8 Tips to Write Winning Essays in the UPSC Mains Exam

Among the many challenges UPSC throws at students, Essay writing is one. The essay paper consists of 2 sections and candidates are required to write 1 essay for each section. That is 1500-2000 words essays over a period of three hours. Over the three hours the idea is to test the candidates ability to think, articulate and make a convincing argument. From the examiner’s point of view the essay is a crucial window to the candidates thought process and hence this section plays a vital role in the students’ performance. This section carries 250 marks and each essay carries 125 marks. When planning for UPSC syllabus, essays writing should be included and priotized.

The essay gives ample opportunity to win over examiners not just with your knowledge but your content, coherence and ability to cogently put your thoughts down. You do not require fancy vocabulary to succeed in essay writing, however using the right and powerful language to make your point is a winning strategy.

Over the years we have trained several candidates for UPSC CSE and we feel students need to pay special attention and not neglect this section while planning their upsc mains syllabus. It is for this reason that we at Kamaraj IAS Academy, are sharing our inputs gleaned over many years in this field.

1. Develop a good reading habit

To write, you must be a good reader first. Hone your reading skills, pick up expressions and words that convey something meaningful. At the end of reading something, write down your thought process. Start your day by reading something. It is important to be more observant when you read. Reading opens out more channels and broadens your perspective. However you should be careful about what you choose to read. Read from reputed sources and magazines. For example EPW, Economic Survey, Scientific American, New York Times etc cover a broad range of articles with erudite perspectives.

2. Use the right language

Using the right language does not mean jargon laden essays. You need to pick a few powerful words for conveying your thoughts. Be concise and precise. Do not be verbose. Your essay should be effectively communicating complex ideas in simple words. Long sentences with too many conjunctions are often confusing for examiners. Precision is key. Another important technique is to write in short paragraphs. Long paragraphs may distract the reader. To maintain precision in ideas, construct your essay with short paragraphs that deliver a few key points.

3. Get feedback

When you mains answer writing practice, seek feedback from colleagues and seniors. Read samples of successful candidates. Analyze how they respond to the questions and how they have articulated. Get feedback from both experienced and inexperienced people. Remember, essay writing is one task that requires diverse perspectives. To have diversity in ideas, it is a great idea to get feedback from multiple sources on your writing.

4. Write rough drafts

Although three hours to draft an essay may be a small amount of time. It is advised to first jot down your thoughts into a rough draft. Once you have all your ideas spelt out, you can then construct your essay and give it a good structure. During this time, brainstorm and clearly define the scope of your essay. If you do not have clarity on the boundaries of the essay, there is a tendency to write a lot of unnecessary points that dilute the essence of the essay. You can also make flow-charts, mind maps or pictorial representations before you begin. During this stage it may be a good idea to recollect quotes, anecdotes or parallels between current affairs that can add weight to your essay.

5. Give examples

You can draw a lot of ideas from real life examples, anecdotes, current affairs or historical incidents. When you take inspiration from these, it will add a lot of significance to your main story. Examples and drawing parallels between them will emphasize that you are well informed. Take care to give relevant examples and not deviate from the main focus of the essay. Examples should highlight the key idea and not take away the essence of the essay.

6. Avoid extreme or unpopular opinions

When you take a position, take a conscious and neutral position. Do not make provocative statements. It will always help to mention the pros and cons of any issue and let the reader draw a balanced opinion. Do not enforce your opinion on your readers. If you wish to propose any new suggestions, do so with clarity and conviction. Make sure that your suggestions are constructive.

7. Have a strong introduction

Your introduction should draw your readers to the rest of the essay. An impactful introduction will keep the examiners glued to the rest of the essay. Write with honesty and humility. The introduction is not to show off your language or knowledge, instead the introduction should give the readers an idea of your position and keep them engaged. You can use some quotes here that have influenced your thought process. Remember to be concise and not meander. This is how you need start intor in mains answer writing.

8. Have a structured outlook

A successful essay has a clear structure and defined goals. You can begin with an introduction followed by a few examples or anecdotes. Following this the main concept can be dealt with in detail. Further discuss the pros and cons, or advantages and disadvantages of the issue in hand. At this stage you can put forth your suggestions and changes. In the conclusion, summarize your essay effectively and end on a positive note.

The essay section can be challenging if you do not have the right approach. Mains answer writing practice few essays from the previous years papers. Also look at the trends and the kind of topics that are tested usually. In UPSC they are looking for versatile personalities and that should be reflected in the way you write the essay. It should not be uni dimensional and parochial. Write an essay that brings diverse perspectives and reflects your intellect. Lastly but most importantly, spend time choosing your topic wisely. Choose the one which can bring the best in you. Spend ample time thinking about which topic can give you the best output and this is how you should approach the mains answer writing in the essay.

Kamaraj IAS Academy wishes every UPSC aspirant great success in their endeavor. Being the most reputed IAS academy in Chennai, we provide guidance for all aspects of the UPSC exam. Our faculty have trained several students to write winning essays. If you wish to seek our help our doors are always open for you. Visit our website for more details : https://www.kamarajiasacademy.com

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