Essay writing tips and tricks by FPSC Examiners & Seniors

For facilitation and guidance of the CSS aspirants, some highly reputed educationists/examiners were asked to share opinions regarding what is expected of a good essay and what mistakes are to be avoided. Some of the guidelines provided by these experts are reproduced in the next paras. It should be noted that these observations/assertions are views of the individual educationists and not the official prescription of FPSC. It is the sole discretion of the candidate to follow these guidelines. The same cannot be quoted as a set of standard at any forum. 

 Subject Expert/Examiner - I 

a) Proper beginning with a compact and elaborated topic sentence that must reflect the candidates clear understanding of the topic. 

b) Correct and flawless language. 

c) Use of appropriate vocabulary 

d) Literacy and idiomatic expression 

e) Use of relevant terminology if needed 

f) Selection of relevant thoughts 

g) Logical organization of ideas. 

h) Coherence in arrangement of material/paragraphs 

i) Cohesion in development of argument reaching the conclusion 

j) Clarity in language, ideas, debate and finish. 

k) Comprehensiveness 

l) Logical presentation of the argument 

m) Standard sizing as per requirement 

n) Avoidance of too much scholarship 

o) Through acquaintance with the nature of question i.e topic 

p) Quotation, when used, must be well placed and relevant 

q) Impressive finish 

Subject Expert/Examiner - II 

a) A good essay is not supposed to reflect crammed information or bookish knowledge about the topic. It should rather tell us about the writer’s personal feelings or thoughts about it, and his ability to convert these feelings and thoughts into arguments for convincing the readers. 

b) It should be self-contained and self-explanatory: not depending on any outside source for its essential comprehension. 

c) Its basic stance should be creative, critical and analytical rather than narrative or descriptive.

d) It should contain a unified and coherent discussion on a particular topic (strictly in accordance with the wording of the title), with no digression or overshadowing. 

e) It should work through establishing the writer’s personal stand about the subject, and substantiating that stand with convincing arguments. 

f) It should be compact and concise, with no loose constructions or unnecessary attachments. 

g) It should have a balanced body, with a beginning, middle and end-each one serving its own distinct purpose. 

h) It should work as a unit of impression in the sense that the impact of the beginning is still fresh when the reader reaches the end. 

i) It should be a fluent text with natural linkage among parts and paragraphs, with no disjointed or segregated parts. 

Subject Expert/Examiner III 

a) Relevance 

b) Structure 

c) How to handle an argument or to be argumentative 

d) Counter-viewing the argument 

e) Avoid superfluity 

f) English – figurative and metaphoric 

g) How to pitch your bias 

h) How to avoid spurious ideas 

i) How to show difference between specific and general ideas 

j) Paragraph transition (most important) 

Subject Expert/Examiner IV 

a) Answer the exact inquiry set, instead of displaying data that is comprehensively important to the theme. 

b) Have a reasonable contention or point of view, so the examiner knows from the start what the candidate means to state, and can follow the advancement of his/her contention all through the easy. 

c) Be critical and analytical clarifying why something is critical, instead of basically depicting what scholars have said. 

d) Provide reasons, in view of sound proof, to help the primary contention. 

e) Have good paragraphing: the primary concern of each passage is presented unmistakably, and sections pursue sensibly from one another. 

f) Evaluate alternate point of view: it weighs up the relative worth or importance of various perspectives or speculations, assessing the key contentions and proof for these, and clarifying why one lot of contentions, reasons or proof is more persuading than others. 

g) Refer to speculations and ways of thinking important to the inquiry, showing a comprehension of the criticalness of these to the subject. 

h) Include references: where applicable, careful references (names and dates). 

i) Be particular: it incorporates only the data and detail that is most applicable to responding to the inquiry, and forgets about less important material. 

j) Be composed unmistakably and to the point, without waffle, reiteration, stupendous speculations, bombastic language, superfluous language, or individual tales. 

******