Excel in UPSC Essay Writing: How to Write an Essay for UPSC
Essay writing in UPSC examinations is crucial because it can affect your score and placement. The Essay Paper is part of the nine UPSC Mains Exams, and each candidate is required to write two essays. You can choose one topic from four options. Each essay is worth 125 points, for a maximum of 250 points. It evaluates your comprehension and ability to communicate your ideas effectively and convincingly. UPSC Preparation may be difficult, but not impossible, with dedication, a positive attitude, and perseverance. This article will help you excel in how to write an essay for UPSC exam.
Understanding How to Write an Essay for UPSC
An essay is a brief piece of writing that offers light on a given subject. M.H. Abrams, an American literary critic, describes an essay as “Any short composition in prose that undertakes to discuss a matter, express a point of view, or persuade us to accept a thesis on any subject.”
Essays are broadly classified into two types: formal and informal. After the CSAT is conducted, the Mains exam is the next stage. The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) focuses on the formal essay. The formal essay is relatively impersonal; the author writes as an authority, and these pieces are less emotional. Formal essays can sometimes include factual components, such as quoted statistics from a government report. It is never in the form of a conversation, never employs first-person references, and rarely becomes personal with the listener. In summary, a formal essay has a particular level of seriousness to it.
Beginning Essay Writing
Practice makes perfect. Practice is required to score well on essays. However, before we begin practicing how to write an Essay for UPSC, we should complete some basic homework. We would begin by discussing what a well-structured essay is, how it may be planned, what aspects can be included to improve the essay’s score, and, most importantly, how to complete it all within the time limit.
Basic structure of an essay
The most frequent approach of arranging an essay is to divide it into paragraphs. In addition to the introduction and conclusion, this strategy will include body paragraphs. In these body paragraphs, the aspirant must include all of his substance.
Introduction
The opening is probably the most significant element of the essay. First impressions are crucial, and a well-thought-out introduction will undoubtedly leave a great impression on the examiner. We will address how to write a suitable introduction later in this plan.
Body
Body paragraphs can generally be supportive, critical, or narrative. Ideally, one can begin each argument with an adequately crafted narrative paragraph that describes the issue in some depth, followed by a supportive paragraph giving a few favorable facts/ideas about the topic. Though critical paragraphs look best when put last, there are no restrictions in place, and for some themes, they can be utilized as the first paragraph.
Conclusion
The conclusion’s goal is to draw the essay to a close in a satisfactory manner. It is also crucial to emphasize that a solid finish is just as important as a strong start. Both are essential for achieving higher marks. The essay can be concluded in the following ways: restating the major arguments briefly and in alternative wordings (summarizing), suggesting a path forward or a plan of action, or including an intriguing personal comment or anecdote.
Adding elements to the essay
Any good essay will undoubtedly have a wide range of elements and aspects. There are several basic rules for creating CSE essays that can be followed when looking for these aspects and dimensions.
- The first rule would be to always respect and protect constitutional values. This is critical for CSE essay writing since the ideals established in our Constitution must be reflected in each idea, problem, or solution discussed in the essay. Never try to advocate an unconstitutional idea.
- When dealing with issues, it is also necessary to be democratic. The values of ‘freedom and equality’ should be the driving principles while proposing remedies and criticizing occurrences or concerns.
Conclusion
Mastering how to write an essay for UPSC is a vital part of your preparation that can affect your ultimate score. The goal is to comprehend the formal framework of an essay, organize your thoughts clearly, and deliver them effectively. Practice and researching innovative ways to improve your writing skill will help you draft a high level essay. With hard work, a positive attitude, and perseverance, you may improve your essay-writing skills and excel in the UPSC Mains Exam. You can leave a lasting impression on the examiner by using narrative, supportive, and critical paragraphs, as well as an engaging introduction and conclusion.
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