How to do Answer Writing for UPSC CSE/Answer Writing Tips

If you are a UPSC aspirant and want to secure good marks in your UPSC Mains examination, you must practise answer writing regularly. It will improve your answer writing skills, and additionally it will also give you an edge over the other aspirants in the UPSC main examination. The UPSC Conducts the Civil Service examination once a year. The exam consists of three phases. i.e. Preliminary examination, main examination and personality test or interview. The preliminary exam is an OMR-based examination. The main paper is a descriptive type exam where you must write the complete answers. Hence, effective and good answer writing plays a crucial role in making a better impression on the evaluator.

Steps and Tips

Writing the answer in the UPSC Main Exam is as significant as studying for the exam. Your goal in studying for this exam is to learn and deliver an effective response. Many candidates are disqualified due to poor writing abilities and a disregard for facts based on the method of writing, such as the use of keywords, a complete & crisp answer, language, presentation, word counts, drawings, and word choice.

Comprehend it well: Needs Practice 

This is a vital capability that you must practice while preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examinations. It should be the case that as soon as you have read and comprehend a question, you begin creating the pattern for that answer in your brain. It gets easier with practice, and if necessary, scribble down whatever occurs to mind as and when it comes to mind. The last point is significant since we have a tendency to forget or be unable to retrieve information from memory at the last minute, which can have a significant impact on the quality of the answers. If you do not follow this pattern, you might feel difficulty in connecting the facts, dates or other data, which ultimately hamper your responses. 

To the Point

It is advised to write the point answer instead of writing down the unnecessary stuff. Avoid using unnecessary jargon or technical terminology in your UPSC Mains answers. Also, avoid using clichés. Always keep in mind that quality material is valued more than quantity. Divide your answers into paragraphs to make them more presentable and interesting. Also, avoid excessively long writing paragraphs. When you switch to a new topic, make sure you change paragraphs.

Mind Mapping

A mind mapping is one of the most creative concepts of learning, which could convert the long, lengthy and boring information into memorable, colourful and organised pictures/diagrams that work with your mind’s natural way of assuming concepts.

A mind mapping is hierarchical & it reflects the relationships between pieces of the full content. So, it is advised that you write in bullet points instead of paragraphs whenever you make study notes from the newspaper or the books. By this method, you can recall and analyse the big picture better.

Steps to make mind maps.

Step 1: Write down the major topic in the centre of the sheet.

Step 2: Write down sub-topics around the major concept and interlink them

Step 3: Write down the key point under each of the subtopics.

Step 4: Highlight the relationship between various points in a mind map.

Focus on Current Affairs

Reading newspapers is the first and most important source for learning current affairs & covering the dynamic portion of the course. The Indian Express and Hindu are the two most widely published newspapers in India. Then there are sources like Lok Sabha TV, Rajya Sabha TV, editorials, AIR News, current affairs collection, economic surveys and budget to keep up with current events, which is an essential part of the preparation method because current affairs make up more than half of the Civil Services Mains syllabus.

Solve the previous year’s question Papers

The previous year’s paper is crucial in making your concept strong. After you have mastered the syllabus and acquired a thorough understanding of the topic through standard books and NCERT, the next stage is to solve the past five years’ question papers. It will assist you in answering practice questions, but it will also provide you with a good understanding of the test pattern and allow you to analyse the pattern of questions.

Enroll in the main test series

Enrolling in the UPSC Mains test series and analysing your preparation level is the most critical step after building a foundation of knowledge of Mains subjects. The test series mainly helps students practice answer writing and understand the exam format. Still, it also provides a good idea of the likely questions and, most significantly, allows you to receive feedback from field professionals.

How to structure your Answer in Mains

Step 1: Start your answer by writing the introduction part. The introduction should ideally inform the examiner about the idea/issues/topic and briefly outline the primary premise of the answers. If the question consists of two or more parts, then a separate introduction must be written separately. The introduction should be short and not more than 20% of the total word limit of the answer.

Step 2: The best way to write the body of the answer is to divide the main body of the answer into bullets or paragraphs. Discuss both the positive and negative aspects of the answer, and you can also make a table to differentiate the aspects of the answer. 

Step 3: Complete your response with a balanced conclusion. You can add a healthy amount of optimism to your conclusion. The viewpoint does not have to be unique, but it should ideally (and in most cases) be positive. In addition, never end the statement with a new inquiry. If you want to ask a question as per your response, do so only in the main body. Also, instead of finishing your response with rhetoric, attempt to offer a solution or a path forward.

Conclusion:

One of the most difficult exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission is the Union Public Service Commission Exam. It consists of three rounds: prelims, mains, and interviews, and it is held to appoint officers for the IAS, IPS, IRS and other groups of posts in the Government of India. The UPSC Prelims are entirely objective; however, all nine of the UPSC Mains test papers are descriptive. Answer writing is more important in this exam for non-technical subjects (such as geography, philosophy, political science, history, sociology, and so on) than technical ones (such as physics, maths, chemistry, etc.). Answer writing is regarded to be an art. The good news is that anyone can learn any art over time. It takes a strong desire to succeed, consistent practice, and coaching. We are here to assist you with the guide portion, and we hope you will be able to properly incorporate the tips we will give you into your preparation.