KPPSC Lecturers English Preparation Course

Before the Test

Both forms of the examination (Test/Interview) attempt to evaluate the candidates’ awareness of their subject in terms of concepts, scope, development and teaching method. The authentic definition, logical and sequential explanation, proper analysis and synthesis, practical application, and solid comprehension are the essential traits of the competent graduates that the young lecturers are supposed to have besides excellent (written and oral) communication and the choice and application of effective teaching methods. The persons who rely on the selected syllabus or ‘guess’ to pass the exams at the Masters level and luckily they passed, face certain problems here. They try to know the topics or ideas in isolation and they fail to grasp the whole canvas of their subject. Their defective relational ability, confused concepts, and knowledge gained through unauthentic sources are major hurdle in their way to success.

The candidates are suggested to develop themselves according to the given lines before exams:

• Imagine the effective and constructive role of teacher particularly college teacher in the Pakistani society and try to be such a teacher.
• Imagine the problems of the students (you may recall the problems you faced once you were a student) and find out their solutions.
• Form your personal opinion accommodating the convincing aspects of different concerned outlooks but it should not be confusing at all.
• Develop a sound understanding of the national and global issues and their relevance with your subject.
• Be constructive and demonstrate initiative taking approach in solving the given problems.
• Always show faith in human goodness and find and suggest the ways to improve socio-political conditions if you are asked.
• Show an analytical response to the ideas, policies or suggested solutions but avoid any sentimentality and hostile attitude towards any faith, opinion, policy or strategy.
• Expose the implicit (especially negative) aspects of any opinion, policy or strategy with the empirical evidence or at least logical arguments.
• Develop communication skills and strive for clarity, precision and persuasion to positive actions while discussing an idea.
• Form the opinion and express the opinion in a sequential order avoiding any misunderstanding, confusion or misinterpretation.
• Choose the words or expression highly suitable for a socially responsible person and avoid the slangs, informal and inappropriate bizarre expressions. Get practice to use the terminology of your subject with great care.
• Show impartiality while comparing the matters or personalities where the candidate has strong affiliation with one of them.
• Be Pakistani and think as a patriotic Pakistani. Don’t endorse the prejudiced or slanted views against Pakistan, Pakistani people, heroes and history. Show a critical approach towards such propaganda.
• Don’t form the opinion on the basis of unauthentic sources of information such as rumors, friends’ comments, biased opinions reflected in mass media, religious men’s common accusations, etc.
• Find a role model in your teachers or the well-known teachers in terms of clarity of thought and expression, balanced and reasonable approach, and a patriotic Pakistani and try to imitate this role model at an initial stage and develop your own image gradually on the same lines. (The role models may be more than one.)

Caution

MCQs for Subject Test are designed to measure skills and knowledge gained over a long period of time. Although you might increase your scores to some extent through preparation a few weeks or months before you take the test. Last minute cramming is unlikely to be of further help.

Remember

There are two steps for the selection of lecturers:

• Written Test
• Interview

The candidates who pass the written test, are called for an interview. The candidates are sent an interview letter or informed through the interview schedule displayed online on the website of the public service commission. The date, time and venue are mentioned in this letter or online interview schedule. Usually, the candidates are asked to bring their original degrees/certificates /transcripts, domicile and CNIC when they appear for interview.

Interview Panel

The interview panel consists of four members. The head of the panel represents the Commission, the two members are senior professors (or retired professors) of the same subject and the fourth member represent Education Department. That may be a coincidence that the member of the panel who represent the Education Department shares the subject of the candidate. The member of the Education Department is usually the professor or senior subject specialist.

Head of the panel is supposed to ask the general questions, the professors of the concerned subject about the subject and the representative of the Education Department about teaching methods or techniques.

