CSS

Guidelines for beginners

*UNDERSTANDING THE CSS EXAMINATION*

HISTORY OF CIVIL SERVICES IN PAKISTAN

The civil Bureaucracy is a colonial legacy in this part of the world. The British
used to rule the native population through Indian Civil Service (ICS) and
most of the officers in ICS were British themselves. It was in the early 20th
Century that the Indians also started competing against the British and many
Indians eventually made it to the ICS. With the partition of India in 1947, the
term 'Central Superior Services was used in Pakistan and the concept of All-
Pakistan Services continued. The latter consisted of the Civil Service of
Pakistan and the Police Service of Pakistan, whereas the Central Services
included the Pakistan Foreign Service and a broad category of Finance and
other services. The Finance category included the Pakistan Audit and
Accounts Service, Pakistan Railway Accounts Service, Pakistan Military
Accounts Service, Pakistan Taxation Service, and the Pakistan Customs and
Excise Service. The Central Services other than these included the Pakistan
Postal Service, Pakistan Military Land and Cantonment Service, Central
Secretariat Service, and Central Information Service. Each of these services
had its own cadre and composition rules, specifying the total cadre strength
in terms of its number of positions.

With the Civil Services Reforms of 1973 a new system of Common Training
Program or CTP was introduced and all of these occupational groups (12 at
that time) were required to go through a mandatory combined training at
Civil Services Academy (CSA), Lahore. The batch of officers who attended
CSA in 1973 is recognized as "1st Common". Up till 5th Common the
allocation of occupational groups was done after the culmination of Common
Training Program but from 6th Common onwards this task has also been

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assumed by FPSC. Even till this day it is an official procedure that once the
Probationary Officers successfully complete their CTP then they undergo
some further Specialized Training Program (STP) in their own professional
academies.

INTRODUCTION TO THE CSS EXAMINATION

CSS Examination is a competitive examination conducted by Federal Public

Service Commission (FPSC) Islamabad every year for recruitments to post in
Basic Pay Scale -17 for following occupational groups under Federal
Government.

1. Commerce & Trade Group (CTG)

2. Pakistan Customs Service (PCS)

3. Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS)

4. Foreign Service of Pakistan (FSP)

5. Inland Revenue Service (IRS)

6. Information Group (IG)

7. Military Lands and Cantonments Group (MLCG)

8. Office Management Group (OMG)

9. Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service (PAAS)

10. Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) 11. Postal Group (PG)

12. Railways (Commercial & Transportation) Group

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*PARTS OF CSS EXAMINATION*

CSS Examination is given for the selection of candidates for occupational

services under FPSC. The Commission ensures that selected candidate is
perfect in all aspects for the post or service. Candidate has to undergo all the
parts of CSS Exam for appointment against a post. The CSS Exam comprises
the following.

1. SCREENING TEST (MPT): Before conducting CSS written exam FPSC

Conduct Screening test to filter out the students that are not well
prepared. The Screening test consists of 200 MCQS – Syllabus –
Materials – Guideline will be shared later.

2. WRITTEN EXAMINATION: The written exam carries total 1200

marks. For written Exam candidate has to take all compulsory subjects
(papers) which carry total 600 marks as well as select subjects from
optional subjects, which carry total 600 marks. Each paper is given
time of 3 hours. There are subjective questions as well as some MCQs.
MCQs are to be attempted on computerized OMR Answer sheet,
whereas subjective questions are to be attempted on Answer Book.
Blue or black ink is allowed only. For qualifying written test a
candidate should obtain at least 40% in each compulsory subject and
33% in each of optional subject or 50% in aggregate.

Compulsory Subjects (600 Marks)

Optional Subjects (600 Marks)

Total Marks 1200

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 3. MEDICAL TEST: Candidates who qualify the written examination will
be medically examined by the Medical Boards constituted for the
purpose to ensure that candidate is in good mental and physical health
and free from any physical defect likely to interfere with the discharge
of their duties. The candidates who (after such medical examination
which Government or the appointing authority, may prescribe) are
found not to satisfy these requirements, will not be appointed except
the disabled candidates as rules mentioned for disabled candidates by
FPSC. Disabled candidates must submit a certificate of disability issued
by the competent authority designated for the purpose by the
Federal/Provincial Government. Disabled candidates in the categories
of physically impaired, hearing/speech impaired (deaf & dumb) and
visually impaired (blind) are allowed to compete for Competitive
Examination against four Occupational

Groups/Services viz:

(a) Commerce & Trade Group

(b)Pakistan Audit & Accounts Service

{C} Information Group &Postal Group

Disabled candidates will be provided helper such as Writer, if so

requested by them in their application forms. In order to prevent
disappointment, candidates are advised to have themselves examined by a
Government Medical Officer of the standing of a Civil Surgeon before
applying for admission to the examination.

4. PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST: All candidates called for Viva Voce will be

required to undergo Psychological Test first, comprising written tests
and group tasks. Such tests are designed to assess abilities, attitude

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 and personality characteristics of the candidates with special regard to
their

Aptitude for the Civil Services. Separate marks are not awarded for the
Psychological assessment. However, 300 marks assigned to Viva Voce also
reflect the performance on Psychological Test. Candidates must bring their
National Identity Cards and two copies of recent photographs when

Summoned for Psychological test, and Viva Voce. If a candidate remains

absent in the Psychological Test, he/she will not be allowed to appear for
Viva Voce.

5. VIVA VOCE: Each candidate who qualifies written part of the

examination. Will be interviewed by a Board. S/he will be asked
questions on matters of general interest. The object of the interview is
to assess his/her suitability for the services for which he/she is
entered and in framing their assessment the Board will attach
particular importance to the moral and ethical qualities of the
candidates, his/her intelligence and alertness of mind, his/her vigour
and strength of character and his/her potential qualities of leadership.
The Board will take into consideration his/her extra-mural activities
such as sports, debates, hobbies, etc., and their effect on his/her
physique and character, in assessing his/her merit. All candidates are
expected to have basic knowledge regarding Islam and Pakistan.
Questions may be asked in the Interview on these subjects. Persons
securing less than pass marks in these subjects will not be considered
for appointment to Government jobs, irrespective of their proficiency
in other fields. However, the Non-Muslim candidates will not be asked
any question regarding Islam.

