The examination is divided into three stages: preliminary, main and Interview rounds. The Prelims consist of two papers with both being objective papers; however, for the Main papers, the candidate has to write descriptive answers for nine papers. 

Professionals and candidates who have written the UPSC paper previously can understand why writing answers in UPSC is considered a challenging aspect. A UPSC candidate devotes several hours each day to preparing a subject; however, at the end of the day, it is the answer booklet that is read by the examiner. Therefore, it is essential to understand the art of writing answers. 

Stick to the end of the article as we share all the important tips and tricks.

1. Basics

You are writing the answers to one of the most coveted examinations in India, and therefore, your answer should reflect the ideologies of a future administrator. Answer to the point and write in a clear and concise manner. 

It has been observed that examiners expect different answering patterns for general studies and optional papers. To elaborate, for the optional paper, the candidates are supposed to have a deep understanding of the concept as it is their specialist field. 

But on the other hand, for the GS papers, the candidates are expected to have a basic understanding of the concepts to be able to present multidimensionality. It is always advised to look for "directional words" in the questions to understand how to answer them.

2. Practice

Time management is one of the most important skills a candidate should learn while preparing for the UPSC examination. 

Completing the Mains paper is difficult in itself; therefore, practising writing answers at home is essential. You can go through the previous year's questions paper to understand the questions usually asked, and 3-4 months before your Mains examinations, you should start practising writing answers. 

You can read The Hindu to gain insight into how answers can be written comprehensively while providing the required information. 

3. UPSC Mains Examination

UPSC examinations usually ask questions in the form of Comment, Examine, Critically examine and Discuss. It is important to understand that each of the question types has a different answering approach. But to cover the basics, while writing the answers, it is important to provide complete answers. Take the 360-degree approach to the question asked. 

Use keywords in your answers to highlight important points in your answers. You can also highlight the keywords for better effectiveness. It is always recommended to substantiate your answers. Substantiating your answers will provide legitimacy to your answers. 

Despite having a time crunch, it is important to present the answers in neat handwriting. Provide headings/ subheadings wherever required. Writing the answers in simple language is always recommended. Do not create ambiguity in your answers by introducing unnecessary jargon in the content. Finally, it is important to adhere to the word count provided by UPSC.

4. Paper-specific tips

Each general studies paper requires a different approach while writing answers for them. 

For General Studies Paper I, you answer to the point including charts, maps, diagrams, and timelines according to the question. For GS paper II, adding SC verdicts, citing articles, relevant quotes, recent developments and reports (if present) can aid scoring marks. 

Now coming to GS paper III, adding recent statistics, important phrases, global rankings, schemes, and innovations can be beneficial. Lastly, for GS Paper IV, the candidate must cite logical solutions, and quotes, and being thorough with keywords present in the syllabus is important. 

Coming to the Essay and Optional paper, in the essay paper, the candidate has to write two essays, each with a word count of 1000-1200 words. The candidate must follow a general outline to complete the paper within the given time duration. Since the candidate has to write within the 150-word limit for the Optional paper, preparing a gist of important points providing the root information for the question can be highly beneficial. 

Bottom Line

First, to encapsulate all the essential points mentioned in the articles, it is important to create a psychological framework to ease your writing process. Look for “directional words'' in your questions and do not fabricate your answers. Answer to the point and add keywords whenever required. 

It is important for you to follow the basic structure for each question: introduction, main body and conclusion. If you face unfamiliar questions, it is best recommended to direct your time towards another question which helps in scoring marks. We all know practice makes a man perfect. It is important to practice writing answers diligently to gain the upper hand in your examination.