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UPSC English · Lesson 2 of 4

Précis writing.
Keep the meaning.

Learn to reduce a passage to its central argument without losing its balance, adding an opinion or copying whole sentences.

Learn the method ↓Try the questions

20–25 minutes suggested · 12 original questions across 2 sets · Guided writing

Précis is included in CSE Mains qualifying English and CAPF language work. Follow the length, title and other instructions on the actual question paper. The word limits here are for these ESS exercises. Official source context ↓

Understand the process

A method you can repeat.

  1. Read for the central argument

    Ask what the writer wants the reader to understand. Mark the problem, the response and any limitation.

  2. Make short notes, then draft

    Group related ideas. Remove repeated examples and secondary detail. Write a connected paragraph in your own words rather than joining copied fragments.

  3. Check meaning and length

    Preserve the author’s stance and uncertainty. Do not add a recommendation. A one-third target or a title applies when the task asks for it; it is not a rule to impose on every question.

Worked example

Compress the repetition, not the qualification

The team reviewed the plan carefully and with close attention to detail. It found that the proposal might reduce costs, although the evidence was still limited.

A stronger version

The team’s careful review suggested possible cost savings, but the evidence remained limited.

What to avoid

The team proved that the proposal would reduce costs.

Why: “Carefully” and “with close attention to detail” repeat an idea. They can be compressed. “Might” and “limited evidence” are essential qualifications, so the revision must retain uncertainty.

Read before the questions

Original practice passage · Repair services in a neighbourhood

When a neighbourhood centre began offering repair sessions, organisers expected residents to bring broken household items and learn simple maintenance skills. Early reports counted the objects repaired, but volunteers soon noticed another benefit: participants were exchanging practical knowledge and becoming more willing to ask for help. Not every item could be fixed, and the sessions were not intended to replace skilled professionals or encourage unsafe work. Organisers asked volunteers to explain their limits and refer complicated jobs to qualified repairers. They also found that unfamiliar tools and technical language discouraged some newcomers. To make the sessions more welcoming, they introduced clear demonstrations, basic safety instructions and time for questions. The centre concluded that success depended on more than the number of repaired objects. The sessions were most valuable when they combined useful repairs with shared learning, honest limits and an approach that helped inexperienced residents participate confidently.

Original fictional ESS passage · Use this for the questions and written task below.

Go to the writing task ↓

Put the method to work

Try six questions. Understand each choice.

Select one answer per question, then check the set. Review the explanation, change an answer and check again. These are formative learning checks, not official exam marks.

Return to the practice passage ↑

Six choices that improve a précis6 original questions · Answers explained

Use the repair-services passage and the worked example to choose the most accurate approach.

1. Which statement best captures the repair passage’s central argument?

Read answer and explanations

Answer: Successful sessions combine repair, learning, appropriate limits and accessible participation.

  1. The passage explicitly rejects replacing skilled professionals.
  2. The conclusion says success depends on more than that number.
  3. Correct. This combines the practical benefit, shared learning, safety boundaries and inclusion that form the passage’s main argument.
  4. The passage recognises that some jobs need qualified repairers.
2. Which detail must a faithful summary preserve?

Read answer and explanations

Answer: Some work needs qualified repairers rather than volunteers.

  1. Correct. This qualification prevents the summary from presenting the sessions as a substitute for professional work.
  2. No day of the week is given.
  3. The passage states that not every item could be fixed.
  4. The passage does not describe compulsory participation.
3. Which revision preserves “the proposal might reduce costs”?

Read answer and explanations

Answer: The proposal could lower costs.

  1. This turns possibility into certainty and reduction into elimination.
  2. This adds a completed outcome that the source does not establish.
  3. This reverses the original possibility.
  4. Correct. “Could lower” retains both possibility and the idea of reduction.
4. Which sentence introduces an opinion not supported by the repair passage?

Read answer and explanations

Answer: Every neighbourhood should be legally required to run a repair centre.

  1. This reflects the accessibility measures described in the passage.
  2. Correct. A legal requirement is a new policy recommendation, not part of the writer’s account.
  3. The passage describes referrals and explanations of limits.
  4. The exchange of practical knowledge is explicitly described.
5. What is the best way to reduce length when your draft is too long?

Read answer and explanations

Answer: Combine repeated ideas and secondary examples, then check the argument again.

  1. Uncertainty may be essential to the original meaning.
  2. The main argument must survive compression.
  3. Correct. Reduce repetition and non-essential detail while preserving the argument and its limits.
  4. Longer words do not necessarily add accuracy or reduce length.
6. A task asks for a summary in 50–60 words and says nothing about a title. What should guide your response?

Read answer and explanations

Answer: Follow the stated length and preserve the main argument; do not invent an extra compulsory format.

  1. Correct. The actual task instructions take priority over memorised general advice.
  2. A general one-third convention cannot override an explicit word limit.
  3. This ignores the stated length.
  4. A précis should represent the source rather than add your personal conclusion.

Apply it independently

Write a 50–60 word précis

Summarise the repair-services passage in 50–60 words for this ESS exercise. Preserve its central message, limits and approach to helping newcomers. A title is not required for this exercise.

Read the source passage ↑

0 words (approximate)

Your draft is not submitted, saved by ESS or automatically graded. Copy anything you want to keep before leaving or reloading. The suggested length is for this ESS task; follow the instructions on your actual examination paper.

Compare with a model and review checklist

One possible response

Neighbourhood repair sessions offered practical help and shared learning, but volunteers needed to recognise their limits and refer complex work to qualified professionals. Clear demonstrations, safety guidance and opportunities for questions helped newcomers participate. Success therefore depended not simply on repaired objects, but on useful learning, appropriate boundaries and an accessible, welcoming approach.

