Thread by @Staysaiff

#CSS Thread

Salam all,

I've been receiving quite a few queries regarding the CSS #Essay. The following thread focuses on the nuanced aspects of the paper that most CSS candidates tend to overlook during preparation:

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There is quite a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Essay paper with each academy/mentorship program suggesting a separate technique.
While there is no formal guideline provided by FPSC on the subject, the examiner feedback reports can shed some light on what's expected.

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The essay is supposed to judge a candidate's ability to explain a topic in a rational, well-researched, and comprehensive manner. The arguments you make must be grammatically-correct, relevant, and backed by research. Flowery and emotive expression isn't necessary.

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A decent CSS essay attempt must incorporate the following key points:

1. Diversity: Your arguments must cater to various dimensions of the topic.
I mapped my topic onto the acronym PESTREL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Religious, Environmental, Legal).

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Other dimensions like Security, Education, Health, etc can also be added. The more diverse the topic is, the more comprehensive it will turn out to be.

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2. Hierarchy: Your arguments must be of the same nature/weight. For example, if you mention the economic dimension of COVID-19 in one paragraph, other paragraphs should also be broad, not specific like, say, the number of ventilators Pakistan produced.

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If you want to convey the point about ventilators, approach the paragraph from an industry or health lens and use it as an example to prove your point.

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3. Coherence: While coherence between sentences is important, coherence between paragraphs can significantly improve your essay. Sequencing paragraphs in the order of relevance can naturally help you link them together.

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For example, an essay on Globalization should start by talking about the economic angle first and then gradually move towards social, political, environmental, legal angles, etc.

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4. Concreteness: Do not use filler statements to meet the word count. While you may take creative liberties with the attention-getter in the introduction, the body paragraphs are all about evidence.

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One way to avoid filler statements is by replacing them with evidence. I provided two facts/examples per paragraph - candidates usually add one for each para. The more evidence you provide, the meatier your essay is, and the less you need to add fillers.

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5. Outline & Intro: Outline and Intro leave your first impression in the examiner's mind. Perfect them by practicing as much as you can. There is no size limit for the outline. A detailed outline can aid you while your essay - but formulating it is time-consuming.

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My Outline Template (14 body paragraphs):
1. Intro
a) Description of the attention-getter
b) Relevance of topic
2. Defining key elements of the topic
a) Def A
b) Def B
3. Main Heading
3.1. Subheading/Argument
a) Evidence A
b) Evidence B
3.2. ..
4. ..
5. ..
6. Conclusion

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6. Interpretation: This is the MOST IMPORTANT part of the essay - it can make or break your essay in the first 5 minutes. If you get the essay topic wrong, you're out. If you get it right, you're still in the game for the next 2 hours and 55 minutes.

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Defining the topic (your interpretation) in a paragraph after the intro can provide you with a margin of error in case you deviate a bit.
A rule of thumb: Do not attempt topics whose requirements you do not fully understand.

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SOURCES

For Writing Expression: @ForeignAffairs, @ForeignPolicy, @AJEnglish, @dawn_com
For Data Gathering: Pakistan Economic Survey, Dawn Finance Weekly, @Diplomat_APAC, World Times Magazine

This is a non-exhaustive least ofc.

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I hope this thread proved to be helpful. Please tag your friends/retweet so it may reach other CSS aspirants looking for guidance.

Feel free to drop a comment - I'll back to you.

Wishing you all the best! :)

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List*

*while writing your essay