A Step-By-Step Guide for the CSS Exam
I’m writing this post for individuals wishing to appear in the CSS exam. It’s based on my personal experiences and by no means serves as a universally applicable template — what worked for me may not work for you.
How to approach the CSS Exam?
The first step on the journey is to approach the exam from the lens of practicality rather than fanaticism. Aspire only if your hopes and ambitions serve as motivation to go the extra mile. If it only increases pressure on your shoulders, it’s better to treat it as an exam — and nothing more. At the end of the day, it’s just an entry test for a job.
I spent many sleepless nights wondering how to begin my preparation. I’ll save you the trouble and explain the process step-by-step.
Setting Up a Macro Timeline
It’s helpful to start your preparation by setting up a macro timeline. It would span across months and include the time duration (in days) and sequence in which you will be studying each subject. Going through the syllabus and past papers will provide you with a rough idea of how long each subject will take. My macro timeline spanned roughly around 5–6 months.
A Disciplined Daily Grind
Once you have your macro timeline set up, the process then relies on discipline, routine, and consistency. I dedicated 8 hours daily for CSS prep. Out of these, I spent 2 hours every day reading opinion pieces in Dawn, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, the Diplomat, Al Jazeera, TRT World, and Project Syndicate. I made a digital data bank containing useful information I came across in these pieces. These 2 hours per day served as a source of over 50% of the content I eventually wrote in my CSS exam. The remaining 6 hours were spent studying resources linked to various subjects.
Optional Subjects and Course Books
My choice of optional subjects was based on my own interests and background — not on scoring trends. There are plenty of guidance sources available on optional subject selection so I won’t go into its detail. I won’t be touching upon the course books for the same reason.
Improving Your Paper Attempting Technique
Once you’ve rigorously followed your macro timeline and daily schedule, the end game begins. For the written exam, I would recommend practicing by giving mock exams beforehand. While the scoring may not always be reflected in your final exam, you’ll know where you stand in terms of content, formatting, and time management.
You’ll get the content from the subject resources and additional readings — the more it stands out, the better. The formatting will be based on a mixture of headings and visual aids (diagrams, flowcharts, etc). My headings were mostly descriptive but limited to 4–5 words max. I tried to at least include a visual aid in each question. For time management, I would recommend making rough outlines in the first 30 minutes for the question you plan on attempting — your mind will be exhausted later on. Spend the next 150 minutes jotting down your answers.
CSS Essay: Practice Makes Perfect
The content for your essay will be borrowed from the opinion pieces you read online and subject material. You write the kind of content you read. Outlets like Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy can provide you with high-quality content. Others like Al Jazeera can improve your written expression. Your outline and intro determine the make or break point of your essay, and thereby your entire CSS exam. Practice outlines and intros in real-time conditions by picking up random topics and writing their outlines and intros in an impromptu manner. I wrote detailed outlines (including arguments and examples) spanning four pages/sides in the first 45 minutes. I established some generic attention grabbers based on different domains (politics, education, economy, etc.) that helped me my intros off to a good start. It took me 20–25 minutes to write an intro. My practice essays usually spanned 14–15 body paragraphs (excluding intro and conclusion) and so did my final one. In the last 3 months, practice an outline plus intro a day and a complete essay or two a week (in exam conditions — pick a random topic and track your time).
Some Red Lines on the Exam Day
There are two things that can ruin your attempt on exam day even if you have outstanding preparation: sleep deprivation and panicking. If you are sleep-deprived, your mind will not function per its normal capacity. You will not generate the unique ideas that you would otherwise have. You won’t be able to think as per the situation’s needs. As for panicking, it usually occurs when you are faced with a paper you have not prepared for — begins in the first few minutes and remains the entirety of the exam. If you need an example, think of a candidate viewing the MCQs of the Precis and Composition paper in the CSS 2021 exam. The shock value of the objective section was reflected in lacking performance in the subjective section.
Cracking the Interview
I would rate my viva voce experience an 8.5/10 overall. My psychological assessment was a 9/10 and my panel interview was an 8/10. I cleared many interviews in my life and perhaps flunked a lot more. The defining factor of my successful interviews has always been self-awareness: I knew what I wanted to do and, more importantly, why I wanted to do it.
A Parting Note
The effort is for you to put in and the results are for Allah to decide. Pass or fail, when the dust of the exam settles down, you’re going to turn out a wiser person. Isn’t that a feat worth celebrating?
