How to Practice Answer Writing for Civil Services (Main) Exam?

• The Mains exam being descriptive in nature, it goes without saying that answer writing practice is one of the most crucial aspects of the exam.
• Since success in Mains evidently depends on one’s ability to write close to 100 questions and some 24000 words in all the papers, it is of absolute necessity that one develops the articulation necessary for writing meaningful, to the point and concise answers.
• Prior to the 2013 pattern change, the UPSC used to ask fewer questions and require less words to be written. It was conceivable to attempt to frame responses in the exam room itself because there was a manageable amount of time constraint.
• However, since the pattern has changed, UPSC now asks 20–25 questions, with 150–250 words required for each answer.
• Even though the instructions stress that the content of the answer is more significant than its length, you still need to think quickly and come up with a plan of attack for 20–25 questions in the test room.
• You might spend 1-2 minutes developing a framework for each topic if you didn't practise prior or too intensively. That means anywhere between 25-50 mins only on answer framing! So, you are left with very less amount of time to actually write the answer. This is the biggest issue as far as not writing an answer is concerned.
• Organizing and prioritising your thought process can also be accomplished by writing answers. You learn to respond to what is specifically requested rather than what you already know.
• You develop the ability to write clearly and without hedging your bets. Writing also aids in internalising knowledge and improves retention over reading alone. In order to start the process phase, one should write the answers to the question papers from the previous year.
• In addition to providing you with sufficient answer practise, they also greatly aid in your comprehension of the exam's requirements and pattern.
• As the Mains exam approaches one should start taking mock tests and get them evaluated.
• So, a tentative timeline could be:
  • Every day: Write 1-2 questions and analyse them yourself. If possible, show them to seniors and get comments.
  • Immediately after Prelims: Write 4-5 questions/day; Start taking weekly topical mock tests.
  • 2 months before Mains: Start taking Full Length Tests (FLTS).