ELIGIBILITY FOR TAKING CSS EXAM

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Male as well as female candidates can appear in CSS exam if they fulfill the
following eligibility criteria.

NATIONALITY

The candidate must be a citizen of Pakistan or permanent resident of state of

Jammu and Kashmir.

REQUIRED EDUCATION

a) 14 years of formal education recognized by the Higher Education

Commission (HEC) is required. Candidate must possess at least 14
years education to be eligible.
b) A candidate can possess any Bachelors Degree (B.A, B.Com, BBA, B.Sc,
LLB, MBBS Etc.) from one of the Pakistani Universities or an
equivalent degree or comparable educational qualifications of a
foreign University recognized by Higher Education Commission (HEC),
Islamabad.

Essential Requirement:

The Bachelors Degree must be passed with a minimum of 2 nd Division (or

grade C). Previous academic records do not matter in eligibility for CSS Exam.

Note: (i) A candidate who has obtained a Third Division (or ‘D’ grade) in
his/her Bachelor’s Degree will be eligible for the Examination in cases where
he/she has obtained a higher Division in Master’s Degree. (ii) The decision as
to which foreign degrees or comparable educational qualifications are

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equivalent to corresponding Pakistani degree rests solely with the
Commission.

NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS

A candidate may attempt/avail three chances of the examination within

prescribed age limits.

AGE LIMIT

21 to 30 years. There’s 2 years age relaxation for govt employee and for
those students who belong to remote area mentioned by FPSC.

RULES FOR AGE RELAXATION

The upper age limit will be relaxed by two years up to the age of 32 years in
respect of:

(a) The candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Buddhist

Community subject to production of a certificate (Annex-A of
Application Form) to be issued by Political Agent/DCO/ District
Magistrate in support of their claim. (b) The candidates belonging to
the recognized Tribes who are permanent residents of the areas
mentioned below and whose families have been living in these areas.
Such candidates must attach a certificate (Annex-B of Application
Form) to be issued by Political Agent/ DCO/District Magistrate in
support of their claim:
1. Balochistan.
2. Tribal Areas of D.I. Khan and Peshawar Divisions (including
former Frontier States of Dir, Swat, Chitral and Amb).
3. Former excluded (Baluch) area forming part of the Dera Ghazi
Khan and Rajanpur Districts.
4. Former Tribal Areas of Mardan and Hazara Divisions.
5. Upper Tanawal Area of Hazara Division.

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The candidates who are permanent residents of Azad Kashmir Territory,
subject to submission of a certificate (Annex-C of Application Form) to be
issued by Kashmir Affairs Division, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad. (d)
The candidates who are permanent residents of Gilgit Baltistan including
Gilgit, Diamir, Baltistan, Ghizar and Ghanche, subject to submission of a
certificate (Annex-B of Application Form) to be issued by the Political
Agent/DCO/ District Magistrate.

The candidates who are disabled namely, physically impaired,

hearing/speech impaired (deaf & dumb) and visually impaired (blind),
subject to submission of certificate of disability issued by the competent
authority designated for the purpose by the Federal/Provincial Government.

In Service Government Servants, Armed Forces Personnel, Contract

employees, including the Government servants of AJ&K, who possess a
minimum of two years continuous Government service as on 31 st December,
2013, subject to submission of Departmental Permission Certificate (Annex-
E) from the competent authority. Employees of Nationalised Banks, State
Bank of Pakistan, WAPDA, Regulatory Authorities, Autonomous bodies and
other semi autonomous

Bodies are not entitled to age relaxation.

PERCENTAGE OF REGIONAL/PROVINCIAL QUOTA FOR SEATS/POSTS

Detail of regional quota is as under: Merit 7.5%, Punjab 50%, Sindh – 19%
(Sindh U = 7.6%, Sindh R 11.4%), Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa 11.5%, Balochistan
= 6%, GB & FATA 4%, and AJK 2%.

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Note: 10% quota is reserved for women from the share of Provinces/
Regions except Merit quota. Un-filled vacancies will be carried forward. 5%
quota is reserved for Minorities (Non-Muslims) from the share of
Provinces/Regions except Merit Quota. Unfilled vacancies will be carried
forward. No separate quota fixed for disabled candidates. Disabled
candidates will compete in accordance with the Government recruitment
policy.

PLACES OF THE EXAMINATION

The examination is held simultaneously at Abbottabad, Bahawalpur,

D.I.Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Gilgit, Gujranwala, Hyderabad,
Islamabad, Karachi, Khuzdar, Lahore, Larkana, Multan, Muzaffarabad, Okara,
Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Sialkot, Skardu & Sukkur depending
on the number of applicants for each centre.

PLACES OF INTERVIEWS

The interviews will be held at Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar

& Quetta.

APPLYING FOR CSS EXAM

Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), Islamabad publishes their

advertisement for CSS Exam in all “daily newspapers” every year, In which
date of Exam and last date for submitting application form is given. All
applications for CSS Competitive Examination must be submitted on line
through FPSC website www.fpsc.gov.pk. Candidate must pay Rs. 2200/
(PKR) as application fee (exam fee) which is deposited in State
Bank/National Bank of Pakistan under the account head “C02101-Organs of
State Exam Fee (FPSC Receipt)”. The application form must reach
Commission on or before the closing date. No extra time is allowed.

DECLARATION OF RESULTS OF THE WRITTEN EXAM

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The usual time taken for declaration of results of the written examination is
8-9 months.

REQUIRED TIME FOR FINAL ALLOCATION OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES

After announcement of final result of CSS Written Exam and receipt of quota
wise seats from Establishment Division FPSC issue a Public Notice on its
website and leading newspapers and made allocations in due course of time.

FIXED STANDARD (QUALIFYING) MARKS FOR CSS EXAM

Aspirants having at least 600 marks out of 1200 marks in the written
examination, and 101 marks in viva voce out of 300 marks will be considered
pass.