53 words by this lesson’s approximate counter. Other wording can also be valid.

Review your work

  • Does the summary mention both practical repairs and shared learning?
  • Are limits and referrals preserved?
  • Does it explain how inexperienced participants were supported?
  • Is it a connected paragraph in your own words, without a new opinion?
  • Is it within 50–60 words for this exercise?

The model illustrates one approach. It is not an official UPSC answer or a marking scheme.

Independent ESS practice · Set 2

Practice set 2: Listening before changing a service

Six original questions with explanations for every choice. These are not official or previous-year questions; practice scores and lengths are ESS learning aids.

Read the source, then choose the most faithful compression decisions. Preserve the author’s qualifications. The writing task specifies its own length; one third is not a universal rule.

Original source

A district office wanted to shorten queues by asking visitors to book appointments. Before introducing the system everywhere, it tested appointments on two mornings each week. People who booked generally waited less, but some visitors arrived without knowing about the change. Others could not predict when they would be free because their working hours varied. Staff therefore kept a limited number of places for people without appointments and displayed instructions outside the building. They also offered telephone booking rather than relying entirely on a website. These arrangements required staff time, and the office could not promise that every visitor would be seen immediately. Nevertheless, the trial suggested that appointments could improve the service when combined with practical alternatives. The manager proposed comparing waiting times and unsuccessful visits before deciding whether to extend the system. A shorter queue, she noted, was encouraging only if it had not been achieved by making the service harder to reach.

Worked guidance

Essential ideas: appointments may shorten waits; some people cannot book or plan ahead; walk-in places and telephone booking offer alternatives; these take resources and do not guarantee immediate service; evaluation must include unsuccessful visits and access before expansion. Omit the exact weekly schedule and display location. Combine examples of barriers, but retain the conditional support for appointments.

Set 2: Six practice questionsOriginal ESS practice · Every choice explained

Choose one option per question. Check, review and retry. Reset clears this set’s answers.

1. Which is the central argument?

Read answer and explanations

Answer: Appointments can help if alternatives and access are considered.

  1. This removes the source’s exceptions.
  2. The final sentence explicitly questions this assumption.
  3. Correct. It preserves the benefit and its essential condition.
  4. Telephone booking is an alternative, not a cost guarantee.
2. Which detail can most safely be omitted from a short précis?

Read answer and explanations

Answer: The exact number of trial mornings each week.

  1. Access is central to the conclusion.
  2. Correct. The schedule illustrates the trial without defining its argument.
  3. The resource qualification limits the claim.
  4. Expansion is proposed after evaluation, not assured.
3. Which phrase preserves “generally waited less”?

Read answer and explanations

Answer: Usually experienced shorter waits.

  1. Generally is not always, and less waiting is not none.
  2. This turns a tendency into an absolute.
  3. This reverses the reported outcome.
  4. Correct. Usually and shorter preserve the scope and comparison.
4. Which sentence adds unsupported judgement?

Read answer and explanations

Answer: The manager wisely solved every access problem permanently.

  1. Correct. Wisely, every and permanently add evaluation and certainty absent from the source.
  2. Variable working hours support this statement.
  3. This is explicitly stated.
  4. The manager proposes comparing waits and unsuccessful visits.
5. Which evaluation measure must accompany waiting time?

Read answer and explanations

Answer: Unsuccessful visits.

  1. Age is irrelevant to the argument.
  2. Slip colour is not discussed.
  3. Correct. Failed access may be hidden by a shorter queue.
  4. This would not capture the access outcome identified.
6. Your task specifies 65–75 words, excluding a title. What should you do?

Read answer and explanations

Answer: Follow 65–75 words and retain the essential qualifications.

  1. A memorised proportion cannot override the task.
  2. Correct. Specific instructions determine the length; fidelity determines what survives.
  3. Count all words according to the stated convention.
  4. A précis represents the source rather than your policy opinion.

Set 2: Write and review

Write a précis in 65–75 words, excluding any title. Count whitespace-separated words for this ESS exercise. Preserve benefits, access barriers, costs and the proposed evaluation.

0 words (approximate)

This response is not submitted, saved by ESS or automatically graded. Copy your work before leaving.

Model response and self-review checklist

One possible response

An appointment trial reduced waiting for many visitors, but limited awareness and unpredictable schedules prevented some from booking. The office retained walk-in places and telephone booking, although these required staff time and could not ensure immediate service. Appointments might therefore help when supported by alternatives. Before expansion, the manager proposed assessing both waiting times and unsuccessful visits, since shorter queues should not come at the expense of access.

68 words, counted as whitespace-separated tokens; no title included.

Review checklist

  • Does my précis retain conditional support rather than unconditional endorsement?
  • Have I preserved costs and the absence of guaranteed immediate service?
  • Have I included unsuccessful visits as well as waits?
  • Have I removed secondary detail, avoided personal judgement and checked 65–75 words?

Return to the original practice ↑ · Choose another lesson ↓

Remember: A good précis is shorter than the source but no stronger, weaker or less balanced in its central claim.

Choose your next lesson.

← Back to the UPSC English hub and exam routes

Official context and lesson sources.

The CSE Mains qualifying English syllabus includes comprehension, précis, usage and vocabulary, and short essays. Its qualifying English paper is separate from the merit-counting Essay paper. CAPF’s language component has its own instructions. ESS examples, passages and practice questions on this page are original, independent learning material.

Exam context checked 3 November 2026. Read the current notice and any corrigenda for your exam cycle. ESS is not affiliated with or endorsed by UPSC.