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Essay Writing strategy for UPSC Civil Services Examination


Essay-Writing-strategy-for-UPSC

Essay Paper a challenging but scoring Paper in the UPSC CSE exam that helps Aspirants to get into their dream job. In three hours, two essays are to be completed, both of which should not exceed than one thousand or one thousand two hundred words. The essay paper in UPSC CSE is not just to check your writing skills it is to check ones skills, process of examining thins and interpretation of thoughts. Therefore, hold your pen as a weapon and open flood gates of your thoughts on the paper. This particular can help you score well in the overall examination because it contains 2 essays for a total of the 250 marks. Considering the score of past toppers in the UPSC CSE it is evident that scoring well in essay can help you get a good rank in the Examination.

Weightage and Format:

  • The essay paper makes up 250 marks and this approximately equals to 12% of the total marks.
  • There are two essays to complete within the extent of 1000-1200 words each is the marked instructions for the candidates.
  • Every candidate has to choose two essays from the given options.

Scoring:

  • The average passing standard is considered to be a percentage more than 50, which amounts to 125 marks.
  • Marks between 110 and 125 are respectively average.
  • A very good essay can earn you the scores of approximately 150-160.
  • However, be cautious: UPSC may award the poorly written essays as low as 0 or as high as 20.

How to write an Essay?

Step-I: Choose a topic and Brainstorm

It is a must do exercise that one should practice doing while writing an essay. After selecting a topic one can use the technique of brainstorming. Let these ideas to flow freely in your mind. One process is by writing all these down on the paper. Do practice this exercise as much as you can so that you can archive the next step of making a rough sheet in your mind and writing all the ideas in your brain only and write essay according to those ideas. This exercise includes free flow of all ideas like pros, cons, advantages, related arguments, supporting facts, case studies etc.



Step-II: Structure your Essay

Your structure of Essays reflects your whole essay so it is important to present your structure effectively. Start your Essay with a good introduction there after Body of Essay and In End Conclude your essay.

Introduction

An introduction part of an essay givesreader an initial look into the complete essay that she/he will be reading. It is the first point where you set up the tempo, draw the examiner’s focus, and possibly structure what is to come. When writing your UPSC CSE essay opening, keep these crucial ideas in mind and stay around it:

Make them read:

  • Write such lines that examiner can’t stop himself from reading the next lines.
  • Start with quotes.
  • There after interlink thoughts to each other.
  • For instance, if your article is on climate change, you may start with: on the planet with having more than 70% covered with water we still have much less water to drink….

Stay around the question:

  • The introduction has to include the main concept in relation to the question posed.
  • Do not use unrealistic beginnings.
  • Make sure you are connecting to a subject that is related to the current one.
  • State the main concept or issue to be delved in the article in an unambiguous manner.

Conciseness & Clarity:

  • Max is between words 120-150. Brevity is your ally.
  • Do not use acronyms or informal terms.
  • Simplicity doesn’t decrease sophistication.
  • State your objective concisely.
  • It is not necessary to have large introductions to the topic.

For Example:

In the ever-evolving path of life the concept of the Sustainable development emerged as a most demanding need of time to preserve our home i.e. Planet earth. In the context of constant global growth, on the confusion of regards to what is meant to be considered as progressing or advancing, the notion of sustainable development arises as our new direction in which advancement and conservation can peacefully coexist. Sustainable development is not just smarter economic growth it’s better living, it is a healthy planet and strong communities for now and for the future……

Main Body

The body of the essay is in the middle intro and conclusion. This section makes up the main and central part of the Essay following the introduction and coming before the conclusion section. Thus, it may be viewed as a link between your topic and the examiners’ perception of it. Do include all of the things like: Facts, Arguments, case studies etc.

A good Body must include the following:



a. Headings and sub-headings

  • Clarity: They provide you with stepping stones to follow your line of thought and, at the same time, guide the Examiner of your idea.
  • Enhanced Readability:Headings and Subheadings help to divide a lot of text so that Examinerdoes not meet the huge wall of text.
  • Highlighting Key Points: Good heading reflect key topics, and their development should be precise. They are used to ‘draw attention’ of the examiner to what is ahead as well as to point at the core notions which are important for the understanding of the text.
  • Logical Flow: the use of subheadings helps you to sustain continuity of your presentation throughout the essay.
  • Aesthetic Appeal: headings bring out the authentic look to your essay thus making the essay look neat.