*CSS EXAM REQUIRES SOMETHING FROM YOU*

Whenever planning for any journey, you need a backpack with stuff you
might need while travelling. On your journey towards CSS Exam, you need to
work on a few skill sets that would help you in your way. Missing even a
single one may slow down your process or cause any hurdles. Hence, ensure
that you have mastered those set of skills before you embark this journey.
Some of the skills may be polished on the way but some of them need to be
well practiced beforehand.

1) PERSONALITY TRAITS
a) Self discipline and Self-confidence
b) Commitment and Motivation

C) Patience and Diligence

2) INTELLECTUAL ABILITY

Basic Knowledge Base

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 c) Analytical Mindset

3) WRITING SKILLS

d) English Writing skills

e) Expression

PERSONALITY TRAITS

If you don’t have the above mentioned skills, I’m afraid the journey would be
difficult. Self-discipline means you should be able to do what you are
supposed to do. Self- confidence means you need to believe in yourself, the
power you are blessed with by Allah Almighty, and the fact that you can do or
be whatever the hell you want to. Commitment and Motivation makes your
journey a goal oriented approach i.e. a clear sense of direction make
distractions unlikely. Sometimes, days are slow and things don’t work out the
way you expected, hence, be patient yet diligent to always find your way
around things. Work smart, not hard.

INTELLECTUAL ABILITY

Simultaneously, you need to work on your mind i.e. mental abilities. Basic
Knowledge Base is a Must-Have. There are a few areas in which you need to
be well-versed (at least the basic terms and events etc., must be clear) i.e.
World History, Philosophy, Politics, Economics, Sociology, Science, and
Technology etc. For that, read good books and research especially YouTube
videos prove quite beneficial.

Competitive exams require you to be competent. Do what others are

overlooking. Far that you need to start ‘thinking’ about absolutely everything
in terms of What? Why? How? Pros and Cons? Causes and effects? What
ought to be? This is how you analyze and evaluate. Once you have the basic
know how about everything you’ll be able to connect the dots and bring
coherence and unity in your thoughts that would reflect on your paper. Make
the best use of your mind, you hold wonders within yourself!

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WRITING SKILLS

Another area that you need to ensure before you start your journey is English
Writing skills. If you cannot transfer your thoughts on a piece of paper, then
unfortunately you. Are in hot water. You need to be good at your grammar,
hire an English teacher that can check your work and help you write, watch
English movies, listen to English Songs, and start thinking in English. Do
absolutely whatever you think of that can help you able to write good
English. Secondly, the more you practice writing, more you’d be able to
develop an expression. This is really important from paper point of view.
Once you have practiced analyzing, you should be able to convert it on a
piece of paper. For me, CSS Exam is not just an exam, it is a lifestyle. In order
to start with CSS Exam Preparation the above is a rough sketch and a
checklist of the required skills. There may be more or some may not be very
important to anyone of you, but I believe these really are needed at all times.
Give a month or two to analyze yourself and check if you have all the above
mentioned skills. And if you’re good at the above skill sets, believe me, you’re
halfway there. Work on yourself first, then studying and appearing in exams.
Becomes quite mechanical and bearable of course. As they say that success
usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.

*START YOUR CSS EXAM PREPARATION*

Today people from all fields of educational backgrounds are involved with
taking the CSS Exam. The Doctors, engineers, architects, Management
students, Social scientists, journalists etc., interested in CSS Exam, they all try
to start their preparation at one point or another, but the million dollar
question is: How should one start his/her preparation? This is how you
should start your CSS Preparation:

UNDERSTAND THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

It is imperative before you begin preparing your quest for CSS Examination,
understand thoroughly the terms and conditions and the eligibility criteria
for CSS Exam. It makes. Sense, because you wouldn’t like your candidature to

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be rejected after you have prepared for the Exam would you? So, check
earliest if you are eligible for appearing in the next CSS Examination.

KNOW YOURSELF, KNOW YOUR APTITUDE:

The second and one of the most imperative step is to get to know your
strengths, weaknesses and competitive advantages (if any) before hand. This
allows you to understand your Aptitude. And it is your aptitude/inclination
towards particular sciences. Which make you good at a subject. For example:
Candidates good at Humanities subjects like Social science, Anthropology,
Political science etc. should opt for subjects. That involve answers with
subjective opinions. Similarly, those who have an aptitude for History may
opt subjects like Indo-Pak history, US-History etc. So, get to know yourself
better, before starting preparation.

ASK QUESTIONS AND CLEAR OFF ALL MISUNDERSTANDINGS:

Thirdly, you should jot down on a paper all your queries, issues, problems,
confusions and misconceptions regarding the CSS Exam and its preparation.
Then ask all such questions until you are satisfied with reasonably accurate
answers. Well, in my opinion. This booklet is going to help you in this regard.

SUBJECT SELECTION:

Now don’t act smart-pants and select the subjects unwisely, just because you
like a subject doesn’t make it a good subject selection choice. In CSS Exam,
subject selection. Holds a position of key significance, because it is the six
optional subjects which make or break most of the Candidates each year. So,
be careful..

PREPARATION PLAN AND STRATEGY:

Once all is said and done in the initial pre-preparation phase, the next most
important step is to develop an effective preparation (study) plan, strategize
your plan, break it down into daily targets, Set weekly goals and devise a CSS
preparation schedule. Sounds tough? Well, it is because it takes effort and
commitment. Always remember, if it was easy everybody would do it!

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LIFE STYLE MANAGEMENT:

Simply having a study plan and a preparation strategy without any discipline,
hard work and motivation is like having library with no books. What I meant
is that it is a worthless effort if not done properly. All those CSP Officers who
took good positions had sacrificed their luxuries to discipline their study
routines. The lifestyle of CSS Aspirant must be different and more productive
than an ordinary person.

TAKE ACTION!

Only sitting on your bum day dreaming and planning wouldn’t get you
anywhere. If you are seriously committed to clear the CSS Exam at the best of
your ability, then get up, and do something! Act Now.

