THE evolution of human beings can be attributed to their capacity for communication through signs and languages. If they hadn’t created means of communication, they wouldn’t have made the progress they have gained until today. Language is a means to communicate thoughts and ideas effectively. A strong language command can leave a lasting impression on the audience. Failing to communicate effectively leads to a lack of understanding for the listeners and readers. The significance of language becomes vital for students entering their academic careers. The pinnacle of students’ talent and ability is reached when they can communicate in exams without any difficulty. Failing to effectively communicate in their academic career leads to poor grades for students. This has a profound impact on their life, causing them to miss out on many opportunities.
Regrettably, schools and colleges in Pakistan have utterly failed to improve students’ communication skills, resulting in a majority who cannot speak or write effectively in English. The situation worsens for individuals from underprivileged areas with subpar educational facilities. English is used as a medium of communication in schools, colleges and other higher educational institutions. However, there is a notable disparity in the development of English communication skills among students from different backgrounds because there are serious disparities in our education sector. Differences in educational background create an opportunity gap for students, where fluency in English becomes a determining factor for career success.
The ones who aim to appear in competitive exams are most affected. Good communication skills are essential in competitive exams. Aspirants struggle to excel in this exam without developing basic writing and speaking skills. To see improvement in English language skills takes years of dedication. Making a difference requires consistent effort and can be a tedious process. Many students in the competitive exam race fail to realize that excelling in English writing is the first requirement to pass CSS. The misconception causes them to think that CSS can be easily cracked in a matter of months. This misleading illusion is detrimental to students who struggle with English writing and speaking.
They enroll in academies hoping for a life-changing transformation in just a couple of months, only to be crushed by failure and disappointment on result day. The cycle persists until they run out of CSS attempts, with no victories to show for it. Although CSS poses a language barrier for many, students can overcome it by researching and studying the basic requirements to master English in this field. To enhance English writing abilities, one needs to improve sentence structure first. Constructing meaningful statements is the first step toward the development of effective English writing skills. Enhancing sentence structure entails focusing on syntax, including phrases and clauses, to construct sentences. Incorporating phrases and clauses adds variety and diversity to sentence structure. In addition, it grants ample independence to the writer to convey ideas without falling short of any structural ingredients.
Moreover, tenses in the English language are vital for determining when actions occur. Failing to master tenses results in an inability to correctly position verbs in their respective periods. Additionally, punctuation marks in English act like road signs, guiding readers to understand what lies ahead in a written piece. Regrettably, English education in schools and colleges often limits itself to teaching traditional rules, covering only basic parts of speech and teaching tenses in a manner that involves cramming structures such as “تا ہے, تی ہے۔, تے ہیں۔” to understand tense usage in English. Unfortunately, naïve CSS students face an added challenge to clear CSS due to the availability of low-quality books in the market.
These books lack international guidelines and fail to meet FPSC requirements. Moreover, during their preparation, aspirants hardly use the books recommended by FPSC. This flawed approach hinders CSS aspirants from reaching the necessary skill level to excel in the CSS exam. Furthermore, candidates often find themselves even more perplexed and uncritically adhere to advice from CSS-qualified students on social media, oblivious to the fact that their own inadequate English writing skills are the true reason for their failure, necessitating considerable time and effort to meet FPSC’s criteria. Next is the failure of candidates to grasp the concept that improving writing and speaking skills takes time. Many students have very high expectations of making rapid improvements in their language skills. This is something that never occurs because no one can go against the natural time requirement needed for improving language structures.
As a result, numerous hopefuls become disheartened and give up on their journey for months until they are faced with exams and have no choice but to appear with the same poor skillset. It again brings failure for them as they fail to improve their competence owing to their lack of consistency in the process of self-improvement. To add to it, candidates rarely engage in reading quality books and lack the habit of incorporating reading into their daily routines. This compromise negatively impacts the performance of aspirants in the CSS exam and their intellectual capabilities. Passing CSS may not be difficult, but achieving the necessary proficiency takes considerable effort, time, and investment, which can be a daunting task for many. By following a well-guided path, aspirants can avoid failure and succeed in this exam within a specific time frame.
No one is spared from the merciless nature of opportunities. They meet people who become skilled and competent. Hence, developing capability is a personal quest that demands nothing but determination, commitment and a persistent mindset. While our education system may not fully meet these expectations, aspirants also must create a well-defined plan to prepare for the CSS exam. Being from an underprivileged area doesn’t determine one’s prospects unless one allows disparities to hinder the path of opportunities. Aspiring candidates can boost their English proficiency and successfully compete in CSS with dedicated introspection and effort. The English language in CSS can be a barrier, but only for those who don’t want to overcome it.
—The writer is CSS Officer, based in Sargodha.
Email: [email protected]
