The Risk:
The CSE Mains examination tests your language skills separately as well. You (see exceptions) must qualify in two different languages (see notification for details) by securing 25% marks in each – one is English and the other is a vernacular/Indian language of your choice. If you fail to do so, your score card for mains would only show your scores in the two languages and UPSC will not disclose your scores in GS, Essay and the Optional.
Failing a compulsory language paper is perhaps the single greatest setback that a candidate can have in the mains exam. Neither do you get to progress any further and lose your shot, you also cannot see how you have done in the main papers, even after ploughing through the entire year and writing the entire examination.
Therefore, it is imperative, that you do not neglect these papers.
Nature of the Paper:
The papers on Indian languages and English are supposed to be of Matriculation or equivalent standard. However, the standard of the papers is significantly tougher that that, especially for the aspirants. They would have generally studied these languages, as subjects in themselves, long ago in their school days.
The papers will also be qualifying in nature. The marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking.
You should go through the question papers of the last few years to get a feel for the nature of questions.
Questions are usually of the following types:
- Comprehension of given passages.
- Précis Writing
- Grammar
- Usage and Vocabulary.
- Short Essay
- Translation from English to the Indian language and vice-versa (for Indian language).
Task at Hand:
The task at hand is to simply pass these two papers without spending too many hours on them. The strategy should be to keep in tough with both the languages of your choice on an ongoing basis, without compromising on your core subjects.
Your level of engagement with any of the languages would depend upon your current grip over the language. Usually, people who have been schooled in one of the languages as their primary medium, would tend to have sufficient grip of that language, viz. English for English medium students, Vernacular for Vernacular medium students. You need to test yourself before you can subscribe to the above generalisation. Time and lack of practice can even turn school language toppers into borderline candidates.
Primary Evaluation:
Take up the last year’s question paper and try and answer the questions. Evaluate yourself to assess whether you are able to cross the pass marks or not. Do this for both the languages.
After you have assessed your strength(s)/weakness(es), we must proceed to repairing your skills sufficiently to serve our purpose.
Building Back Lost Proficiency and Sustained Re-evaluation:
Try the following things to help build back your proficiency in both languages –
- Read the newspaper in both the languages. Focus should be on studying the vocabulary, usage, grammar, construction, spellings, etc. You would be reading the newspaper in one or the other language for GS. Read one in your vernacular for 10-15 mins a day. This would also help you build local knowledge, which is helpful for the profile-based questions for your interviews
- Practice the original question papers for the last few (5-10 years) in both the languages. Find out your weak areas and work on them. Do 1-2 papers of each language in a month, till you are confident.
- Revisit your old school textbooks to revise basic grammar and spelling rules. Practice things like changing sentences from active to passive, direct to indirect speech, compound to complex, etc. and vice versa.
- Brush up on prepositions and punctuation rules and all other elementary grammar rules. The papers would be your best guide as to what exactly to study
- For your vernacular paper, practice translations
- Practice précis and essay writing in the weaker language
- Get some writing practice to improve the flow of writing, as well as embarrassing glitches such as failing to remember common spellings or uncommon letter / diphthongs
The Examination:
- Your target should be to secure your pass marks
- Scan the paper and start from the questions that you find the easiest to attempt
- Do multiple passes and try to finish as much of your paper as possible
- Beware of lengthy questions that offer you paltry marks. These are to be attempted last, if time permits
- Keep calm and do your best
Wish you all the best…
» Index of topics on preparing for Civil Services (Main) Examination.