English improving method

Something you need to ensure before you start your journey is English
writing skills. If you cannot transfer your thoughts onto a piece of paper, then
unfortunately, you are in hot water. You need to be good at grammar, hire an
English teacher who can check your work and help you write, watch English
movies, listen to English songs, and start thinking in English. Do absolutely
whatever you think of that can help you write good English. Secondly, the
more you practice writing, the more you’ll be able to develop expression.
This is really important from a paper’s point of view. Once you have
practiced analyzing, you should be able to convert it onto a piece of paper.

These books are up to the mark and relevant.

English grammar in use

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I2Pat5d00Aom3s7UoIwCp9rIIw15jw3Z/
view?usp=drivesdk

Oxford English grammar

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/
1DNJL4O6t7p2nFpOKkmGgyuXvIZLL4xeP/view?usp=drivesdk

Practical English grammar in use

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vVrT6awCDQse6RbHIjbr4CfUyUJgsCQf/
view?usp=drivesdk

Exploring the world of English by Syed Sadat Ali Shah is also a good.

CSS SUBJECT SELECTION:

Confusion and indecision are the worst enemies of aspirants when they come
to subject Selection. More than 50 subjects in different groups, and choice of
only one from each is quite hard but not as hard as it is assumed. Whenever
aspirants come to subject Selections they face these ambiguous terms:
Scoring trend, easy subject, punished subject, short syllabus, long syllabus,
this or that combination etc. What happens? They don’t choose at all, or
choose whatever they don’t want to study, often irrelevant subject.

My opinion is very simple: choose a subject whichever pleases you. Every

aspirant has different aptitude, different backgrounds, different readings and
obviously different interests. One might be good in History and bad in
mathematics; a silly one may opt literature and score above eighty, god
knows, silencing the whole world times. So, choice of subjects is always your
choice.

Who exactly knows scoring trend? Obviously no one, only guess and
supposition work every year. A clever aspirant will definitely agree with me
on a fact: low score is far more satisfactory than utmost failure. It means
getting failed only for following the scoring trend is very stupid. So choose a
subject that seems easy to you does not matter if it is botany or zoology or
philosophy or urdu literature. Whatever you choose, work hard on it. You
will also agree with me on one more fact that ‘subjects you hate most are the
hardest to prepare,’ and definitely boredom lingers you and you keep

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ignoring the syllabus of that one satanic subject until arrives February. So
don't opt subjects that you hate the most.

Here are some of my observations that seems very logical to me and

very sincere:

# Opt Punjabi only if you can WRITE it properly and if you are good at
memorising SHAIR.

# Philosophy: only if you have read at least one book on introduction to

philosophy, otherwise you are at risk of not properly understanding the
basics of this interesting subject.

# Gender studies: a good subject with good Scoring history. But it you are
extremely biased on genders then you should think twicely.

# History of USA, European history, Indo Paak, it depends upon your

interests and prior readings, in my opinion it’s all upon syllabus. If you study
well, you score well.

There are some key points to be considered before selection of the

optional subjects.

1: Background

2: interest

3: Visit syllabus and past papers

4: Overlapping subjects

5: Time factor

6: Aptitude

*GROUP 1: To OPT FOR ONE SUBJECT OF 200 MARKS.*

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1) Accounting & Auditing: This subject requires your strong background.
Those who possess professional accounting degrees ACCA, CA, ICMA, etc
can go for this subject. It is a high scoring up to 90%. It has been a low
scoring subject and difficult since 2011. Those who want opt, review past
papers for 10-15 years.
2) Economics: This subject requires your strong background. Aspirants
should not opt on BSc basis even M.Phil, PhD don’t score high.
3) Computer Science: This subject requires your strong background. MCs,
BS 4 years can opt this subject with the lengthy syllabus. This subject is
considered as a time consuming subject. One can score up to 120-130.
Aspirants possessing 1 year diploma/ courses should not opt this subject.
4) Political Science: Anyone can opt this subject. This subject needs aspirant
who has good cramming power. No background is needed for this
subject. This subject mostly overlaps with constitutional law but
constitutional law is low scoring below average whereas average is 120-
125 scoring.
5) International Relations: No background is needed for this subject. This
subject mostly overlaps with Pakistan Affairs, Current Affairs,
International Law (approx. 60-65%) & US History (approx. 30-40%). This
subject fulfills knowledge deficiency, and gives you essays material. This
subject isn’t considered as high scoring (120-125 Marks

*GROUP 2: TO SELECT ONE SUBJECT OF 200 MARKS*

1) Physics: MSc Physics holder can go for this subject. This is a time
Consuming subject. Aspirant can complete the subject in 2 or 3 weeks.
This is a numerical based subject. It’s 100% risky subject either you
will score full marks out of 20 marks (for a question) or zero, no
middle way. If one wants to opt this subject, he /she should attempt
past papers at least of 10-15 years. The syllabus of this subject is of
graduation level but paper is of masters level.

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 2) Chemistry: MSc Chemistry holder can go for this subject but good in
some ways. This is a numerical based subject. Solve past papers at
least of 10-15 years.
3) Applied Mathematics/ Pure Mathematics: MSc Mathematics holder can
go for this subject. Either you will get full marks against each question
or zero. Never think of mid marks against each question.
4) Statistics: Any MSc holder can go for this subject. It is not a high
scoring.
5) Geology: Previously, it was a subject of 200 marks but now of 100
marks. Thus, the syllabus is still same lengthy, not much high scoring.

*GROUP 3: TO SELECT ONE SUBJECT OF 100 MARKS*

1) Business Administration: Aspirant having degree of MBA Finance

should opt.
2) Public Administration: It’s for all. Especially, this subject is for those
who have good conceptual mind. This subject is considered as 60%
scoring.
3) Governance & Public policy: This subject mostly overlaps with Public

Administration. This subject is suitable for conceptual learners.

4) Town Planning & Urban Management: This subject can be done

without any difficulty but syllabus is extensive. Civil engineers can go
for this subject..

