The importance of understanding how to write the Mains answer cannot be stressed enough as the marks that you score here decide your final rank in the IAS exam list. Hence, at Officers IAS Academy, we ensure that our students receive intense training in acing the Mains exam, making us the best UPSC IAS coaching institute in Chennai. Click here to watch the video of our student Sivanandham(AIR-87) explaining the scoring strategy for Mains.
How to understand the IAS Mains Questions?
- First, thoroughly read the question. Watch out for terms with a direction in the questions. For instance, if the question asks you to critically evaluate, you must list the pros and cons and adopt a balanced viewpoint; yet, if the question asks you to justify, you must provide instances to support your position.
- Try breaking down the questions, so that you may divide the question’s requirements into sections and respond appropriately.
- The most crucial thing is to read through the Previous years’ questions if you want to grasp the direction of the questions asked. UPSC is mostly concerned with conceptual clarity rather than factual specifics. You may build such analytical skills by resolving the Previous Years’ Questions.
- Toppers’ Answer Copies- These resources aid in your comprehension of the Mains examination’s requirement and evaluation.
How should the Mains answers be approached?
- Understanding the question is the first step in providing an answer. For instance, the answer guidelines must be followed. Discuss, explain, define, and analyze, all have varied meanings that must all be known, and when questioned, they are the ones that must be distinguished clearly. An answer cannot start by explaining something, as it may be discussing and analyzing.
- Additionally, the answers are determined by what it constitutes. When a response includes information that was not required, the examiner tends to avoid giving marks. Only causes must be addressed and any effects or impacts must be written if the question requests causes, effects, and impact information. The answer must only be illustrative and not explicative if the inquiry is about something that may be said succinctly.
- Whether a question is multidimensional or uni-dimensional affects the quality of the answers. When a question involves causes, impacts, and suggestions, it is crucial to explain each of the three parts to establishing balance.
- The balance of perception is another important element. This is effective while writing essays and when answering comment-related inquiries that have some subjective elements. It can be used to questions that call for your opinions. For example: How a specific scheme is functioning? Your answer should focus on well-presented substance and expertise, the breadth and depth of your reasoning, and a balanced temperament.
- To firmly establish your authority and control, the legitimacy and accuracy of your answer are equally crucial.
- The usage of jargon and terms is one aspect of language that you use. Terminologies condense your response, whereas common terms broaden it. Both have advantages and disadvantages of their own, and how they are used depends on and is dictated by the candidate’s degree of authority over the language.
- The answer can be presented either in the flow-format or using a point-by-point method. However, most students choose a pointwise method rather than a flowing language approach due to the high quantity of words they are writing in response to multiple questions. Larger sentences may occasionally be used in flows, thus students must be extremely proficient communicators.
If you feel that you need an overall hand in your preparation, consider joining our offline programs as we are proud to say that we are one of the top IAS Coaching institutes in India. You may also join Officers IAS Academy’s Online Foundation Course, which is designed for students who are staying in remote locations so that everyone can get the best IAS coaching. Good luck in your Civil Services journey.