Answer writing is of course the foundation of CSE MAINS. Once you develop a good answer writing skill, you can be confident of clearing MAINS 10/10 times.

My scores in GS:

2013: 340, 2014: 387, 2015: 426, 2016: —-, 2017: 463

My Strategy involves more than just answer writing.

Let’s move in order:

1. Read right material (newspaper must)
2. Make notes
3. Revise multiple time
4. Practice answer writing

One can not jump directly to point 4. Your answer will only be as good as your study material-notes-revision.

Once you know what to write, then only knowing how to write matters.

Answer structure:

1. Read the question and break it into subparts. More the subparts better it is.
2. Intro
3. News background
4. Definition/keywords/facts related to question
5. Points (in ideal case number of points equal to marks). More the subparts, more the points will be and think time will be less
6. Paper specific keywords/reports/examples
7. Diagram
8. Conclusion

Only the paper specific keywords change from paper to paper. Rest format remains the same.

Join here for free UPSC guidance from Mudit Jain, IPS-15, IPS-16, IRS-18, Author of Decode CSAT, Decode Essay, Decode GS2, Decode Ethics 4.0 & Decode History Books

Ethics book referred by CSE 22 Toppers: AIR –76, 91, 176, 189, 249, 288, 297, 299, 326, 356, 476, 541, 611, 616, 700, 737, 739, 746 & others

History book referred by CSE 21 Toppers: AIR – 44, 212, 572, 653 & others

Find PDFs of All Decode Series Books Here

My Answer Copies are uploaded below. Go through the same and analyze the answer structures and how I divide questions into subparts.

• GS-4 SOLVED TEST PAPERS.
• GS-3 SOLVED TEST PAPERS.
• GS-2 SOLVED TEST PAPERS.
• GS-1 SOLVED TEST PAPERS.

Mains Answer Writing Compilations of the Practice Questions I gave on Decode Civils Telegram Group:

• Mains Answer Writing Compilation 1
• Mains Answer Writing Compilation 2
• Mains Answer Writing Compilation 3
• Mains Answer Writing Compilation 4
• Mains Answer Writing Compilation 5

You may read Anudeep’s book or Shrushti’s book for answer writing.

ATB!!!