Over the past couple of years, it has been reported that registrations for the Central Superior Services (CSS), Provincial Management Services (PMS) and Provincial Civil Services (PCS) have surged exponentially. On the contrary, the ratio of those actually passing the exams, against those appearing in the ‘sacred exams’ has remained bleak.
Additionally, it has also been observed that most applicants either do not appear in the exams after registration, or simply refuse to appear in rest of the papers after performing poorly in the first few ones.
This and a lot more would be discussed in depth in this article. It entails recognizing the reasons of failure in the prestigious examinations, and more importantly, what can one do to avoid making petty to major errors.
Let’s begin the investigation by examining the Federal Public Service Commission’s (FPSC) and Balochistan Public Service Commission’s (BPSC) examiner Report which mentions the most common mistakes that a student commits in the examinations.
The most frequently mentioned issues, according to the FPSC’s and BPSC’s examiner report are:
- Wrong use of English
- Grammatical and spelling mistakes
- Flawed sentence structure
- Reliance on crammed knowledge
- Stereotypical information
- Inadequate/irrelevant content
- Poor understanding of the topic
- Lack of academic writing skills
- Monotonous statements
- Not abiding by the essay / précis writing structure
By analyzing the above mentioned reasons, it becomes quite evident that if a candidate is unable to properly comprehend the question, certainly, he would not be able to answer what is being asked.
Moreover, if a candidate does not sensibly analyse the question, his excessive reliance on crammed and monotonous knowledge to fit in any question does more harm than good.
Likewise, lack of research and objectivity in the answer makes it harder for the examiner to gauge the credibility of the provided information.
Similarly, a lot of candidates fail to grasp the requisite format and structure that is required by the Federal Public Service Commission.
These exams are unlike school, college or university examination. They require a particular structure and a format to be followed, in the absence of which, a student reduces his/her chances of passing the examination drastically.
Most importantly, without correct “ENGLISH”, even if a candidate knows what is being asked, definitely, he would not be able to express his thoughts on a paper that examiner is going to check. This very paper is going to represent the understanding, capability and aptitude of a candidate regarding a particular question.
Therefore, no amount of emphasis is enough to underscore the significance of English language in these competitive exams, where every single mark counts. English does hold paramount importance in these competitive exams. It is because, majority of exams are to be given in English. Hence, this must be the top-most priority.
“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.”
Flora Lewis
But then there is this question that arises: Despite 14 to 16 years of academic education – as per FPSC’s eligibility rules – and that too in English, why does the examiner still find a candidate’s expression, sentence structure, grammar, and reasoning inadequate?
The answer to this question traces its roots back to our education system: A system, where English is treated and taught as a “Subject” instead of teaching it as a “Language”. The issue with teaching English as a subject is that students find it convenient to cram the basic rules of English without understanding the context and their appropriate usage.
Much like a scientific subject, they tend to rote learn “subject, object, verb, dependent-independent clauses, and everything in between”. This causes more confusion than clarity, and as a result, students try to steer clear from using English language in their daily routine.
Consider this: A child starts speaking his/her native language from a very young age. Have you ever wondered how does that happen? Is it because he was taught the rules and regulations? Or did he cram them? NO! He PRACTICED speaking. Hearing the family members, friends, and acquaintances he started to utter a few words, mispronounced at first, but never gave up trying until he got them perfect.
Similarly, when a person is able to think in a language without any hesitation, only then he becomes able enough to express himself the way he wants. Therefore, “PRACTICING” is the key to learning. It must also be noted that one is always susceptible to commit mistakes, especially in the beginning of learning something new, but that is how one learns. So learning never stops and learning must continue from every available resources.
This brings us to our next point, which is regarding the role of students. They also have to play an equally decisive role by utilizing most resources available to them in order to bolster their language learning practice. With the advent of internet, there are innumerable resources out there, be it books, lectures, videos, and even applications where people interact with each other to learn languages from native speakers, such as MEMRISE, PIMSLEUR and TANDEM to name a few. Therefore, the possibilities are endless and they must be harnessed to one’s full advantage.
Once this language learning process begins, it rather becomes a habit, a part of daily routine, and it will keep getting refined over time by practicing reading, writing and speaking.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit – Will Durant
But another question that baffles a person is what to read? Where to read? How much to read? This is, without a doubt, one of the most recurring questions of a lot of candidates. As discussed earlier, examiners despise stereotypical and monotonous information that is devoid of any sound evidence, proof or justification. Therefore it becomes imperative to dig deep into understanding the ‘WHAT, WHY, WHEN, WHO and HOW’ of the subject in question. This means that candidates ‘must’ study subjects objectively.
This objective study is different from the one most students have remained accustomed to in their bachelors or masters programs. It is so, as this study requires exploring all the possibilities of the particular topic by considering the past, present and future of the matter.
This entails conceptual, analytical and factual methodology. Now how does one do that? It starts by clearing one’s doubts about the fundamentals of a subject.
