Dear friends,
Some of you have been inquiring me on how I went about preparing for the Bhutan Civil Service Examination to which I would like to share some of the ways I adopted.
- Never be late in your preparation. Remember, "Early bird catches (more) worms." If you have not started with the preparation, START NOW. This is the right time, best moment to start. You are never late. As you embark on the boat of preparation,always maintain calm- be positive, open and hopeful. "If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
- Read. Read as many books as you can. Particularly for the upcoming examination, read books such as: Word Power Made Easy' by Norman Lewis (helps in enriching your vocabulary, an invaluable asset for PE English), 'How to win friends and influence people' by Dale Carnegie, 'Think and Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill.
- Read the article "Tips to Gear Towards PE and BCSE" by Madam Tashi, posted on her blog site 'Once Along the Journey of My life.'http://horticulturetg.blogspot.com/
- Seek help and guidance (consultation) from your parents, teachers, and friends. Success is also an outcome of teamwork.
- Make good use of online resources such as the websites of RCSC and BCSE, the Bhutan Portal, DDC, India Bix, and websites of world or regional bodies like UNO, SAARC, etc.
- You must read both national and international news (especially if you are appearing for General category). Keep abreast of all the important happenings on day to day basis.
- Familiarize yourself with both PE and Main Examination question paper patterns. Papers are available on BCSE website.http://bcse.rcsc.gov.bt/
- Focus on your strength as you work on your weakness. For example, my strength was in Dzongkha yet I did not neglect it. I did not take it as easy. Rather to benefit more from my strength, I read lots of Dzongkha Grammar books, practiced spellings and letter writings. You can also download Dzongkha grammar books and other materials from DDC website. My second strength was in socio-political part of the exam. For this, I subscribed to books such as: 'Polity, Kingship and Democracy' by Dasho Dr. Sonam Kinga, 'A History of Bhutan' by Lopon Karma Phuntsho, 'Leadership of the Wise' by Dasho Karma Ura, 'The Raven Crown' by Michael Aris, 'History of Bhutan' by Lam Pema Tshewang, 'The Crowning Glory' by Mr. Ugyen Tenzin and some other history books.
- Read the 'Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan.' Also, reading the Annual State of Nation Reports, and readings related to SDGs, MDGs, FYPs can go a long way. As you learn something in English, try to know it in Dzongkha as well and vice-versa. One means to learn translation. For this matter you may try apps such as English Dzongkha Dictionary, Monlam Dictionary (available on playstore), in case you don't have them on your mobile phone.
- Watch good videos online such as TED talks. Such videos can help us improve our speaking and listening skills- ultimately helping us face interviews. Don't take the viva-voce for granted.
Finally, I hope the ways I shared above can help you set a direction in some ways. If you are deciding to face the examination, do it with sincerity and passion. Else, you won't be able to dedicate your full effort for this big battle. Do not create a space of future lament for yourself saying 'Ah... only, if I prepared little harder..." Just give your 100 %.
I wish everyone of you, my friends, the Best of Luck!