General questions asked by the Head of the panel include the introduction of the candidate, general knowledge, Pakistan studies, etc. The candidate is asked to introduce him/herself. The introduction should show the family background, qualification, achievement/distinction and future plan. The candidate may be asked to clarify any point that he has expressed in his introduction such as the introduction of his city of origin, great alumni of the candidate’s educational institute, philosophy and contribution of the candidate’s favourite personalities, description of any medal, award or prize that the candidate has claimed to have achieved.

The two members of the panel ask the questions related with the subject. Usually they ask the candidate about his/her well-prepared topic, favourite writer or area of interest within the subject or optional subject/s. The candidate should choose his/her area of interest very carefully and should be aware of its all ins and outs. The superficial knowledge of the focused area/topic/writer causes failure in most of the cases. The knowledge of optional subjects chosen and studied by the candidate at the master level is also highly important for success in interview. Sometimes one of these two members also asks the candidate what he/she has read beyond the master syllabus. Here the candidate has to show his/her interest in his/her subject and his/her continuous effort to be aware of the ‘new arrivals’ of the subject. The panel may ask the candidate the technical terms of his/her subject. These terms should be briefly, clearly and adequately explained. The examples should be used to clarify the terms.

The last member of the panel who represents the Education Department is supposed to ask the questions on teaching methods, techniques and classroom management. Usually the concepts of education and their practical application are asked. Sometimes the candidate is asked to give a short presentation of the lecture in classroom. If the representative of the Education Department and the candidate belong to the same subject, this member of the panel may ask questions about the subject rather than teaching methods, educational, concepts and practices.

What May be Asked

The introduction of your city of origin

• Great alumni of your educational institute
• Questions related to the subject.
• Area of interest within the subject or optional subject/s.
• The technical terms of your subject
• What you have read beyond the master syllabus?
• The ‘new arrivals’ of the subject.
• Favorite writer
• Philosophy and contribution of your favorite personalities
• Description of any medal award or prize that you have claimed to have received.
• Questions on teaching methods
• Techniques and classroom management
• Concepts of education
• Practical application
• A short presentation of the lecture in classroom.

Preparation for Interview

The candidate should first of all choose his/her area of interest and then study it thoroughly if there are diagrams, tables, figures, dates, names of characters, they should be given due attention and nothing should be confused at all. The prescribed texts should be read thoroughly. Then the optional papers studied at master level should be revised. A topic or book should be chosen and read that should be latest and highly relevant to his/her subject. This chosen book should reflect that the candidate likes to read his/her subject beyond the syllabus. The preparation of the selected syllabus (area of interest, latest book and optional subjects) should be made in written form. After completing the written preparation, the candidate may have an exercise before a mirror, speaking the prepared content bit loud, with fluency and clarity.

Be Careful

The candidate should choose his/her area of interest very care-fully and should be aware of it’s all ins and outs. The superficial know-ledge of the focused area/topic/writer causes failure in most of the cases.

 At the second stage, the candidate should write his/her interview in detail concentrating his/her qualification, the institutes he/she attended particularly the last institute, (If the candidate has been an external student to the university and has attended no institute regularly, there is no need to lose confidence and feel inferiority complex. The decisive factor is not the institution. It is the competence of the candidate.), any distinction in student life, family background and highly noticeable positions of the prominent family members particularly in social services and education, current activities and hobbies or pastimes, purpose to join this profession and dream for quality education in Pakistan. Usually the panel asks the further questions based on the candidate’s shared information. These questions are explanatory, for instance, what is the job description of your present post? who are renowned Pakistanis that belong to your districts and what are their distinctions? What was the issue (national level) that happened in or concerned with your district and got media coverage? What is your opinion in this matter? Do you think that the media and government handle it rightly? How could it be handled better? Tell the name of personalities from your district who participated in Pakistani movement.

