Comprehension & Precis Writing Mastery

Reading Comprehension Skills

Comprehension passages test your ability to understand, analyze, and infer meaning from written text. In PPSC/FPSC MCQ exams, passages are usually 200-400 words long. In CSS, you face longer academic passages requiring deeper analysis.

1. Comprehension Strategies

• Skim first - Read the passage quickly to get the main idea
• Read questions next - Know what you're looking for
• Read carefully - Pay attention to details, tone, and implied meanings
• Eliminate wrong answers - In MCQs, cross out clearly wrong options first

2. Types of Comprehension Questions

• Main idea questions - What is the passage primarily about?
• Detail questions - According to the passage, which of the following...
• Inference questions - What can be inferred from the passage?
• Vocabulary in context - The word "X" most nearly means...
• Tone/attitude questions - The author's tone can best be described as...

3. Precis Writing - A CSS Essential

A precis is a concise summary of a passage, reduced to about one-third of the original length while retaining key ideas. This is a compulsory component of the CSS English paper.

Steps for Writing a Good Precis:

1. Read the passage thoroughly at least twice
2. Identify the main theme and supporting points
3. Write in your own words - do not copy phrases from the original
4. Maintain the original order of ideas
5. Use third person and indirect speech
6. Give it an appropriate title
7. Keep it approximately one-third of the original

4. Common Precis Writing Mistakes

• Including personal opinions or comments
• Copying sentences verbatim from the passage
• Missing important points while including minor details
• Exceeding the prescribed word limit
• Failing to give a title