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The Central Superior Service (CSS) is one of the most competitive exams in Pakistan. Hundreds of thousands of people appear at CSS every year, but over 95% of them do not make it. Did you wonder why?
Most of the CSS aspirants study from a lot of different sources. They go to academies and learn all the technicalities of solving the exam. Their vocabulary and language skills are also often sharp. If most of them are doing pretty much the same, then why do only a few clear the exam?
Remember, the CSS exams are called competitive exams for a reason. If you follow the recipe every other person is following, and do not work on the things beyond that, you are bound to be left in the pool of aspirants who do not make it.
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Let’s see what can give you the competitive edge,
Learn to Clearly Articulate Your Thoughts and Arguments
A common misconception amongst many is that you need a lot of general knowledge in your answers to pass the tests. You do need general knowledge, but with the ability to link the information you are giving. You need to be able to bring all the information you need in sync with the question that has been posed.
Writing a wide range of information, without making it make sense as per the question will be confusing for the one reading your answer. This will make you lose marks, even when you pour in all the information you feel is relevant.
Intellectually Groom Yourself
When it comes to clearing an examination as difficult as the CSS, your intellect is not defined by what you know. Your intellect is also dependent upon,
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Your analysis
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Critical thinking
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Innovative mindset
You are not going to get simple questions. While academies do teach you how to handle different questions, you need to understand that all questions can not be answered using the same formula. The ones who check your papers also know of the common practices taught at academies. You need to give them something solid and new in order to stand out.
How can you stand out for CSS exams? You need to demonstrate the above 3 skills in your answers. To develop these you should not only read, but also think about what you read. Reading about politics, economics, world affairs etc will only benefit you if are able to draw valuable conclusions out of what you read. You need to read and build your knowledge base in a way that you can use what you read to build sound arguments, and derive your own conclusions.
You should read and write in a way that you are thinking about situations and applying that knowledge to draw analysis or conclusions regarding what you are studying yourself.
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Present Original Thought
In order to succeed in the CSS exams, you must be able to present original thought. A lot of people would write what they learn through academies, or other methods they used to prepare. Resultantly a large pool of aspirants will likely be writing a similar answer.
In these scenarios, you will stand out if you are able to produce new thoughts, and ideas in your answers. When you are preparing, make sure that you reflect on more than one effect of a single problem or event. Think how these things could impact the environment, climate, politics, power, regional dynamics, security and international peace etc. This will enable you to use information multidimensionally, and pour originality into your answers, making you stand out.
Your originality in thoughts shall also be complimented by the style you choose to answer. While you must follow the typical rules of writing for CSS exams, you can be creative in terms of the way you present your answers. Your chances of success will boost by 200% if you are able to rigorously practice in such a manner.
Develop your Grip at Comprehension
One of the biggest reasons for failure at different exams is the lack of accurate comprehension. You may get a two lined question, or maybe a half lined question. In some questions you may be required to talk about just one simple argument or phenomena. While others would require more complicated analysis.
The tricky part here is to understand what a question is asking you. You have to be skilled at understanding the essence of each question. You will be time bound during your exam. Thus, it is essential for you to understand the visible and underlying meanings of each word used in the question, and develop your answer accordingly.
In order to comprehend questions correctly you should spend considerable time on such questions from past papers, and taking help from your mentors.
GO ABOVE AND BEYOND!
In conclusion, all the aspirants for CSS need to consider that a large sum of people may be using similar methodologies to prepare. In order to pass in such a rigorous and competitive environment, you must make sure that you are doing more than just that. You have to give yourself a competitive edge, and convince the ones reading your exam papers, that you are better than the rest.
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The paper you solve is the first impression and proof of your capability to the selection board. Make sure you use it well. Best of luck!
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