The SSC CGL exam is conducted every year by the staff selection commission of India to select candidates for various posts across various government departments. After tier 1 of the exam, candidates need to brace themselves to face the challenge presented by SSC CGL Tier-2 and Tier-3. While most of the aspirants are well prepared for Tier-2, they get thrown off balance when it comes to SSC CGL Tier-3.
Earlier SSC used to conduct interviews after Tier-2 but since last year SSC CGL Descriptive Paper (also known as Tier-3) has replaced the interview round. As the exam has taken place only once and this is its second year, so there are a lot of confusions among students about the exam pattern, syllabus and strategy to tackle the questions.
What and how of SSC CGL Descriptive Paper?
- The exam is worth 100 marks and the time duration is 60 minutes.
- The exam is held in pen paper mode.
- As per last year’s paper, two questions were asked in SSC CGL 2016 Descriptive paper- an Essay for 50 marks and a letter for 50 marks. The other question that can be asked is Precis Writing
- The exam will be qualifying in nature but the marks obtained will be added to your score while preparing the final merit list.
- The descriptive test is bilingual i.e. you can choose to write the test in either English or Hindi language.
Essay Writing Tips
An essay checks a candidate’s ability to express their thoughts on paper. The only way to conquer the essay question is to ‘Practice consistently’! The following tips will help you improve your writing skills:
- Read the newspaper daily. This will help you understand, how sentences are framed and how to express yourself clearly through words.
- Reading the editorial section of the newspaper will help you develop an opinion on important topics featuring in news. This will help you in writing in your own words.
- Work on your vocabulary. Note down new words that you read in the newspaper and find their meanings. Do not use a very flowery language.
Write more! Writing regularly only can improve your writing skills. There are no shortcuts to this.
Precis Writing Tips
A précis is a summary or gist of a detailed passage. Even though it is a compressed form of the information but it explains the same points as explained in the full passage. To get a detailed guide on précis writing read,
Expert tips on Precis Writing along with solved exampleTo have a taste of how letters and essays should look like download samples here
Letter Writing Tips
Letter writing tests your ability to communicate effectively with a person or a group of people within an organization. While writing a letter keep the following points in mind:
- Be well informed about the format of both- Formal and Informal Letters
- Make sure you are grammatically correct in your expression.
- Understand the question and address the issue precisely.
- Maintain a structure of the letter- Begin with the introductory paragraph followed by the body then the conclusion.
The SSC CGL Descriptive paper is the final touch which will take you to your desired government department. If you score good in this exam it can enhance you rank in the final merit list.
Happy Reading !
