How to Score well in Descriptive Paper in Tier III of SSC CGL?

The Staff Selection Commission conducts the Combined Graduate Level Examination every year to recruit candidates in various government departments as well as government organizations across the country. This year, the commission has brought about few changes in the examination pattern in order to make it more effective for determining the right candidate for the right job. The biggest surprise has been the introduction of a descriptive paper as Tier III of the examination as the interview component has been done away with effect from this calendar year. Candidates are very apprehensive about this new paper since this has not been there at all in previous years. In this article, we shall try to find out ways in which you can score well in the newly-introduced descriptive paper of SSC CGL.

SSC CGL: How to Master the Descriptive Paper?

The descriptive paper for the SSC CGL has been proposed to be of 100 marks and the total time allotted for the paper is 60 minutes only. It is to be noted that the number of questions has not been specified in the notification and another important thing is that you have to write it as it is a pen and paper based test. The syllabus includes précis or letter or application or essay writing as decided by the commission. So, how to prepare?

• Read Newspapers daily: Before indulging in writing practice, you need to know how you should write in order to take your point home to the examiner. Newspapers give a very good idea about the way you should approach the paper. Read the newspaper daily in order to understand the effective way of writing. For candidates in Hindi, follow the Hindi standard newspapers whereas for English, follow English newspapers with standard English language such as Times of India, The Hindu, The Indian Express etc
• Try to first form your argument on a topic: This is the first thing you have to do whenever you are going to write on a topic. So, try to first jot down the points on paper and try to relate them in one way or the other. This will help you understand the flow of argument in the topic. And based on that, you can write
• Try to write in correct language: It is not to be seen from your responses how fancy your language is but the thing that the examiner wants to evaluate is how you can apply the right language at the right place. The test is about your application of your chosen language not the test of your vocabulary knowledge of that language. So, write correct language rather than fancy language
• Practice writing: This is the ultimate thing in order to succeed in anything since only practice makes a man perfect. Practice writing on the topics given in the notification such as essay, précis, letter etc. You will get confidence and that will help you in the examination centre as well
• Get your writing evaluated: Try to get your essay or letter evaluated from different persons so that you get an idea about the areas you need to work on. Writing these things is subjective and that is why, getting them evaluated from various persons will help you get different points of view that will help you in making yourself better in every aspect
• Write what you know: This is one thing you need to keep in mind all the time since you will not know each and everything regarding a topic. It becomes a tendency of the candidates then to write whatever comes to their minds. Do not try to even think about it, write whatever you know, don’t write only to fill the pages of the answer sheet. The test is introduced so that the commission can check the writing ability of the candidates as these candidates will need to write official communiqué once they are selected for the job

The descriptive paper is a boon for candidates who are good at communicating their thoughts and ideas. On the other hands, people who are not very good at it already can muster the art of doing so by doing simple things like learning how to write first and then write accordingly. This paper will be very crucial in determining your rank since this is a subjective paper and you can never be sure of the evaluator and his or her way of marking. So, brace up for the challenge, write and write till you feel that it is a cakewalk for you to write on any given topic. Success will not betray you

All the best!!