My Answer Writing Strategy

Answer writing is of course the foundation of CSE MAINS. Once you develop a good answer writing skill, you can be confident of clearing MAINS 10/10 times.

My scores in GS: 340 --> 387 --> 426 --> 463.

My Strategy involves more than just answer writing.

Let’s move in order:

1. Read right material (newspaper must)
2. Make notes
3. Revise multiple time
4. Practice answer writing

One can not jump directly to point 4. Your answer will only be as good as your study material-notes-revision.

Once you know what to write, then only knowing how to write matters.

Answer structure:

1. Read the question and break it into subparts. More the subparts better it is.
2. Intro
3. News background
4. Definition/keywords/facts related to question
5. Points (in ideal case number of points equal to marks). More the subparts, more the points will be and think time will be less
6. Paper specific keywords
7. Reports
8. Examples
9. Diagram
10. Conclusion

Breaking a Question into Subparts:

Breaking down a question into parts and subparts is most important if you want to gain 450+ marks in GS. This is the key in writing what UPSC or the examiner actually wants!

Breaking down includes:

• Read every word of question very carefully.
• Marking parts/sub-questions in a question as you read a question. This saves time.
• Always try to divide question in as many sub parts as possible and make headings for each sub part and address them equally. Then only you would have done justice to the question and would get good marks.

• Higher the sub parts, higher will be the number of points in your answer. This takes care of quantity and will fetch you more marks.
• Breaking down also provides your answer a structure by itself. And a well structured answer fetches higher marks as it takes care of answer quality.

If it is a 15 marks question, I expect 12-15 points. And if 15 marker has 4 subparts, then divide answer accordingly and write 3-4 points for each subpart i.e. 12-15 points overall.

• Hence, dividing question into subparts helps in easily handling the part that you dont know as now you need to write only few points on it.
• If question has a statement and then a question ia asked, the statement becomes 1st part of question! It has to be answered and not ignored like many do.

Example: Pakistan is a rogue state. What are Balakot strikes?

Here question has 2 parts and not 1. You have to answer both parts equally.

• When question asks you to discuss or to analyze/critically analyze etc then clearly divide your answer into positives/pros and negatives/cons. This increases sub-parts and answer content.
• Dividing question into parts would make your answer multi-dimensional. Even if examiner does not like a point or two, he will definitely give you good marks because he simply cannot dislike all 10-12-15 points!

This approach reduces the chances of missing out on what is asked in question, therefore very potent in increasing eventual score.

Question I gave on group: Examine the potential of Indian cooperatives as development partners and analyze the challenges they face along with steps taken by the government towards boosting the role played the cooperatives in development. (250 words, 15 marks)

How many subparts exist for this question? Subparts:

1. Potential of Indian cooperatives.
2. Challenges.
3. Steps taken.
4. Role in development.

Apart from the above: Introduction, news background, paper specific keywords, diagram and conclusion / way forward are needed to be written.

Question I gave on group: India’s look west policy has reaped huge rewards in last few years even though certain bilateral-multilateral issues crop up every now and then. What are major effects of Look West policy on indo-pak relations? (200 words, 12.5 marks)

Brainstorm and poll your answer here!

ATB!!!