*GROUP 4: TO SELECT ONE SUBJECT OF 100 MARKS*

1) History of India & Pakistan: The syllabus of this subject is lengthy. This
subject was a low scoring (50-55 marks out of 100 marks). Now, the
syllabus is more extensive w.r.t 1947-1999. This subject overlaps
Pakistan Affairs.
2) Islamic History & Culture: The syllabus of this subject is lengthy. One
has to study from Pre-Islamic History till present. This subject can be

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 prepared in one month. This is scoring subject better than Indo-Pak
History. This subject overlaps with Islamiyat.
3) British History: The syllabus of this subject is short in period wise
history but area of this subject is more extensive. You have to go
through this subject from A-Z. Time required to prepare this subject is
35-40 days. This subject is better scoring than Indo-Pak History but
less scoring than Islamic History
4) European History: This subject is too much extensive
5) History of USA: In this subject, you have to read the USA History from
1400 A.D till today. This is a high scoring subject. One can prepare this
subject within 10-14 days. Papers of USA History to be checked by US
Embassy. They encourage so that more

People will know about their history….

*GROUP 5: TO SELECT ONE SUBJECT OF 100 MARKS*

1) Gender Studies: This subject is easy and can be done without

background. This subject gives essay material related to women. One
question in Islamic Studies is related to the Gender Studies. This
subject overlaps with Sociology.
2) Environmental Science: This subject requires your strong background
of Biology or BSc Background (Botany, Zoology, Chemistry). The
syllabus of this subject is extensive. This subject overlaps with 10-15%
of General Science & Ability.
3) Agriculture & Forestry: This subject requires your educational
background. This is a high scoring subject. This subject requires 15-18
days to be prepared. Aspirants should be focused on scientific
terminology of this subject. This subject is combination of two
subjects: Part-1) Agriculture 50 marks, Part-2) Forestry 50 marks
4) Botany: Any MSc holder can go for this subject. S/he will feel ease to
prepare this subject within 18-20 days otherwise it is time consuming
for those who have no background. The syllabus is same when it was

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 of 200 marks. Aspirants carried 140 out of 200 marks. Now,
candidates pass this subject with 70-75 marks when it is of 100.
5) Zoology: This subject has been a low scoring subject throughout past
years.
6) English Literature: This is a low scoring subject. Aspirants having M.A
English shouldn’t go for this subject. The paper is checked by
professors of University of Punjab, Lahore.
7) Urdu Literature: Anybody can go for this subject. This is a scoring
subject up to 70%. The syllabus is 50% related to history of Urdu and
50% related to present literature. Aspirants opting this subject should
have following qualities:
a. Clear writing with Speed
b. Strong Urdu Vocabulary
c. Interest in Poetry

*GROUP 6: TO SELECT ONE SUBJECT OF 100 MARKS*

1) Law: Aspirants seeking graduation in Law. This is 65% scoring subject.

2) Constitutional Law: This subject is good for crammers. This is a low
scoring subject.
3) International Law: Anyone can opt this subject. This subject is based
on concepts. No background is needed. This is a high scoring subject
overlapping slightly with International Relations
4) Muslim law & Jurisprudence: Anyone can go for this subject. This
subject can easily be done. This subject overlaps Islamiat. This is a low
scoring subject with short syllabus. Paper of this subject is checked by
IIUI, Islamabad. Aspirants shoud be at home in basic Islamic laws.
5) Mercantile Law: This subject requires your educational background.
This is a mid scoring subject.
6) Criminology: This subject overlaps with Psychology. The syllabus is
lengthy. No background is necessarily required.
7) Philosophy: This subject overlaps Political Science. This subject can
give you 65% marks. Maximum time required to prepare this subject

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 is two months. You have to broaden your spectrum of mind in this
subject.

*GROUP 7: TO SELECT ONE SUBJECT OF 100 MARKS*

1) Journalism and Mass Communication: This subject can be done

without background. This subject gives essay material related to
media. This subject can give you 65 – 70% marks. The syllabus is
extensive.
2) Psychology: This is a high scoring subject and can be done without
background. The syllabus is extensive and can give 80% marks in the
paper
3) Geography: This subject has lengthy syllabus. Neither high scoring nor
low scoring. In this revised syllabus, regional geography portion has
been excluded.
4) Anthropology: This subject is introduced recently. The syllabus of this
subject is Masterís level.
5) Sociology: Anyone can opt this subject. No background is needed. This
subject is based on concepts. This is a high scoring subject overlapping
Gender Studies. This subject badly beats after every 3-4 years. This
subject gives you essay material related

To social topic.

REGIONAL LANGUAGES

(These are high scoring subjects. Most aspirants secured top Position due to
the selection of regional language subject. Aspirant should opt this subject if
it’s his or her mother tongue. This paper can give you 20 out of 20 marks
against each question. In Punjabi Paper, you are given English passage to be
translated into Punjabi. These subjects

Needs legible writing and writing speed is necessarily required.)

22
 6) Punjabi
7) Sindhi

8) Balochi & Pashto

9) Persian

10)Arabic

*A POINT TO UNDERSTAND*

It is you who is going to finalise the subjects. Don’t leave it to someone else.
Nor you should follow someone’s advice blindly since there is difference
between your aptitude and background and that of other person.

Will help you a lot – Updated Analysis.

Link:
https://www.facebook.com/100063769992057/posts/578646470937681/
?app=fbl

Link:
https://www.facebook.com/100063769992057/posts/704591138343213/
?app=fbl

*ENGLISH ESSAY PAPER*

A few prerequisites to prepare for Essay Paper:

BASIC KNOWLEDGE BASE

For preparation of Essay Paper, daily reading of a quality newspapers and

books on the subject of Philosophy, World History, Politics, Economics,
Sociology to name a few is very helpful. Remember that aspirant is aiming to
be an all- rounder.

PAST PAPER ANALYSIS

Essay Paper is divided into some core areas i.e. Education, Islam, Socio-
Economic crises, Crisis management, Terrorism and Extremism, Governance,

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Media, Environmental issues, Pakistan, Science and Technology, and UNO.
Choose any 5 areas (to be on the safe side) that you have a command over
according to your educational background, interest and aptitude. Once you
have chosen your 5 core areas, get the past papers and list down all the
questions that appeared in past papers regarding that Core Area.

