the FPSC recommendations for books but that can be an expensive affair. Be deligent and work hard and who knows, you may be able to defy the odds and become a CSP just like Ms. Hassan.