For example: A candidate who wants to understand ‘democracy’ – one of the favourite topics of examiners, hence of students as well – he needs to understand:
- THE WHAT: What is the meaning of democracy? What are its advantages and disadvantages?
- THE HOW: How does a democracy actually work? How does it cater to the problems of people? How can the impediments in the democratic form of government be removed?
- THE WHEN: When did democracy appear for the first time? When did it surpass other forms of governments?
- THE WHY: Why is it important? Why is it the dominant form of government across the globe?
- THE WHO: Who is eligible to run a democracy?
When all these questions are kept in mind, then a candidate needs to perform ‘research’. He may utilise the internet and relevant books where he will find the answer to all these questions. He does not need to cram the subject line by line but he must:
- Have sound understanding to differentiate between democratic and non-democratic states
- He must inquire about the principles of democracy and be acquainted with the objectives of democracy
- He must know the process of forming a democracy, its hierarchies, and how it functions.
- The rights that democracy affords to its citizenry, how a common man is affected by it, and what can he do to overcome the challenges
This conceptual reading and understanding of a topic once done holistically equips a candidate with enough confidence to ‘critically analyze’ the question, as he understands how things ought to work versus how things are actually working.
Talking about the resources for equipping a candidate with arsenal of relevant and credible information, he must:
Remain updated about happenings around the country and the world by reading newspaper / e-newspaper. This includes national newspapers:
- DAWN
- EXPRESS TRIBUNE
- THE NEWS
For international news:
- AL JAZEERA
- FOREIGN POLICY
- THE ECONOMIST
NOTE: It is not mandatory to read all newspapers regularly. But one must know the latest happenings.
Reading articles, blogs and opinions of subject specialists not only enhances one’s understanding but also equips one with a different point of view of perceiving a situation and of course, the expression is always a plus point to be learnt.
THE GOLDEN TIP:
Another aspect of immense significance which is often overlooked by most candidates is utilizing ‘THE JOURNALS’. Journals are scholarly publications that contain articles which are written by researchers, professors and other experts. They focus on a specific discipline and unlike newspapers and magazines, they provide for an academic and technical understanding with facts, figures, experimentation and statistics which provide credibility to back their arguments.
There are a lot of journals that many candidates are unaware of such as:
- Institute of Policy Research Islamabad (IPRI)
- Centre for Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS)
- Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI)
- Pakistan Journal of Criminology (PJCR)
- Pakistan Journal of Gender Studies and Women Studies
These resources will set a candidate’s paper apart from others as he will have his objective analysis baked by evidence from reputable and credible institutions. Likewise, the habit of reading national and international columnists, authors and researchers will definitely broaden the horizon of the candidate. He will have widened his knowledge bank, his vocabulary, and his expression. This is a continuous process and requires sheer commitment from the person in order to excel
It must be borne in mind that there is NO SHORTCUT TO SUCCESS. It requires unflinching resoluteness, undeterred commitment and perseverance. There are many candidates, who find it convenient to rely on brief handouts provided by several “CSS/ PMS ACADEMIES”. These academies have sprung up at an unprecedented pace. However, the extent of their credibility and meritocracy cannot be gauged properly. Therefore, solely relying on CSS / PMS academies is extremely risky because:
- Every student is being provided with same resources. This reduces the chances to differentiate a candidate’s answer from the rest of the candidates.
- Notes and lectures may or may not be updated with the latest happenings around the world.
- To check the credibility of the facts and figures is the responsibility of the candidate.
Thus, Self-Studying has NO SUBSTITUTE. Academies can serve a guiding light to familiarize an applicant with what and how to study only. It is the duty and responsibility of the person to plan and organize his study schedule, to utilize the latest resources, and to analyze the subjects by clearing his confusions. Indeed, this is an arduous task and a lot of candidates do not walk the extra mile. But that is what distinguishes an ordinary candidate from the one that has given it all.
Teachers open the doors but you must enter yourself
Chinese Proverb
To sum it up, Central Superior Services, Provincial Management Services, and Provincial Civil Services are competitive exams. These exams require efficient, objective, directed, effective and analytical study methodology. Unlike any other exams before, these exams also test the mental, psychological as well as physical abilities of a person to the core. Three hours of continuous writing and two papers a day is not an easy task. In addition, one of the noteworthy aspects that a student must focus on is managing his time and staying relevant. This is yet again mastered by practicing. Hence, a candidate must stay honest and truthful to himself. He knows his weaknesses and strengths better than anybody else. Therefore, he must leave no stone unturned in polishing his strengths, capitalizing on them, and likewise mending his shortcomings. This exam is all about staying consistent, confident, committed, and holding on to your nerves under extreme pressure. It is not something impossible. Many have done it and many more are doing it. All one has to ask himself / herself is: Am I ready to give it all for this?
We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort – Jesse Owens
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