QUERIES of CSS,PMS,PCS Aspirants

Jahangir's World Times is the only magazine that caters for the needs of the candidates of the prestigious competitive exams including CSS, PMS and PCS. Candidates often face difficulties in selection of subjects, choosing the right books, preparing for the interviews and so on. JWT's CSS GURU is an initiative to provide the guidance candidates may need at any stage. Our guru will answer all your queries. If you want to ask something and need guidance, please write to us or email at the following address: Jahangir's World Times 121-D, Gulberg II, Lahore. email: cssguru@jworldtimes.com

 

Dear Guru
I am doing my B.S. (Hons.) in Mass Communication from Punjab University. My subjects are sociology, psychology, political science and journalism. Now I am in third semester and I am going to appear in BA exam this year so that I may appear in CSS. The PU library has a lot of books but I cannot decide which books I should choose. Moreover, my English is not so good. Keeping in view my shortcomings, please tell me which subject combination is right for me and also suggest me a few good books of these subjects along with a method to improve my knowledge and writing skills.

I belong to Gilgit-Baltistan and we have 4 per cent quota in the CSS. If you guide me a little I will work hard because I am at an initial stage right now.

Regards
Syed Imtiaz Ahmed

Dear Imtiaz
You may consult the books suggested below. However, you should also benefit from PU Library for value-addition of your notes for each subject. You may select from subjects like Psychology, Geography, Sociology, Journalism, British History and Political Science.

Psychology:
1.    Introduction to Psychology by Morgan & King
2.    Abnormal Psychology by Neil Davisson  
3.    Psychology by Ali Ajmal

Physical Geography:
1.    Physical Geography of Human Environment by     H. De Blij
2.    Certificate Physical and Human Geography by     Goh Chen Long

Economic, Regional and Human Geography:
1.    Geography (20 Questions) by M. Jahangir Sanpal Khan
2.    Economic Geography by Fazal Karim Khan
3.    Oxford Geography for Pakistan by Fazal Karim

Sociology:
1.    Sociology by Horton and Hunt
2.    Social Problems of Pakistan by Dr Muhammad Khalid

British History:
1.    Modern English History by G.W. Southgate
2.    British History for CSS by Dr Waheed Asghar

Dear Sir
I want to seek guidance on the matter of Muslim Law. Should I opt it for 2014 or skip it? I have done some work on it but I am scared of its low scores it has yielded in the last two years.
Kindly help me.
Shenzay Ali

You are right in mentioning that candidates of Muslim Law have got disappointing marks in past few years. But you must remember that each year many candidates with good preparation are able to obtain good scores in this subject.  Muslim Law is a technical subject and you have to provide references from different sources of Islamic Law as well as some historical references. If you can handle the demands of this paper, then you should go for it ignoring the results of other candidates.



Dear Guru
I have done Masters in Political Science from Balochistan University and now I want to appear in CSS and I want to have the combination of Political Science with Public Admin., International Law, Psychology and Pushto. Will it be suitable for me? Please also suggest me the reasonable method of study and making notes.
Thank You.
Sabir khan
Qillah Abdullah, Balochistan

Dear, your combination is good except that scores of Political Science have not been encouraging in recent years. However, being a Masters in Political Science, you should be in a position to handle this paper aptly. As an option, you may also consider Geography or British History.

You should study with a timeline in mind. First of all enlist all topics to be covered for each subject. Consult past papers to get an idea of the way questions are asked in exam. Make a combination of one textbook and one CSS-specific book. During first read, take short notes of all important points. Add all useful diagrams, figures and flow charts you find to your notes. Refine your notes with every revision.

Dear Guru
I want to appear in CSS-2014 exam. Please guide me on how to improve English writing skills and the appropriate usage of punctuation marks? Can one do it all by oneself while reading the essays in JWT?
Baha-ud-din
Quetta.

English writing skills are learnt by reading good sources and refined by practicing. Try to consult good sources for study, and write regularly. The best way to improve understanding of English grammar is to study and acquaint oneself with rules of English grammar.

A very useful book to learn basic rules of English grammar is 'English Grammar in Use' by Raymond Murphy. It contains grammar rules with exercises to help you find out and correct your mistakes. A very popular book on CSS English is 'Discovering the World of English' published by JBD Press.

Dear Sir
Please tell me how I should prepare for General Knowledge paper of PMS. Kindly also tell that how can I score good marks in Urdu because my Urdu is weak and in last PMS, I scored only 37 in spite of attempting all questions.
Matee ur Rehman 

Dear Matee,
For Urdu, you need to work on your written expression. Read Urdu newspapers regularly and try to write regularly. You may consult Urdu Mazamin by Imran Azam and Urdu General by Meher Hayat. For General Knowledge, regularly peruse the “CSS” section of this magazine. Moreover, you need to prepare data regarding countries of the world, international organizations, and specific days celebrated by UN.

Dear Guru
Assalam-o-Alaikum
I want to seek your advice on the matter of selection of books on Public Administration and Journalism. Please recommend me at least 3 good and authentic books for each subject.
Sana Misbah

Dear Sana,
You may consult these books:

Public Administration:
1.    Essential Managers' Manual by Robert Heller & Tim Hindle
2.    Public Administration Vol. I & II By Dr Sultan
3.    Public Administration by Asif J. Mir

Journalism: 
1.    Journalism in Pakistan by Dr Abdus Salam Khurshid
2.    Journalism for All by Dr Mehdi Hassan & Dr Abdus Salam Khurshid
3.    Journalism for CSS/PMS by Quratulain & Haseeb Gohar