Why do candidates fail in Central Superior Service (CSS) exam? Recently, Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) announced the result of the final part of Competitive Exam (CE) 2020. Out of 18553 who appeared in the exam only 376 passed the interview, while only 226 were recommended for the posts in prestigious occupational groups. A low passing ratio in the written exam leads us to ask questions such as why only around 2 percent of candidates pass the exam? Not to mention another hundred thousand candidates prepare for CSS every year but around 40,000 apply for the exam and only half of those appear in the exam.
English
CSS is a written exam that is conducted in English. Therefore, there is no chance that a candidate with poor written English can clear the exam. Candidates must develop command over the language and grammar. To polish the written expression, they should keep practicing writing and reading. It would be impossible for a candidate to convey his message if he is not able to write it effectively.
Both classic film and documentary can be very good tools for learning especially if combined with some textual study too! Good piece from Fahad Taherani! https://t.co/Z9P2UVlIBm via @GVS_News
— Moeed Pirzada (@MoeedNj) April 26, 2021
Read more: Maheen tops CSS 2020 as passing ratio falls down
Argumentative skills:
Questions in CSS exams require you to take a stand and present convincing arguments to prove your point. CSS candidates are not able to address the specific dimension questioned in the topic. The arguments should be supported through examples, facts, and figures.
Most students write irrelevant stuff; they do not answer the question in a precise and to-the-point manner. This leads them to failure.
Critical thinking and analysis
Students lack critical and analytical thinking skills because they do not read and reflect. Further, because of rote learning during their school, CSS candidates fail to understand the deeper meaning of issues which is very important for a future bureaucrat.
According to Oxford Languages, critical thinking is, “the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.”
While, analytical skills refer to the ability to collect and analyze information, problem-solve, and make decisions.
How intelligent film and art form can expand minds, develop knowledge and understanding of issues and may may even help with competitive exams like CSS! An interesting argument by a CSS taker! https://t.co/Ojt0oDTrdX via @GVS_News
— Moeed Pirzada (@MoeedNj) April 23, 2021
Creativity and open-mindedness
Pressure, stress, and the inability to take risks clog students’ minds. They lack practical knowledge and exposure which disallows candidates to think creatively. One needs to be open-minded to think out of box solutions asked in the paper. Most candidates also fail because they are not able to answer in a creative way. Examiners are bored of reading the same thing; they want to read your original ideas.
Read more: CSS: Why are dreams of thousands shattered every year?