I have seen many people afraid of many things, yet the fear that CSS essay paper

evokes in the hearts of the

innocent aspirants is gigantic in size and horrible in nature. Students feel that
passing essay paper is as tough
as surmounting the K2 and that too without being requisitely equipped. And, they
are justified in their
perception.
The essay paper is mostly used by the designers of the CSS exam to minimize the
number of horses running toward
the finish line. Many aspirants see passing the essay paper as an insurmountable
task. The reality, however, is
altogether different than that what is actually perceived.
Getting through the essay paper, supposedly, is difficult; however, it�s not
because passing it requires exceptional
capabilities and potential, but because CSS aspirants aren�t requisitely equipped
with the techniques and skills
required to achieve the goal. It�s just like a man trying to open a lock without
the right key. What will happen? He
will fail! And, even a small lock would defeat all his power and strength. But, if
he has the right key, he can open,
in a jiffy, even the biggest and the safest lock.
SIGNIFICANCE
Essay writing is an art. Much importance is attached to the essay paper on the
Central Superior Service Exam
conducted by Federal Public Services Commission (FPSC) for the recruitment of Grade
17 of the All Pakistan
United Grades that go up to Grade 22. It is the toughest competitive examination
all over the Pakistan. Every year
thousands of candidates apply, and appear in this exam to get the most prestigious
job in the country, which
could lead them to the higher level of frame, wealth and prestige. The usual
aggregate for qualifying the
examination is 50 per cent.
Essay paper is the compulsory paper in this exam. Generally, 100 marks are allotted
for writing one topic within
three hours. Out of total 600 marks in compulsory papers, 100 marks can make or
break ones opportunity to get
selection. Generally marks between 45-65 considered good. Not only from getting
marks but from the point of
testing personality, mental development and maturity of the candidate it is one of
most effective and surest
means for examination conducting authority.
While you don�t have to study separate content for the civil services essay paper,
for your general studies
preparation is enough to cover possible topics, you do have to remember certain
aspects of writing a good essay if
you want to have an edge over your fellow CSS aspirants. A lot of CSS aspirants
make the mistake of not focusing
on the essay paper because of its general nature. However, there are many
advantages of concentrating on this
paper such as:
� You have the option of selecting one topic out of Ten. You should be able to
leverage this to your advantage
and shine in this paper.
� The essay paper is an area where you can let lose your creativity while
displaying your knowledge about the
topics.
� Also, you have three hours to write about 2500 to 3000 words. Hence, you can do
justice to the essay topic as
you have ample time to structure your thoughts and then start writing.
�
COMMON HURDLES
"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 clich�s, 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."
Psychological barriers
It is commonly believed that if you pass the Essay paper, you will be a CSP. This
extra conscious approach makes
ENGLISH ESSAY PAPER
4
Essay Writing Guide (Imaz Virk)
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 10:00am. So, do manage your time