The CSS examinations, in their current form, favour mediocre candidates, who can simply pass the exams.
LAHORE: This is in response to Fahad Rafique Dogar’s article “Reforming the civil service” (June 27). The writer states: “We should try to devise a mechanism to facilitate those candidates whose English may be weak, but are highly talented otherwise.”
I completely disagree with this idea. Though I agree that the standard of testing language skills in the CSS examinations is poor and it certainly needs to be improved, but considering that English is the medium for almost all the courses career officers have to undertake later on, candidates should be expected to display their proficiency in the language. After all, English happens to be one of our official languages.
The CSS examinations need to be revamped altogether and should be devised in such a manner that they measure general abilities of candidates rather than asking them to write sheets and sheets of paper on pointless, repetitive topics. The CSS examinations, in their current form, favour mediocre candidates, who can simply pass the exams through rote learning after spending a few months at a private academy.
Humayun Iftikhar
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2013.
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