When it comes to cracking the UPSC, the Union Public Service Commission, one of the most essential and overlooked resources is the Essay Book. An essay book is a collection of essays covering an extensive range of topics, from social and economic issues to international and national issues. In addition to its valuable content, the UPSC Essay Book can be a powerful tool to increase your essay writing skills, offering a model of how to structure your arguments, paragraph, and cite references.
To unleash the power of the UPSC Essay Book and start preparing for the UPSC essay paper, you’ll need to keep some critical points in mind.
1. Understand the UPSC Essay Paper Pattern
Before you dive into the UPSC Essay Book, you must be aware of the essay paper’s pattern and requirements. The essay paper carries a weightage of 250 marks, and you need to write two essays of 1000-1200 words each in three hours. It is suggested that you practice by writing at least one essay a week to master the art of essay writing.
2. Devour the Book
The UPSC Essay Books contain a vast and diverse range of essays covering an extensive range of topics, so the best way to learn from them is to devour them. Hence, always start by reading the entire essay book to understand the approach, style, and structure of the writers. Pay attention to the way the writer gathers and analyses information, presents his/her opinion, uses examples, and concludes the essay.
3. Identify the Themes
The UPSC Essay Book covers various themes like Social and Economic issues, Political issues, International relations, Cultural Issues, etc. Identify the themes that you need help with, and start reading those essays. For instance, if you are weak in writing on topics related to international relations, you can focus on essays discussing international relations.
4. Take Notes
Taking notes while reading the essay book is essential. Write down the salient features, points, and vocabulary that you come across while reading. It will be useful to use these notes later while writing your own essay. You can also identify the quotes, facts, and figures that the writer has used in the essay, and use them while writing your own essay.
5. Practice, Practice, Practice
Practice is the key to improve your essay writing skills and become proficient in writing essays that meet UPSC’s requirements. Start by writing essays on the topics that you find interesting, and then move on to topics that you find challenging. Practice writing different types of essays like argumentative, descriptive, and speculative, as it will help you to understand the nuances and requirements of each type.