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Sharpening the answer writing skills for the IAS Exam may do wonders to your score, and hence the rank, when UPSC announces the results. If you are keen on joining the Indian Administrative Services, you must prepare well and rank higher than your competitors, so that UPSC allows you to join the cadre that you yearn for.
And how are you going to assure UPSC that you are among the most suitable of the candidates to serve the nation as an administrator? Though your personality is definitely going to be assessed in the interview, these are your answer writing skills that are of paramount importance that are to make UPSC think of you as a candidate to be finally called for the Personality Test.
Your Writing Skills Convey if You can be a Potential Administrator
UPSC obviously would be assessing your skills as a potential administrator on the grounds of how you answer the questions in the Papers for the Mains. The mains answer writing skills should be focused upon in great details while gaining the suitable knowledge as per the UPSC syllabus.
The Manner of Presenting Your Knowledge Counts!
You might have been studying thoroughly and revising frequently as well. But it should not be forgotten that it is how you present the knowledge thus gained while writing the answers for the Exam that matters the most. And that’s where the UPSC mains answer writing skills come into the picture.
The UPSC Mains Exam comprises the descriptive type questions and focuses on assessing the skills of the candidates as potential Civil Servants at various levels. Thus, if it is IAS that you seek to join, your answers should convey that you have the skills of a potential administrator.
Do Not Ignore Your Essay writing Skills
Besides, there are some of the Papers in the IAS Mains Exam, say the Essay Paper that requires the aspirants to sharpen their answer writing skills exceptionally well. The Essay Paper carries 250 marks and you are required to answer 2 Essays, each carrying 125 marks.
Thus, the IAS essay test series, if answered frequently, can play an important role in equipping the IAS aspirants to shoot their score, and hence, the rank, higher. The essay test series, if attempted regularly can give you the knack of writing a good
Opt for the Most Suitable Style of Writing
Many a times, the candidates are confused concerning the style of writing. Though there is no hard and fast rule for the same, it only makes sense to write depending upon the topic. Various issues that you write on should be discussed, analyzed, or critically examined as per the topic of the Essay. The format of a paragraph for discussing and analyzing is highly suitable. The same applies if your Essay examines any of the issues.
However, you may make use of various points, in case, your Essay focuses on the advantages and the disadvantages, or say the pros and cons of a system, policy etc. Thus, it’s up to how well you understand the relevance of the topic that makes the Essay more scoring for you. And accordingly, you should opt for the writing style for the entire Essay, or for that matter, various paragraphs.
Be Style Specific for Various Paragraphs As Well
The paragraphs in the Essay that you write should encompass one or more of the following styles as and when required:
- Discuss
- Elucidate
- Explain
- Critically Appreciate
- Give reasons for and against, etc.
Again, as already said earlier, the relevance of the topic should be understood thoroughly before you begin to write. And the entire Essay should be written accordingly. It is highly essential to do so for it is the writing style opted by the examinee that conveys his ideology and analytical capabilities, apart from the knowledge to UPSC.
There is No Room for Any Prejudices
And, once again, if it’s IAS that you seek to join, your Essays should convey that you have an ideology that is far from doing any injustice to anyone at all. The Essays penned down by you should represent you as an individual who is aware and alert. And here, your knowledge of the current affairs, or for that matter, of the topic your Essay is based upon comes into the picture.
And, as it has been pointed out, knowledge alone would be far from being sufficient to represent you as a potential administrator, in case you do not possess an absolutely unprejudiced ideology. Anybody with a prejudiced mind would simply not be able to impart justice. It is the job of an IAS officer to form and implement policies. And that of course, requires an administrator who entertains no prejudices of any kind.
Do Not be Impulsive
As all the sensible souls would agree that haste makes waste, it’s advisable to take a few minutes and carefully think of the topic you would like to write the Essay on. Besides, the sequence of the ideas/thoughts/concepts and various perspectives etc., should also be thought of properly before you begin to write. You may also use data, charts, and diagrams etc., in support of what you have been trying to say. It would help you maintain clarity in the entire Essay and do away with any kind of confusion!