Find the appropriate teaching methods for your subjects or for the part of subject you have chosen to share in your interview. Respond how you will motivate your students to learn and minimize their resistance against new and innovative practices. Justify why your chosen method is the best to teach the given lesson. Concentrate on activity based learning; project based learning, maximum class participation and use of audio-visual aids while teaching. Imagine different problems that usually arise in our classrooms and suggest their effective solutions. The dignity of the teacher and the self-esteem of the students should not be compromised in these solutions.

Now organize this material in an order and revise before the mirror aloud.

Practice Mirror

After completing the written preparation, the candidate may have an exercise before a mirror, speaking the prepared content bit loud, with fluency and clarity.

Success Formula

The success formula of interview is ‘be yourself’ and you should never pretend what you do not have, what you do not know and what you have never done.

Interview Questions (Explanatory)

•       What is the job description of your present post?

•       Who are renowned Pakistanis that belong to your districts and what are their distinctions?  

•       What was the issue (national level) that happened in or concerned with your district and got media coverage? What is your opinion in this matter?

•       Do you think that the media and government handle it rightly?

•       How could it be handled better?

•       Tell the name of personalities from your district who participated in Pakistani movement

Model Interviews

Mock interviews are very useful for the preparation of interviews. You should visit your senior college teachers or the teachers in your contact and request them to conduct mock interview. The teacher or teachers will pose as interviewers and you will present yourself before them as a candidate. At the end of the interview, get their feedback and try to improve your weak areas in the light of these suggestions. You must show the good communication skills in these mock interviews that will pay you in your actual interview.

Dressing

On the scheduled day of your interview, you should get up early and get ready in time to go for interview. Usually the time for interview is 8 am. You should check your original documents, CNIC and domicile and carry them with you before you leave your doorstep.

Interview Day

Dressing is believed to an important part of the creating good impression of the personality. The candidates are advised that they should put on sober, neat and clean clothes that should leave the image of your sophisticated personality. You should look like a teacher. Your dressing, hair style and manners should not indicate that you are an immature young person who is not looking responsible enough to be appointed as a lecturer.

As a well-dressed candidate, you should carry your documents, interview call letter and other material (thesis, published articles, books, etc.) and leave for the prescribed center. You should reach there in time. You should report to the desk made for this purpose and follow the concerned officials’ instructions calmly. You should not get angry at all. Then move to the suggested building and wait there for your turn. You may have a light discussion with your fellows waiting for their turn but should not indulge in any political or controversial discussion that may spoil the company.

Check List for Interview

• An interview letter
• Online interview schedule
• Original degrees
• Certificates
• Transcripts
• Domicile
• CNIC

Introducing Yourself

While introducing yourself do not forget mentioning the following.

•       Your Name

•       Your Professional background

•       The family background

•       Qualification/Education

•       Achievement/distinction

•       Future plans.

In Interview Room

•       You should enter the room and say Assalam o Alaikum with a smile

•       Have your seat with permission.

•       You should not be nervous and try to be calm.

•       Listen to the panelist’s questions calmly, think a few seconds and respond confidently

•       If you don’t know the answer of a question, you may skip it and don’t show any nervousness as nobody knows everything.

•       If by character, you are not extrovert, don’t worry at all.

•       Many time, introverts perform better than extroverts.

•       If you fail to respond for any question related to national, international or current information, don’t bother at all.

•       Right responses to the General knowledge questions supplement your performance,

•       Your original performance is based on your subject knowledge.

•       When your interview is concluded, you should thank the panel with a smile and leave the room walking gracefully.

•       Say nothing negative about the panel out of the room and again report to the concerned desk.

•       Afterwards, you should not think much about it.

•       Just pray to Allah Almighty for success and be optimist.

