Students are often worried about the descriptive phase of RBI Grade B Exam. To help you all crack this phase, we discussed Essay Writing tips for RBI Grade B Exam last week. In this post, we will discuss how you should write Precis in RBI Grade B Descriptive Test. We have covered the important tips that one should take care of in Precis Writing and also presented an example for the same, which will help you all understand this topic better.
In 2017, there were only 3 questions in English Descriptive paper which were to be completed in 90 minutes. The pattern in 2017 was as follows:
The average score in English in Phase 2 in 2017 was around 65. Clearly, this was the most scoring section considering the overall cutoff (General Category) was 196.75.
Precis Writing Tips for RBI Grade B 2018
What is a Precis?
In simple terms, a Precis is a shortening of a text to get the essence in less number of words. You are supposed to describe it as accurately and briefly as possible the substance or main ideas contained in a text. Precis writing is a wonderful skill which will be useful throughout your life; whether you are writing emails or in writing official letters, business letters etc. Once you start practicing it, you will get the habit to cut out the roundabout verbiage and state describe the idea in lesser words thus keeping your reader focused.
Characteristics of a Precis
- It is about 1/3rd of the Original Passage
- Doesn’t contain any example, illustrations of the Original Passage
- Is written in standard English without using the shortcuts
- States the original idea and cut-out all unimportant details
How to write a Precis?
Now we will share how you should approach the Precis writing. You should always read the passage at least twice. Read it generally the first time to get to know the gist or central idea of the passage. In your second read, underline/or note down the important points. Please note that the precis is not a line by line summary of the passage but the summary of the passage as a whole. You should use your own words while writing the precis.
What not to do while writing a Precis
- Usually, a word limit will be given. However, you should stick to the 1/3rd rule, i.e. do not use more than 1/3rd of the words of the original passage.
- Writing beyond the prescribed limit will result in negative marking.
- No spelling mistakes – use alternate words if you are not sure of the spellings
- An ideal passage as per RBI questions should be completed in 1 paragraph only.
- Do not try to summarize line by line
- Do not give your opinion
- Should not include the examples or illustrations
We will now give you a sample precis on the topic MPC of RBI and our source would be the article published in The Hindu on 07.02.2018. You can read the original article below or by clicking here:
The monetary policy committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India decided to hold interest rates at 6 percent for the third consecutive policy meeting as it sees retail inflation gaining momentum. Five of the six members of the MPC voted in favor of keeping the rate unchanged, while one member, M.D. Patra, wanted a rate hike of 25 bps. While holding rates, the central bank said the stance of the policy remained neutral.
The decision comes after the consumer price index (CPI) inflation hit a 17-month high of 5.21 percent in December. At its review meeting on Wednesday, the RBI increased its inflation forecast for Q4 to 5.1 percent, compared to 4.3-4.7 percent for the second half.
“Domestic pump prices of petrol and diesel rose sharply in January, reflecting lagged pass-through of the past increases in international crude oil prices. Considering these factors, inflation is now estimated at 5.1 percent in Q4, including the HRA impact,” the RBI said.
Assuming a normal monsoon, the CPI inflation for 2018-19 is estimated in the range of 5.1-5.6 percent in H1, including diminishing statistical HRA impact of the Central government employees, and 4.5-4.6 percent in H2, with risks tilted to the upside, the RBI said.
Gross Value Added (GVA) growth for 2017-18 is projected at 6.6 percent and for 2018-19 it is projected at 7.2 percent.
The RBI said the fiscal slippage as indicated in the Union Budget could impinge on the inflation outlook. “Apart from the direct impact on inflation, fiscal slippage has broader macro-financial implications, notably on economy-wide costs of borrowing, which have already started to rise. This may feed into inflation.”
Total Words in the Original Passage - 280
We will now share the sample Precis. We will stick to the word limit of 170.
Keeping the stance neutral and rising inflation, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India kept the interest rates unchanged at 6%. RBI increased its inflation forecast to 5.1% for Q4. The RBI forecasted CPI inflation for 2018-19 between 5.1-5.6% during H1 and between 4.5-4.6% during H2 of 2018-19 assuming normal monsoon and diminishing HRA impact. GVA is projected at 6.6% and 7.2% for the years 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively. The inflation could rise keeping in mind the fiscal slippages as indicated in the Union Budget.
Total words used in the Precis – 88.
Though the word limit is 170, we have to follow the rule of 1/3rd.
As discussed, this article forms the part of our series of RBI Grade B. We will keep sharing us more in the coming days. Wish you all the best for your examinations. If you have any doubts, please let us know in the comments.
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