ANALYTICAL MINDSET

Firstly you need to take a simple essay topic from any area that you are well-
versed in, and start brainstorming. Think and scribble everything that comes
to your mind on a piece of paper. Then divide your outline into Major
Variables, and Minor Variables. Make your outline comprehensive to such an
extent that the examiner clears you for essay while looking at your outline
only. All of your essay preparation would revolve around you practicing your
outlines. All of the other stuff is just mechanical. (You in depth practice of
making outlines, it is preferred to hire a teacher to check your outlines on a
regular basis, so that you can improve). Once you know how to make an
outline, your essay will clear. In short, work on your mind on the go, think in
terms of What? Why? How? Pros and Cons? Causes and effects? What ought
to be? (It will be used in making outlines)

KNOW YOUR PARAGRAPH

You need to have a technical know-how of writing a simple paragraph, an

introduction, and a conclusion.

WRITE A SHORT EXPANSION DAILY

It will be an exercise of your mind. Writing an expansion daily will keep your
mind running till your exams. You need to be in a writing habit and your
mind must be in a habit of thinking too. So keep practicing.

STAY MOTIVATED and once in a week, write an essay on one of your

outlines.

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P.S. It is assumed that your grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, and
spellings are in good shape.

Note: I would like you to watch these essay lectures, which were recorded by
one of my friends. He has successfully qualified CSS and PMS three times,
consistently achieving the high marks in essay writing. Over 30 of his
students have also qualified for CSS and PMS.

*ENGLISH PRÉCIS & COMPOSITION PAPER*

Actually, English Précis and Composition Paper is more concerned with your
expressions rather than the arguments. It’s a test of your literary skills and
command over English language and grammar. Do hand-pick standard books
on grammar and cast your eyes over them, read between the lines and avoid
cramming. Here, every portion is dealt with separately.

PRÉ CIS WRITING: Précis writing is one of the most useful skills you can
acquire for your work both as a student and as a professional, Précis writing
involves summarizing a document to extract the maximum amount of
information, then conveying this information to a reader in minimum words.
A précis is a clear, compact logical summary of a passage. It preserves only
the essential or important ideas of the original.

Here, I have for you a wonderful piece of advice regarding "Précis Writing". I
am sure Précis Writing is a hard nut to crack for all the aspirants out there,
but not anymore I hope I do justice with the transferring of the knowledge.
Well, I try my level best. However, none of you is bound to follow this
technique. If you find it useful, great! If not, even better. I hope we all learn a
lot. Enjoy!

PREREQUISITES OF PRÉCIS WRITING

A good précis shows the writing skills of a candidate. It must have the
following qualities.

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 1. Clarity: Clarity means getting your message across so that the
receiver can understand what the writer is trying to convey. It is
the basic and essential need of a précis. The ideas should be
clear and understandable. There should not be any ambiguity in
your writing. The writer can achieve clarity by using simple
language and simple structure. If your précis is not
understandable to the reader it will lose. Its importance and
meanings for the reader.

2. Correctness: Mistakes in your writings always irritate the

reader. Of course mistakes are never intentional; even so there
is no excuse for them. At the time of writing or composing a
précis the writer must ensure that the facts and figures are
correct. Structure of sentences and spellings of words must be
correct because a single mistake in structure and spelling may
spoil the message. We may consider the mistakes under the
following headings:

Misspelled words

Mistakes in figures and dates Mistakes in punctuation

Mistakes of grammar and structure

3. Objectivity: Objectivity means the ability to present or view

facts uncolored by feelings, opinions and personal bias. While
making a précis, the writer should adopt an objective approach.
He should not give and add his personal opinion and ideas in a
précis. A précis should be purely a summary of the original text
without any addition.
4. Coherence: Coherence means the logical and clear
interconnection of ideas in a written piece of work. A good
précis should be coherent. The ideas which are presented in a
précis must have a logical connection and they all should be

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 interrelated. In short we may say that the ideas should be well
knitted so that the writer may not be confused and lose his
interest.
5. Completeness: Another striking feature of a good précis is
completeness. A précis should be complete in all respects.
Completeness means that the writer should include all the
important facts in a précis. To make it short he should not omit
the important ideas. This mistake on the part of the writer will
spoil the importance and meaning of the précis.
6. Conciseness: Conciseness is a desirable quality of a good précis.
Conciseness means to say all that needs to be said and no more.
The writer should write what is necessary and avoid writing
unnecessary details. A concise piece of work conveys the
message in the fewest possible words. But one point must be
kept in mind that the writer should not omit some basic and
essential facts to achieve conciseness. To achieve conciseness,
notice the following suggestions:

Omitting unnecessary details.

Eliminate wordy expressions

Include only relevant material

Avoid unnecessary repetition

GENERAL TIPS FOR PRÉCIS WRITING

1) Précis Writing is the first question of the subjective part.

2) Follow the sequence of the English Composition and Précis paper, so
the examiner knows that you don’t lack self-confidence
3) Spend almost 1 hour on this section
4) The problems in précis writing are sometimes difficult vocabulary.
Don’t Panic. There are two types of meanings of difficult words

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 5) Be confident

Lexical Meanings: exact meanings out of the dictionary

Contextual Meanings: meaning of the word according to the context in which

it is used. Contextual Meanings can be understood from the former sentence
in which it is used or the latter. (Remember: Word is not important, the
position of the word is.)

6) Start practicing Précis from passages of Psychology and Philosophy

books. So go and get a pair of books on Philosophy and Psychology,
read them with dictionary on and build your vocabulary, and then
later start Past Papers.

For instance, 2005 précis passage was taken from book “Modern Reading in
Psychology” 2006 précis passage was taken from “Pleasures of Philosophy”
by Will Durant 2017 précis passage was taken from “In the Praise of
idleness” by Bertrand Russell

STEP BY STEP GUIDANCE FOR PRÉCIS WRITING

A well written précis should be a serviceable substitute for the original work.
The goal of a précis is to preserve the core essence of the work in a manner
that is both clear and concise. Here, I’m going to guide you step by step for
Précis Writing.

