CSS Preparation: Reading Newspapers the Smart Way

For CSS, reading the newspaper is not a leisure activity — it is core syllabus. But reading passively for an hour gains you almost nothing. The skill is active extraction.

Read with three highlighters

• One color for facts and figures you can quote.
• One for arguments and perspectives on an issue.
• One for strong vocabulary and phrasing to reuse.

Maintain a running current-affairs file

Every day, add three or four bullet points under standing themes: economy, foreign policy, governance, environment. Over months this file becomes your personal, exam-tailored reference.

Examiners reward candidates who connect events, not those who merely recall them.

Turn headlines into essay outlines

Once a week, pick one major issue and draft a five-point essay skeleton. You are not writing the essay — you are training the reflex of structuring an argument quickly under pressure.