For civil service aspirants, writing good answers in the CSE Mains exam is a crucial challenge. The ability to write an effective answer is an art that can be learned over time with practice, effort, and guidance. This article is a guide for writing answers to help aspirants integrate tips and techniques into their preparation holistically. To write an effective answer, there are certain basic tricks you need to know. These include:

Understanding the question fully and correctly before attempting to answer it.

The directives such as "discuss/ critically discuss" etc. come with the questions in the Mains examination, and you should be able to grasp clearly what that particular directive is asking to do. You should know various directives and their meanings to understand what the examiner is expecting in the answer.

Developing a basic mental framework of the answer before committing anything to paper.

It should be that the moment aspirants have read and understood a given question, they immediately start forming the structure for the answer in their minds. With practice, it becomes easier to do this, and if required, you can jot down (with a pencil) whatever you remember. This is important because sometimes, aspirants tend to forget or are unable to recall from memory at the last minute, which can drastically affect the quality of their answers.

Forcing the answer out.

It is important to learn how to force an answer out of you. Aspirants have prepared considerably for the Mains examination and, as a result, possess a considerable amount of information, facts, ideas, etc. If time were not an issue, aspirants could contemplate generously before each and every sentence they write. But within a given time limit, they do not have such luxuries of time. Thus, you should force yourselves to write the answer with whatever information you’ve got to give your best shot to the question.

Not overstretching the imagination.

UPSC requires aspirants to have a good understanding of a given issue, and the same should be readily understandable when expressed. Thus, you should not slip into thoughts, ideas, or arguments that are not absolutely necessary for writing a particular answer. Over-brooding and philosophising may lead to confusion and should be left out of Mains's answer writing. Moreover, this can save time and effort that can be used in answering other questions efficiently.

How to structure your answer

A well-structured answer can help aspirants score more marks. Here are the steps for structuring your answer:

Step 1: Write a fitting introduction to your answer.

Ideally, the introduction should not only introduce the topic/issue/idea to the examiner but also briefly narrate the central premise of the answer. If the question has two or more parts, then all parts must be introduced briefly. The introduction should not be lengthier than 20% of the word limit at any cost, and its ideal length is about 10% of the word limit. For 200 words, 20-40 words are what you should be looking at for the introduction (and the conclusion too).

Step 2: Divide the main body of the answer into paragraphs or bullets as required.

Each paragraph or bullet should have one point only (unless it is very necessary to do otherwise), and the most important points or the points that you have recalled fully should go first. When you are asked to discuss both positive and negative aspects of an issue, you can either list all the positives in one paragraph and then list the negatives.

Step 3: Conclude your answer in a well-balanced manner.

It's important to strike a positive tone and express a healthy opinion, even if it's not necessarily original. Avoid ending on a negative note and strive to see the silver lining in any situation. Additionally, refrain from posing further questions in the conclusion and focus on presenting a solution or a way forward. This exhibits a positive mindset and a willingness to find solutions, qualities that are essential for any aspiring computer science engineering student.

Bottomline

In conclusion, effective answer writing is a skill that can be learned through consistent effort, practice, and guidance. To write an effective answer, one needs to have a basic understanding of the question and its directives. Developing a basic mental framework of the answer before putting anything to paper is essential. Forcing the answer out instead of waiting for it to come is also a critical strategy for effective answer writing. One must not overstretch their imagination or include unnecessary thoughts, ideas, or arguments. Answer structure is also important, and the answer should be divided into paragraphs with each paragraph having one point only. In conclusion, the answer should be balanced with a positive opinion and should not end on a negative note.