Language Proficiency and Written Communication
Language Proficiency and Written Communication tests clear official English: grammar, sentence structure, précis, report writing, and correspondence. The exam rewards concision, logical order, and tone appropriate to public administration.
Core rules
- Put the main point first in official notes and memos; use short paragraphs and active voice where responsibility matters.
- A précis preserves the author’s central meaning in fewer words; it excludes examples, repetition, and personal opinion.
- Subject–verb agreement, pronoun reference, parallelism, and modifier placement control clarity.
- Use formal but plain register; avoid jargon, clichés, and unnecessary nominalizations.
- In reports, separate findings, analysis, and recommendations; recommendations should follow from evidence.
Worked example
Original: “In view of the fact that the office was not in a position to make available the required documents owing to the reason that the record room was being relocated, the applicant was unable to comply with the deadline.” Précis: “Because the record room was being relocated, the office could not provide the documents, so the applicant missed the deadline.” Reasoning: the revision removes wordy phrases (“in view of the fact that,” “owing to the reason that”), keeps cause and effect, and uses active constructions.
Traps
Do not change the meaning of a précis by adding recommendations. Do not use a comma splice to join independent clauses. Do not let a modifier dangle (“Having reviewed the file, the decision was approved”). Do not confuse formality with verbosity.