Many aspirants of CSS, PMS, PCS, and UPSC are surprised when they receive low marks in precis writing, even though their summaries seem accurate. This happens because competitive-exam precis writing is not judged solely by content accuracy; it is evaluated on strict rules of structure, conciseness, objectivity, grammar, coherence, and examiner-expected formatting. A summary may capture the general idea, but a precis is different and more technical: it is a rule-bound writing skill. Thus, missing even a few formal requirements can significantly reduce marks.
To understand this clearly, candidates should review the Do’s and Don'ts of Precis Writing, which outline exactly what examiners expect. A detailed guide is also available in the article, “Precis Writing Format, Rules, & Examples for Competitive Exams.”
Below are the most common reasons students lose marks despite writing what they think is a correct precis.
1. Writing a summary instead of a true precis
First and foremost, a summary retells all ideas concisely while a precis must
- Capture only the central ideas
- Follow the original logical sequence
- Use one unified paragraph
- Remove all examples, rhetoric, and unnecessary explanations
- Maintain the 1/3 or 1/4 required length
Many students unintentionally paraphrase the entire passage, which becomes a summary rather than a competitive-exam precis.
2. Violating the required word limit
Next, competitive exams specifically evaluate whether the candidate can maintain disciplined conciseness. Even a correct precis loses marks when
- It exceeds the limit
- It falls significantly short
- It fails to demonstrate precision
3. Failing to write an appropriate title
Third, many aspirants lose marks simply because their title is vague, lengthy, or opinionated. An appropriate title must be
- Short (4–8 words)
- Thematically central
- Neutral and non-creative
4. Using personal opinions or emotional interpretation
Moreover, a precis must be completely objective. Adding judgment, assumptions, personal interpretations, or emotional tones directly violates competitive-exam rules. This is a major reason candidates who follow Sir Syed Kazim Ali’s method score higher: his approach strictly enforces neutrality, clarity, and academic tone.
5. Poor grammar, cohesion, or sentence construction
Another point Sir Syed Kazim Ali frequently emphasizes is that a high-scoring precis must demonstrate controlled, academic English with clean structure because even minor errors reduce marks in competitive exams.
6. Not following the original sequence of ideas
Furthermore, precis writing is not a creative rearrangement. Examiners expect the same idea flow as the passage, and changing the order, even if the ideas are correct, results in a deduction of marks.
7. Weak vocabulary or poor paraphrasing
Precision in language is also one of the skills often emphasized by Sir Syed Kazim Ali in his Extensive English Essay and Precis Course. According to his lectures, candidates lose marks when they
- Repeat the passage’s vocabulary
- Use vague words
- Fail to condense multiple ideas smoothly
- Produce forced paraphrasing
8. Ignoring examiner-expected format and structure
Last but not least, examiners follow established guidelines used in international writing standards, and violating structural expectations, such as using multiple paragraphs or unnecessary details, causes marks to drop sharply.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, a “correct” summary is not always a “correct precis.” Competitive-exam precis writing requires technique, precision, structure, and adherence to the rules. Thus, aspirants who study and practice the proper rules of precis writing and are well-aware of the examiners' requirements in competitive exams like CSS, PMS, PCS, and UPSC gain a clear advantage and significantly improve their scoring potential.