b. Arguments

  • Persuasion: Persuasive statements stand for your point of view and provide evidence or logic that you can use to back it. They persuade the examiner to accept your viewpoint thereby making your essay efficient.
  • Depth and Analysis: Good arguments do not rest with general assentation. They get to subtleties, dissect information and offer perspective which takes your essay to the next level.
  • Coherence: Transitions link major points as one argument links one paragraph to another. They build up a proper structure, which makes each presented point significant to your key statement.
  • Intellectual Rigor: Developing sharp arguments serve your purpose of demonstrating the intensity of your academic thinking process, within particular subject areas.

c. Facts, reports and data

  • Credibility: facts and reports give credibility to your arguments. This doesn’t exhibityour ideas rather shows your inner thoughts.
  • Illustration: The best way to explain concepts that may be hard to term and explain in general knowledge is to take a few examples. When one uses proper examples, it ensures your essay is easy to read and create a clear picture in the mind of Examiner.
  • Persuasion: Facts remain a powerful force, and a well-documented fact influences the opinion of most people.
  • Depth:the use of data and opinions of experts adds to the depth of research done to compile the information in your essay.

d. Case Studies

  • Concrete Illustration: Examples in the form of case studies makes the situation concrete.
  • Depth and Analysis: The case studies are used to elaborate on proper thinking or critical thinking. It permits one to breakup compound issues and make accurate analyses.
  • Application: It enlarges your essay by applying matters arising from cases to more extensive issues, demonstrating your grasp.

e. Quotes

  • Authority and Validation: Using a quote, either from an expert or some other source helps bring credibility into your case. They validate your viewpoints.
  • Emotional Impact: This is about quotes; and careful selection of quotes can elicit an emotional response. They can educate, motivate, or make one ponder, which gives them the creative power to stir a person.
  • Variety of Voices: Quotes bring in opinions from different people. They are useful in enhancing your essay in a way that different perceptions are shown by various people.
  • Literary Flourish: Quotes can be used very effectively in writing as they bring simple enhancement and sophistication or as a method of substantiation and enriching a work.

f. Connecting dots

  • Continuity: Transitions help a writer to check that his or her paragraphs are connected in a smooth manner. It enriches the overall ‘rhythm’ of the writing when readers are not jolted out of their comfort by the shift from one point to another.
  • Contextualization:connecting dots helps the reader to stay with the topic and the central idea of the topic.
  • Depth: the structuring of ideas enables the work to be developed further, engulfs the viewer completely.
  • Engagement: Interconnected passages make it possible to hold the readers’ interest.

g. Simple language

  • Simplicity:it helps the fact that the intended message does not get drowned in a sea of fancy and complex words.
  • Focus on Content: When a language is unambiguous it becomes easier for the readers to deal with ideas presented on the paper.
  • Efficiency: simple makes it effective.
    Example:
    Before: “The utilization of convoluted verbiage often obfuscates the intended message.”
    Improved: “Using complex words can confuse readers.

Conclusion

This is the last part in an essay and is crucial for your essay. How one ends her/his topic reflects vision and the view point of the writer about the topic so, while writing the conclusion keep following things in mind:

  • Always conclude a speech with a statement that will make the examiner think what has been said or ask a question related to the speech.
  • Do not bring new information into the conclusion. It’s not the place for surprising examiner so try to limit your discussions.
  • End your essay by informing the reader what you intended to convey with your essay.
  • Summarize the arguments or dimensions that you focused on in your essay in a few words. Highlight the critical aspects.
  • To ensure flow, ensure that you refer back to something you said in the first part of your essay. Demonstrate how your investigation has been completed in circle.

Mistakes that most Aspirants commit during essay Paper:

  • Aspirants sometime use difficult words so try to use easy and understandable words. This can alienate readers.
  • Restating what is known can be unimpressive; thus, avoid doing this to your Essay.
  • Due to time pressure in the examination or not enough time spent on planning may cause failure to perform steps such as brainstorming and outlining as they go straight to writing their work.
  • An uninspiring introduction creates an improper atmosphere, which colours the perception of the entire work. One needs to focus on writing of the introduction to capture the examiner from the initial stage.
  • Ignoring the opposing view reduces the strength of your essay’s argument.
  • Nonlinear and complex structures posed in an essay make the readers lose their way.
  • The worst thing you can do is to give examiner a weak ending to remember. For proper conclusion of such work it is advisable to bring the central ideas in a conducive and comprehensive manner.
  • Some Aspirants do not clearly understand the given direction of the essay, in consequence, one finds that their essays are tangential or leave out the focus of an argument.
  • Unverified facts weaken essays. Official Facts, reports, etc. supports your arguments and brings credibility into the picture.