How to Grab More Marks in Essay Writing in UPSC Mains

Read many good essays and articles. This will give you a feel of what constitutes a well-written essay.

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Build a habit of reading newspaper editorials every day. Essay questions are many times asked from current affairs.

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Note down relevant lines or quotes which you can use in your essay, whenever you read books or newspapers.

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Prepare some material on general topics like development, women, education, healthcare, internet, technology, science, etc. Your material should include quotations, case studies, examples, government initiatives, etc.

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Focus more on real-life examples rather than theoretical jargon. Even though many topics may seem like theoretical, you must write relevant, contemporary, current affairs-related stuff in your essay.

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Even if your essay question is philosophical, your essay need not be so. It should be relevant to current times.

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You should try to approach a topic from different angles like political, social, historical, environmental, ethical, etc.

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You must prepare by writing essays during your preparation time. Also get feedback on the essays you write from mentors, teachers or seniors.

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Resist the urge to give too aggressive or one-sided arguments in the essay no matter how passionate you are about the topic.

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