1) Précis writing is a very fine exercise in reading. Most aspirants read

carelessly and retain only a vague idea of what they have read. Nothing
provides a stronger corrective to such a habit than the practice of
putting down briefly the substance of what has been just read. Précis-
writing forces you to pay attention to what you have read. No one can

28
 write a summary of any passage unless he has read it attentively and
grasped its meaning. Thus, summarizing is an excellent training in
concentration. It teaches one to read with the mind as well as with the
eye. Read the passage for the first time slowly in order to grasp the
overall idea. (Only 15-20% meaning will be comprehended at this
time)
2) In the second reading, highlight certain points. Points are divided into
two categories;
a) ‘Are’s’: Facts and Figures (You can’t change them.)
b) ‘Are nots’: Explanations and Details.

You are given 20% permission to use words as they are, these are the facts
and figures, Highlight them! In a normal passage of 300 to 400 words, you
will be able to find 8 or 10 or 12 points.

3) On a fresh page, write down a heading “Points for the Précis” and
enlist all the points in your own words in a chronological order.
4) On the next page, make a heading “Rough Draft”, with the help of
Connectors/ Transitional Phrases, write down all the points you wrote
on the previous page in a single whole paragraph.
5) Count the words of the original passage and the ones in your Rough
Draft. Relaxation of 10 words is given by the examiner so that you do
not miss out the important points. (Do not try to be over-efficient and
avail this opportunity.)
6) Start editing your Rough draft and apply one word substitution or
other techniques where applicable.
7) On a fresh Page, make a heading ‘Neat Draft’. Write down the material
left after editing your ‘Rough Draft’. You need to write down your ‘Neat
Draft’ within 105-110 words (if the original passage is 300 words,
follow the 1/3rd Rule)
8) Using a Black Marker, write down “Words in the Original Passage: 300
words” on a separate line. On the next, write down “Required Number
of Words=100 words”. On the next, “Words in the Précis: 108” (This is
just a sample.)

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 9) Title of the Précis: “Title Giving” can be done by either giving “Points of
The Précis” a read and come up with a title, or figure it out through the
Topic Sentence, which is either written in the first sentence or the
concluding one.

The former method is more reliable. The title of the Précis must be given,
even if it is not asked. The hint for the title can be found in the central idea of
the passage. In fact, the title is the central idea of the central idea-the Précis
of the Précis. It should also be remembered that every word of the title
(except Articles, Prepositions and Conjunctions) should begin with a capital
letter. It can be:

A) In a phrase: “Unemployment is one of the reasons

behind Crime”

b) Like the Topic of an Essay: “Unemployment: a cause behind

Crime” (Most Effective Title)

Go back to the portion where you wrote “Points of the Précis” and “Rough
Draft” and put a cross using a Black Marker. The whole point of this exercise
is to make the examiner see that you have followed a proper structure while
attempting précis.

S/he’ll be impressed. Read the following passage and answer the question
given at the end:

A life of action and danger moderates the dread of death. It not only gives us
fortitude to bear pain, but teaches us at every step the precarious tenure on
which we hold our Present being. Sedentary and studious men are the most
apprehensive on this score. Dr. Johnson was an instance in point. A few years
seemed to him soon over, compared With those sweeping contemplations on
time and infinity with which he had been used to pose himself. In the still life

30
of a man of letters there was no obvious reason for a change. He might sit in
an arm chair and pour out cups of tea to all eternity would it had been
possible for him to do so. The most rational cure after all for the inordinate
fear of death is to set a just value on life. If we mere wish to continue on the
scene to indulge our head-strong humour and tormenting passions, we had
better be gone at once,; and if we only cherish a fondness for existence
according to the good we desire. From it, the pang we feel at parting which it
will not be very server.

Questions:

1. Suggest a suitable title for the passage.

2. Make a précis of the passage.

Solution:

1. Suitable Title: The fear if death.

2. Summary or Précis: If we lead an active life facing dangers, we
will less fear death. People, who lead a lazy and peaceful life, are
the most afraid of death. The most sensible way of getting rid of
the fear of death is to value life properly. If we do not give
unnecessary importance to our life, we will not feel the pang of
death.

COMPREHENSION:

Use Sandwich Strategy. Do not read the paragraph first. Read the questions
first, so that a detector is set in your mind. When you read the questions first,
you’ll detect the answers right away. Underline those sentences, read the
questions again. Answer now, in your own words only taking the concept and
facts and figures from the paragraph. Answer in a very comprehensive
manner in 4 to 5 sentences. If the examiner asks you to write the meaning of
the underlined words, lexical meaning is not required, contextual meaning is
required.. Read the given passage then give brief answers to the questions
placed at the end, in your own words (CSS 2002): There is indeed, something
inexpressibly pleasing in the annual renovation of the world and the new

31
display of the treasures of nature. The darkness and cold of winter with the
naked deformity of every object, on which we turn our eyes, make us rejoice
at the succeeding season, as well for what we have escaped, as for what we
may enjoy. Every budding Flower, which a warm situation brings early to our
view, is considered by us a messenger to notify the approach of more joyous
days. The spring affords to a mind free from the disturbance of cares or
passions almost everything that our present state makes us capable of
enjoying. The Variegated verdure of the fields and woods, the succession of
grateful odors, the voice of pleasure pouring out its notes on every side, with
the gladness apparently conceived by every animal from the growth of his
food and the clemency of the weather, throw over the whole earth an air of
gaiety, significantly expressed by Smile of nature. (Samuel Johnson)

Questions:

1. Give meanings of the bold expressions in the passage in your

own words.

Annual renovation (yearly renewal)

Treasures of Nature (phenomenal beauty)

Naked deformity (exposed disfigurement)

Succeeding season (following period)

Warm situation (pleasant weather)

Variegated Verdure (colourful freshness)

Grateful odors (welcoming fragrances)

Clemency of the weather (pleasantness of climate)

Air of gaiety (scene of happiness)

Smile of nature (beauty of nature)

32
 2. Say, how an early budding flower becomes a messenger of
happy days? Answer: After the dullness of the winter, an early
budding flower announces spring. The scenic beauty shoos
cares away and bring happiness. Woods become colourfully
fresh. Fragrances spread everywhere. Melodies can be heard.
Almost every shade of nature starts its charm and
attractiveness.

