If you are preparing for the UPSC civil services mains exam, you would know how important answer writing practice is to score reasonable marks. In fact, if you neglect to practice writing answers, you might as well forget that IAS dream of yours. Answer writing practice is not to be done as an after-thought to your IAS preparation, but it must be an essential part of your daily routine if you want to clear the UPSC mains. This article talks about a few common mistakes to avoid during answer writing practice for the UPSC CSE mains examination.
Aspirants would find this article very helpful while preparing for the UPSC 2021.
UPSC exam-related preparation materials will be found through the links given below.
Avoid These Mistakes in UPSC Answer Writing Practise
Start Now
One of the most common questions of Candidates preparing for the exam is,” when to start answer writing for UPSC?”. The first rule to remember is that you should not wait till you finish the whole UPSC syllabus to embark on an answer writing spree. You should start it simultaneously while covering the syllabus. The more you practice, the better you will get at it. Success in the UPSC exam is not determined by how much you know, but by what and how much you write in the answer booklet. Writing answers daily enhances the quality of the answers and time management skills.
Candidates can go through UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice for better results.
Quality and quantity
If you think just by filling up the prescribed word count, you can fool the examiner, think again. The UPSC assesses your knowledge and ability to express that knowledge in the most effective manner. Not only should you take care of the word limit, you should also ensure to write what is asked in the question. Understanding the nuance of the question comes only with practicing scores of UPSC previous year papers.
Evaluate
It is not enough to merely write out answers and prepare for the IAS exam. You should also get your answers evaluated by teachers, seniors or mentors. Only this way you can analyse your shortcomings and correct yourself.
Holistic answers
When you are practicing answer-writing, make sure you write holistic answers. Your answers should be clear, neat, have examples and relevant concepts, crisp (not vague and jumbled) and creative. Dynamic questions warrant dynamic answers. So, read newspapers regularly to improve your vocabulary and writing style. The prerequisite to writing well is to inculcate a habit of reading well.
GS papers versus optionals
It is better to avoid jargon in the GS papers, since your answers should be multifaceted and broad. Here, you must give a generalist approach to your answers. However, in the optional subject papers, you can afford to go a little deep and include technical terms. This is because the examiner, in this case, is also a specialist. So, when you practice writing answers, keep in mind the difference between writing answers for GS and optional papers, and prepare specifically for both.
Also read: How to use mind maps for IAS preparation
Candidates can go to the following links to prepare well for the upcoming UPSC exam-
Aspirants can find complete information about upcoming Government Exams through the linked article.
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