• Revise and review the syllabus you studied at the master’s level and imagine the ‘world’ of your subject.
• Make or get a timeline of the key concepts, theories or development of your subject.
• Get an authentic and comprehensive dictionary and always consult it whenever you are confused about any word, term or concept. It looks better that you should have two dictionaries, first comprehensive English dictionary (such as Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary or Cambridge Advanced Learners’ Dictionary) and the dictionary of your subject (such as Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms). Most of the dictionaries are also available online and in soft form (CDs, DVDs, etc).
• Get a brief introduction of those writers’ philosophies and the context of their philosophies that are being studied for the exams.
• Read the prescribed texts if they exist and you have not read while doing your M.A/M.Sc and do not rely on summary. Only develop a logical approach after studying the prescribed syllabus in detail.
• Learn to identify the factors or things that make the content vague, ambiguous or obscure.
• Make a schedule for your study and strictly execute your study plan. (The study plan should be well-thought taking different influencing factors into account such as severe weather conditions, load shedding, other unavoidable engagements, etc).
• The written test for Lectureship requires the appropriate speed to do 1 MCQ in a minute and you should ensure this speed by continuous practice before exams. You should attempt at least 5 MCQs test for practice before your test day.

Written Test Format

Written Test for Lectureship contains 100 MCQs comprising question related to qualification of the post/subject and General Knowledge. The candidate is given a ‘question book’ for 100 MCQs along with five options and an answer sheet where five options (A, B, C, D and E) are given against each serial number. The candidate reads the statement from his main ‘question book’, selects the accurate or nearest possible answer and then fills the option given on the answer sheet. (The MCQs given in the model paper or the Dogar’s Lecturers’ Guide for practice illustrate the types of multiple-choice questions in the test.)

Test-Taking Strategies

When you take the test, you will mark your answers on a separate machine-readable or machine-scorable answer sheet. Total testing time is two hours or 100 minutes but there are no separately timed sections. Following are some general test-taking strategies you may want to consider.

You are advised to be careful in the following aspects:

• Be vigilant and concentrated with respect to your job of completing 100 MCQs within time.
• Read a statement carefully and then read the options given for it. Pay full attention to them and choose the right option. If you don’t know the option, it seems better you should skip this question and go to the next.
• Try to exclude the irrelevant choices by following different techniques of exclusion such as four options indicate the same thing and one is different that may be the right answer.
• Try to save time if the statement is very short and you know the exact answer and this time will be helpful to do the question where answer you are not sure of.
• Use minimum time for each statement in your first reading of the statements and try to save time for the second reading of not yet attempted questions.
• Fill the circles of the chosen options quickly using a black marker. Avoid incomplete filling of the circle.
• Do not fill more than one option.
• Do not forget to tally the serial number of your question book and that of your answer sheet before filling the option. Since serial numbers of the answer sheet are very close, so the candidates, sometimes, fill the option of another serial number in hurry. Try to avoid.
• Avoid any error that may cause many errors. For instance, if a candidate skips a question and goes to next and selects its option but while filling the option, he does not care for serial number and fills the options given for a question above.
• Check one by one and ensure that all the options given against the serial numbers 1-100 have been properly filled and then submit both the sheets to the invigilator.
• Read the test directions carefully, and work as rapidly as you can without being careless. For each question, choose the best answer from the available options.
• All questions are of equal value; do not waste time pondering individual questions you find extremely difficult or unfamiliar.
• You may want to work through the test quite rapidly, first answering only the questions about which you feel confident, then going back and answering questions that require more thought, and concluding with the most difficult questions if there is time.

• Carefully fill the circle for answer as questions for which you mark no answer or more than one answer are not counted in scoring.
• Record all answers on your answer sheet. Answers recorded in your test book will not be counted.
• Do not wait until the last five minutes of a testing session to record answers on your answer sheet.

Lectureship is a milestone in the life of young college teachers who pursue their career concentrating on their subject. Lectureship is a dream and to translate this dream into reality, the young graduates are supposed to demonstrate clarity and understanding of the essential concepts of their subjects. The test is reflection of evolution of the chosen subject and the candidate attempts this test to prove his proper comprehension in the subject. The provincial service commission is responsible to organize the recruiting process including the test and interview.