3. Who, according to the writer can make the best of the spring
season? Answer: A human being can make the best of spring
season. He can feast his eyes on the scenic beauty around. He
can enjoy the attractiveness of the multicoloured forests and
lush green fields. Melodious singing of the birds can also soothe
his ears. The beauty of the spring can free him from worries and
cares of life.

4. Why are all animals glad at the approach of spring seasons?

Answer: In the spring the animals are glad to have plenty of
food which was unavailable during winter. The animals either
store food or face hanger as snow covers everything. The spring
brings fresh fodder for the animals. The mild weather also
makes animals happy. They leave their hideouts and graze.

SENTENCE CORRECTION:

Sentence Correction is essentially a test of English grammar and usage, so the

best preparation for these questions is a review of the different grammar
rules and their usage. I strongly advise you to pay attention to elements of
grammar and sentence construction. There may be 10,000 rules of grammar
but the Examiner judges you in the exceptional ones. Make a separate note

33
book in which you need to write beneath it that where was the mistake, what
was the rule, and how it works. Many GMAT Sentence Correction books are
available on Google. Get one book and start practicing it!

For example: He not only comes there for swimming but also for coaching
new swimmers. (CSS 2017) Correct: He comes there not only for swimming
but also for coaching new swimmers. Structure Rule: ‘Either or’, ‘neither….
Nor’, ‘both…. And’, ‘not only…. But also should be followed by the same parts
of speech.

VOCABULARY:

For improving your vocabulary, read as much as possible. Peruse books on a

variety of topics and in many different genres. Underline words you do not
know, try to determine the meaning of the word based on the context and
then it up in the dictionary. The key to a better vocabulary is regular practice
and progress. Maybe you can’t learn a hundred new words a day, but you can
learn one or two a day, totaling

Thousands of new words over the years. Suppose, if you remember ten
words daily, think that after a month there would be 300 new words in your
memory and it would

Make a special difference to the owner. I think English newspapers (Dawn

Newspaper, The Economist) are the best source for it and keep in mind that
you can’t grasp them

Properly until you use them in your own sentences and work on three to four
synonyms for that word. Moreover, the comprehension and precise
paragraphs may contain

Hellish and hard words of vocabulary that may impede you getting what
actually is being said. If you manage to crack those words, it would make
quite easy for you to write your precise and answer the questions with good
understanding. Here’s an example for you.

34
Precipice: cliff, crag, rock face, brink, scarp

Sentence: The path had sheer rock on one side and a precipice on the other.

Wait and think, this word has 5 synonyms. You can use these synonyms
instead of using same word again and again. So, open your mind like a child
and you will learn words faster. Work on this strategy at least for one month
and then learn how to use right word at right place using any lexicon
(Recommended: Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 8 th Edition). Another
interesting way to learn vocabulary is through mnemonics (another file
named Barron’s Mnemonics can easily be download from Google.)

According to the perusal of English Précis and Composition Paper (CSS - - -

- ), a good command over vocabulary is a mandatory factor to get through
this paper. Vocabulary building is a systematic progress. Rote learning
doesn’t promise fruitful results. Many brilliant candidates may memorize
hundreds of words but are unable to recall the same during exams. In order
to keep the words in active memory, candidates are required to chalk out a
comprehensive plan for ‘vocabulary building’.

PHRASAL VERBS:

Understand the meaning of prepositions. If there are 1000 verbs and you
understand 10 prepositions, you’ll be able to understand 10, 000 phrasal
verbs. Once the concept of prepositions is clear, Have a look at 10 Phrasal
Verbs and comprehend the way a preposition changes the meaning of a verb.
‘Building of the Perception’ is going to help you in paper.

TRANSLATION & IDIOMS:

Read the sentence and try to make out the sense of the sentence. Try not to
translate. As it is, translate in “almost” the same words. You can divide the
given in the following segments:

35
 1. Subject Verb Resolve
2. Phrase Resolve
3. Voice Resolve
4. Narration Resolve 5. Context Resolve
5. Conjunction Resolve 7. Idiom Resolved
9Addition
10. Draft Resolve

FOR EXAMPLE:

‫کچھ ماہرین لسانیات نے اردو کی ابتداء کا سراغ ق دیم آرم اؤں کے زم انے میں لگ انے کی کوش ش کی‬
‫ہے۔‬

1. Subject Verb Resolve: Some language experts tried

2. Phrase Resolve: Origin of Urdu, Ancient Arian Era
3. Context Resolve: Find the roots, Find the traces

TRANSLATION: Some language experts tried to find the traces of Urdu in

Ancient Arian era. Idiomatic expression is not translated word for word. For
idioms, try to read between the lines. Recommended book is: Azhar Idioms
or Oxford Idioms

PAIR OF WORDS: Aspirants need conceptual study. Exploring the world of

English by Sayyid Saadat Ali Shah and any other book, try to make out the
difference of the words. Explain the meaning of both words first and then
make clear sentences. For example:

Veracity, Voracity (CSS 2017)

They questioned the veracity of her story.

36
(truth, truthfulness) Arsalan was voracity in nature. (extreme appetite)

GROUPING OF WORDS (SYNONYMS & ANTONYMS): Practice these from GRE

Barron’s Book preferably 15th Edition. You’ll find a portion there for grouping
of words. Plus, there are many online sources to practice that from, all of the
grouping of words question of 2016-17 came from a website (just so you
know). Recommended book is: Synonyms & Antonyms by Tariq Ali Khan

ADVICE FOR ASPIRANTS

To be specific for spelling, “gathering” the words from newspapers and

writing them down in your notebook will itself help you to remember the
spelling. For those who

Still find it difficult, writing the spelling 10-20 times is suggested. You should
avoid using “short language” while chatting on social media. Your brain is
very adaptive;

Such short words (misspelled) may cause trouble while taking exams. So
always use properly spelled words while you converse.

A POINT TO UNDERSTAND

This paper is all about practice. Get your work checked by someone who
could point out your mistakes. The point of all of the above exercises is to
improving your academic written English. Though I am personally against
the way this exam is trying to judge one’s written English, however, try to
improve your general English standard and you’d be good to go. All the best!

37