Enhance your precis writing skills for CSS & PMS exams using R. Dhillon’s book alongside PrecisWritingLet’s expert guidance.
If you’ve started preparing for CSS, PMS, or any other competitive exam, someone has probably suggested you “Get Precis Writing by R. Dhillon.” And honestly, that’s good advice, because it’s one of the most well-known books for precis writing. Indeed, almost every serious aspirant has seen or heard of it, and you’ll find it in almost every bookshop and on every student’s desk.
But here’s something most students realize only after a few weeks of practice: the book is good for learning the basics, but it doesn’t fully prepare you for exam-level precis writing, especially when it comes to CSS, PMS, IAS, or other high-stakes competitive exams. Let’s talk about why that is and how you can make the most of it with the help of PrecisWritingLet, where I’ve provided complete, updated, and exam-oriented solutions to the same passages from the book.
Why Students Still Start with R. Dhillon’s Book
To be fair, R. Dhillon’s book really is one of the best starting points. It has everything a beginner needs
- Dozens of practice passages – short, medium, and long
- Both solved and unsolved exercises to help you learn and test yourself
- Helpful vocabulary support, precis solution points, and short tips on good precis writing
That said, the best thing about this book is that it gives you so much practice material. There are short passages for university exams and longer, trickier ones that match the style of CSS and PMS papers and beyond. So, whether you’re just learning what a precis is or polishing your skills, this book gives you plenty to work with.
Moreover, it builds your habit of reading carefully, understanding the main idea, and learning how to shorten content without losing meaning, and that’s exactly what precis writing is all about.
The Limitation: Solved Precis That Don’t Match CSS and PMS Standards
Now, here’s the issue competitive examination aspirants face: the solved precis in Dhillon’s book are not really up to the mark for exams like CSS or PMS. They’re okay for basic understanding, but when it comes to actual exam precision, like sentence flow, tone, structure, and vocabulary, they fall short.
Let me explain it this way: precis writing required for FPSC or PPSC level exams isn’t merely about summarizing the given passage; instead, it is about showing the examiner that you understand the passage deeply, you can organize ideas logically, you are able to omit unnecessary details, and that you can express the main idea and supporting details in clear, mature, and grammatically correct English.
As a result of relying only on R Dhillon’s Precis Writing, many students practice only from the given solved examples and then feel confident until they see an actual CSS paper and realize how much sharper and cleaner their writing needs to be.
That’s why I always tell my students: use the book for practice, not for solutions. And this is where PrecisWritingLet comes in.
Why I Created PrecisWritingLet
Assessing the challenges that competitive exam aspirants and students of English learning the skill of precis writing face, I created the website PrecisWritingLet. It is a comprehensive learning platform built to help students of CSS, PMS, PCS, and UPSC master precis writing from every angle. Thus, I’ve included the past paper solved precis passages in multiple variants, appropriate for beginners to advanced learners. And I have also included several extra practice passages for my students. The site also features a category of R. Dhillon Solved Precis, where competitive exam-level solutions to the book’s passages are available free of cost for everyone.
Each passage comes with
- A detailed vocabulary bank, with meanings and contextual explanations
- A list of main ideas and supporting details, so you know exactly what to keep and what to cut
- Carefully written precis versions that match the tone, word count, and standard of CSS, PMS, and other competitive exams
In short, where the book gives you sufficient material to practice from, PrecisWritingLet brings that material freely to your mobile and computer screens and then teaches you how to practice it the right way to help you make your way through your exams successfully.
How to Use Both Together
Now, if you do not have the book, you can simply go to the website www.preciswritinglet.com and access the passages there. And if you already have the book, here’s how I recommend you use the two resources side by side.
- Pick a passage from Precis Writing by R. Dhillon.
- Try it yourself first. Don’t look at any solution yet.
- Then visit PrecisWritingLet and compare your work with the improved versions.
- Go through the vocabulary list: learn the meanings and, more importantly, how each word fits the context.
- Read the main idea and supporting details section to understand how a good precis is built.
- Finally, rewrite your precis using what you learned.
If you follow this approach for even ten passages, you’ll see a huge difference: your writing will become sharper; your vocabulary will grow naturally; and you’ll start understanding what examiners actually look for.
Why This Combo Works So Well
The reason this combination works is simple: R. Dhillon’s book gives you practice material, and PrecisWritingLet gives you direction and also helps you understand how to summarize like a CSS or PMS topper. As a bonus, the site also provides you with hundreds of solved past paper precis and extra practice material from easy to advanced levels!
Thus, instead of jumping from one random book to another and spending your hard-earned money, this approach helps you grow with structure: start simple, practice consistently, and refine your skill with guidance from professionally written precis solutions.
Final Advice to My Students
If you’re serious about learning precis writing, don’t chase dozens of books or shortcuts. Use what’s already trusted, but ensure that whatever resources you utilize match today’s exam expectations.
However, before starting your practice, carefully revise all five lectures I have delivered on precis writing in my English Essay and Precis Course, so you understand what a precis actually is, how to identify the main idea and supporting details, and how to use them to write a coherent yet concise precis. Then read the Dos and Don’ts of Precis Writing, and start your practice.
Remember, only guidance in the right direction and the use of the right tools lead to success.
Who is Sir Syed Kazim Ali
Sir Syed Kazim Ali is Pakistan’s best-known English mentor and grammarian, known especially for coaching students in essay writing, precis, and grammar for competitive exams like CSS and PMS. Over the past decade, he has built online platforms (e.g. CssPrepForum, Howtests, PrecisWritingLet, etc.) and guided thousands of learners worldwide to write more fluently, coherently, and confidently.
