For decades, English teachers, competitive exam mentors, and senior aspirants have unanimously recommended one book when someone asks how to start practicing precis writing: “Precis Writing” by R. Dhillon. Undoubtedly, whether one is preparing for CSS, PMS, PCS, UPSC, or university-level English papers, this book continues to be the first resource every serious learner encounters.
And truthfully, it deserves that position. Dhillon’s book has remained relevant because it introduces learners to the fundamentals of reading carefully, identifying core ideas, and summarizing logically, which form the backbone of precis writing.
But here’s where many aspirants are caught off guard: Although Dhillon’s book is excellent for foundational practice, it is insufficient for grasping the modern, examiner-level expectations of competitive exams. And this gap between practice and performance is exactly what PrecisWritingLet closes with precision, clarity, and structured guidance.
In this article, you will learn
- Why Dhillon’s book is still the top recommendation for beginners
- Where its limitations lie for CSS, PMS, PCS, and UPSC exam scoring
- How PrecisWritingLet enhances, updates, and elevates Dhillon’s material
- The ideal strategy to use both resources together
- How this combination prepares you for real exam situations
Why Students Continue to Rely on R. Dhillon’s Book
There are many reasons Dhillon’s work is considered a classic to begin precis writing practice. To elaborate, it offers exactly what a beginner needs: structure, clarity, and an abundance of practice passages.
The book includes
- Dozens of passages ranging from simple narrative texts to abstract, philosophical ones
- Solved and unsolved exercises to build understanding and self-reliance
- Basic vocabulary help that supports early learners
- Short notes and tips that make the idea of precis writing less intimidating
So, for a student who has never written a precis before, Dhillon’s systematic approach is certainly a relief because it teaches you several important skills via solved examples. Some of the skills are
- How to separate important ideas from unnecessary ones
- How to recognize the central theme of a passage
- How to shorten content without altering meaning
- How to write concisely and stay within word limits
And this is precisely why senior aspirants and instructors still tell beginners to start with R. Dhillon.
The Real Challenge: Outdated Solutions That Don’t Meet Today’s Standards
While Dhillon’s book is brilliant for practice, its solved precis examples do not reflect the stylistic demands of modern competitive exams. To elaborate, today’s CSS, PMS, UPSC, and PCS examiners assess precis based on a number of technicalities, like
- Logical flow and coherence
- Mature, grammatically sound expressions
- Clarity and precision of vocabulary
- Preservation of tone and conceptual sequence
- Balanced and professional paragraph structure
However, Dhillon’s solutions, written years ago, follow an older summarization style: simple and functional. While they do help students understand what a precis is, they do not teach what a high-scoring precis looks like.
Thus, aspirants relying on Dhillon’s book face the problem that even though they feel confident, when they attempt a real past paper precis, they realize the standard is far higher than what they practiced.
Many competitive exam aspirants have requested me to address this loophole; hence, I have created a solution for my students and learners of English around the globe in the form of PrecisWritingLet.
PrecisWritingLet: The Modern Solution for Exam-Level Command
PrecisWritingLet is a digital platform specifically designed to help students learn the skill of precis writing according to today’s exam standards. Each resource on the website is prepared with meticulous attention to FPSC, PPSC, KPPSC, SPSC, BPSC, AJKPSC, GBPSC, and UPSC requirements.
Key Features of PrecisWritingLet
Some important features of PrecisWritingLet are
- R. Dhillon Solved Precis Category
On PrecisWritingLet, every passage from R. Dhillon’s book is re-solved with
- Vocabulary support
- Examiner-friendly structure
- Clear tone
- Updated precision standards
- Multiple difficulty levels
making the site the perfect upgrade for students using the book.
- CSS Solved Precis Category
Next, the site has a complete collection of Solved CSS Past Paper Precis, each solved according to the latest marking trends. These solutions follow the exact length, tone, and thematic clarity expected by FPSC.
- PMS Solved Precis and PCS Solved Precis Categories
Provincial exams have their own style, tone, and word-limit expectations. And PrecisWritingLet provides separate solutions tailored to
- PPSC
- KPPSC
- SPSC
- BPSC
- AJKPSC
- GBPSC
ensuring students across Pakistan are able to prepare according to their target exams.
- UPSC Solved Precis Category
Furthermore, Indian students preparing for UPSC often struggle due to the scarcity of authentic solved precis examples. So, PrecisWritingLet fills this gap with real UPSC-oriented solutions.
- Detailed Vocabulary Banks
Each precis solution on the website comes with its detailed vocabulary bank, which includes a list of difficult vocabulary words, their parts of speech, meanings, and contextual explanation. This feature is also an upgrade from Dhillon’s limited vocabulary notes.
- Main Ideas & Supporting Details
Moving on, PrecisWritingLet teaches students how to think like examiners by breaking down passages into
- The Main Idea
- Supporting Details
- Logical Flow
Interestingly, this skill alone improves precis writing speed and accuracy.
- Guidance Articles
Last but not least, in-depth blogs and resources are also regularly published in the following categories.
These articles reflect the same techniques I teach in my Extensive English Essay and Precis Course for CSS & PMS.
How to Use Dhillon’s Book and PrecisWritingLet Together
Now the question arises: how can one use Dhillon’s book effectively alongside PresicWritingLet since this combination is the key to becoming a high-scoring precis writer? Let me teach you a step-by-step strategy you can follow
- Pick any passage from Dhillon’s book.
- Write the precis yourself first without help or looking at model solutions.
- Once you’re done, visit PrecisWritingLet and go to the R. Dhillon Solved Precis Category.
- Compare your attempt with the model solutions I have provided.
- Focus on the vocabulary list to strengthen your linguistic accuracy.
- Then review the main ideas and supporting details to see what you missed.
- Now you’re ready to rewrite your precis using what you learned.
Repeat this for 5-10 passages, and you’ll feel dramatic improvement in your precis structure, flow of sentences, and precision, along with time management and confidence.
Why This Combination Works Better Than Any Single Resource
This is a foolproof combination for a simple reason: Dhillon gives you ample material to practice, which PrecisWritingLet teaches you how to solve like a topper.
This synergy means you don’t waste time on random books, outdated solutions, or unreliable free resources. Instead, you learn in a straight, well-guided path, moving from basic to advanced levels.
Final Advice for Aspirants
If you are truly committed to excelling at precis writing for CSS, PMS, PCS, or UPSC, do not gather ten different books. Only gather the right ones, and use them correctly.
And remember, before you start practicing,
- Revise the lectures that I have delivered on Precis Writing.
- Go through the Dos and Don’ts of Precis Writing available on PrecisWritingLet.
- Begin with the Easy Precis Practice that has simpler passages; then move to the Advanced Precis Practice with complex, philosophical passages.
Who is Sir Syed Kazim Ali?
Known for his learner-centered approach, Sir Syed Kazim Ali has guided countless CSS, PMS, PCS, and UPSC aspirants toward learning English writing with clarity and purpose. Through CSSPrepForum, Howtests, and PrecisWritingLet, he continues to mentor students, shaping their writing into polished, exam-ready expression.
