Success in the BCS examination largely depends on four key subjects—English, Mathematics, Science, and Bengali. Focus intensively on these four areas. Identify which segments candidates typically score poorly in but where higher marks are achievable, and prepare yourself thoroughly in those segments before entering the competition. Study short questions, notes, brief explanations, summaries, core meanings, idea expansion, translation, grammar, and similar topics thoroughly. There’s no special need to take extensive notes—you won’t have that much time. Instead, write down which source you’re reading each question from. This will prove useful during revision.
Today I’m writing about English in the new syllabus for the written examination. There are two fundamental principles for excelling in English: First, you cannot make spelling mistakes. Second, you cannot make grammatical errors. Keeping these two things in mind, write in the simplest language possible—marks will surely come.
In the English Part-A
Reading Comprehension:
A) An unseen passage will be given. This might be on contemporary topics. Read English newspaper articles extensively, and definitely the editorials. This will also help with other subjects in the written examination. The simple trick to answering comprehension is to read the questions first, at least three times, before reading the passage. Find and underline the keywords or phrases that indicate what the question is asking. Then read the passage quickly to identify where the answers are located. Keep one thing in mind: while reading the passage, don’t waste time looking up difficult words or idioms. These are deliberately included to waste candidates’ time. Then answer the questions in your own way. Practicing this section using IELTS reading techniques works exceptionally well. Start buying and reading market-available reading books.
B) There will be questions on grammar and usage. Practice extensively from several guidebooks. Keep authoritative books within reach: Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Michael Swan’s Practical English Usage, Raymond Murphy’s English Grammar in Use, John Eastwood’s Oxford Practice Grammar, and Jessie Nesfield’s four-volume grammar series, among others. Develop the habit of searching through these books for answers—it will prove very useful. For instance, the word “entrust” sometimes takes “to” and sometimes “with” depending on context. Learning this through dictionary examples by writing will ensure you don’t forget.
Summary: A passage will be given. Read it thoroughly at least five times, very quickly. Don’t be frightened by difficult words while reading. The main points usually aren’t in the difficult sections. Mark where the key ideas are located. Divide the entire passage into 3-4 parts. Then condense several sentences from each part into single sentences. Don’t copy directly from the passage—rephrase in your own words. Don’t include examples or quotations here. Most importantly, don’t forget to give your summary a title at the beginning. For this section, regularly practice summarizing newspaper editorials and articles.
Letter: A passage or statement will be given. Based on this, you’ll need to write a letter to a newspaper editor about a particular issue. To prepare for this section, regularly read the “Letters to the Editor” section of newspapers, along with some guidebooks. Marks are allocated for following proper conventions in the letter section. The language of the letter should be very formal.
English Part-B
Essay: You’ll need to write an essay within a specified word count. Stay regularly informed about Bangladesh’s constitutional interpretations, various organizations’ official websites, Wikipedia, Banglapedia, the National Web Portal, and several international newspapers. When answering questions, including quotations from various authors’ works, newspaper columns and editorials, internet sources, various organizations’ official websites, relevant constitutional articles, and different references will increase your marks. Using blue ink for these sections will easily catch the examiner’s attention. Don’t even think about writing essays without quotations. Keep in mind that essays won’t be predictable—prepare suggestions and get ready accordingly. Practice writing continuously on various topics in your own simple language. Try rewriting newspaper editorials and various articles in your own simplified language.
Translation: I discussed this in the previous issue.
This article was published in Prothom Alo.
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