Recently, the results of the Central Superior Services (CSS) exams were declared. The CSS exam is one of the most challenging exams in the country, but only challenging for those who take it seriously. Several thousand candidates take the exams because they have done a BA degree and have nothing else to do.
If cleared, the candidate goes through a rigorous interview process, after which they are allocated to one of the various services. The process of studying and appearing for the exam is quite excruciating and not everyone’s cup of tea. Each year, at least ten thousand of the forty thousand who register do not appear for the exam. Many students are unable to go through with all 12 exams and leave them in between. However, there are some tips and tricks that help in studying and going through with the exams.
On December 6, the outcome of the central superior service exam was released after a long and arduous trip of more than six months. Only 393 out of a total of 20,262 aspirants passed the exam. This year’s passing rate was only 1.94%, 0.17% lower than last year’s 2.11%. However, this time around, more people took the exam and more passed.
I spoke to a couple of friends who are pursuing a CSS-driven status.
They say that in order to face the exams, it is necessary for CSS aspirants to begin studying a year in advance. This gives ample time to review the material and identify areas that need extra attention and detail. Secondly, it is highly important to make a study schedule that outlines how the candidate will use their time each day to study, and enough time should be allocated towards making comprehensive notes for each subject. Candidates must also have all the material needed to study. Other than basic textbooks, candidates must also focus on various other resources, such as the newspaper, journal articles, and magazines. For CSS candidates, it is highly important to peruse newspapers daily, as that not only gives important information regarding current affairs but also improves the aspirants’ writing style and vocabulary.
Additionally, it is important for candidates to seek help from a mentor who can check their answers and help them understand any concepts that are difficult to understand. The notes that candidates make must be reviewed time and again so that the information is absorbed completely. Moreover, asking questions is imperative when studying for the CSS. Usually, candidates learn information without truly understanding the concept, and they shy away from asking questions of mentors. This only impacts the candidates negatively in the long run, as they are unable to reproduce the information in the exams.
CSS also requires constant practice of questions that have been asked in previous years. Not only do practice exams allow candidates to learn about the exam pattern but it also helps them how to navigate through it in the given time. Moreover, CSS is not only about studying and learning everything by heart, it is about the smart study and gaining the ability to reproduce the information in the best possible way in the given time period. Future aspirants must allocate at least one year of study to this exam and gain as much knowledge as possible from all the sources they can collect.
Lastly, before the exams, the candidates must get proper rest, make no compromise on sleep and always stay positive no matter what the outcome.
Thousands of Pakistanis aspire to join the CSS since it is the most coveted job in the country. It bestows authority and the ability to effect genuine change. People devote years of their lives to pursuing this desire. Some are successful, while others are not. The exam allows one person three chances, and many people take all three. Those who have gone through it believe it is a game of both hard effort and chance.
