BPSC CDPO Mains (Descriptive) Exam Preparation Tips

BPSC CDPO Mains Answer writing

The answer you are going to write should be effective in order to earn an advantage over the competition. In Mains, exam knowledge is equally supplemented by writing skills. To do the same there are certain basic things that you need to know.

Paper Pattern

You have three sections in the paper where you have to choose three, three, and two questions of your choice respectively. Overall you have to attempt 8 questions. Here choosing becomes important with answer writing.

How to choose a question?

You know the answer completely
You have understood the demand of the question
You can write a 4-5 page answer on it.
You got answer's framing while reading the question

Do’s and Don'ts

You should first understand the question fully and properly before forming an answer for it. Questions within the Mains examination accompany certain directives like ‘discuss/ critically discuss’ etc and you need to understand various directives and their meanings for an accurate appreciation of what the examiner is expecting from you within the solution. This is often also the foremost basic and yet a very important skill that you simply should have for effective answer writing.
To develop a basic mental framework of the solution before actually committing anything to paper. this is often a really crucial skill that you simply got to develop on a war footing. It should be that the instant you've got read and understood a given question, you immediately start forming the structure for the solution in your mind. With practice, it becomes easier and easier to try to do this and if required, jot (with a pencil) whatever you remember as and once you commit it to memory. The last point is vital because sometimes we tend to forget or we simply are unable to recall from memory at the previous minute (or while writing) which may drastically affect the standard of our answer.
Don’t await for the solution to return to you, instead of force it out. it's important that you simply find out how to force a solution out of you. this is often not something very hard to realize. consider it during this way. you're a significant aspirant and you've got prepared considerably for the Mains examination and as a result, you're within the possession of a substantial amount of data, facts, ideas etc. If time weren't a problem you'll contemplate generously before each and each sentence you write but within a given deadline you are doing not have such luxuries of your time. for instance, suppose you'll recall only two points (fully) for a solution and you think that you would like a minimum of four points for an entire answer. In such a case you ought to not waste time trying to recall all the points before attempting to answer and instead force yourself to write down the solution with whatever information you’ve got. That way, without dalliance you give your best shot to the question.
Don’t overstretch your imagination. BPSC requires that you simply have an honest understanding of a given issue which an equivalent should be readily understandable when expressed. Thus, one shouldn't slip into thoughts, ideas or arguments that aren't absolutely necessary for writing a specific answer. Overemphasizing and philosophizing may cause confusion and intrinsically it should be overlooked of Mains answer writing. Moreover, this will prevent time and energy which may be utilized in answering other questions efficiently.

How to structure your answer

Step 1: Create an appropriate introduction to your response. Ideally, the introduction should not only explain the topic/issue/idea to the examiner but also (very) briefly narrate the solution's key premise. If the question is divided into two or more sections, each part must be introduced briefly. The introduction should not exceed 20% of the word limit at any cost, and its ideal length is at 10% of the word limit. The introduction should be 20-40 words long for a total of 200 words (and the conclusion too).
Step 2: Divide the most body of the solution into paragraphs or bullets as needed. Each paragraph or bullet should have one point only (unless it's very necessary to try to do otherwise) and therefore the most vital points or the points that you simply have recalled fully should go first. once you are asked to debate both positive and negative aspects of a problem, you'll either list all the positives in one paragraph then list the negatives otherwise you can choose a positive-negative combination in each paragraph. Do the latter only there are very few points within the answer (because 3 paragraphs for 200 words looks best) and for all other purposes accompany the previous.
Step 3: conclude your answer with a well-balanced conclusion. you'll balance your conclusion with a healthy positive opinion. The opinion doesn't necessarily need to be original but ideally (and mostly) has got to be a positive one. Never endways a negative note or tone, you want to be ready to see the bright side within the clouds. Also, never end the conclusion by posing another question. If you want to raise an issue as part of your solution, do so only in the main body of the solution. Also, instead of concluding your response with rhetoric, try to suggest an answer or a way forward. This shows a positive bent of mind and a willingness to seek out solutions - things that any CSE aspirant should possess.

Certain directives:

Examine

Probe understanding the given topic.
Support your answer with details like causes, implications and therefore the way forward.
Begin with a quick discussion of the varied issues on the subject
Provide details and conclude within the same paragraph if possible.

Critically examine

Enter details alongside causes and reasons, strengths and weaknesses
Mention the results, implications and action taken for the difficulty at hand.
Almost like above, but write the strengths and weaknesses in separate paragraphs.
Consequences, etc should be during a separate paragraph and conclude without taking sides.

Discuss

Cover broadly, mentioning strengths/weaknesses and positives/negatives.
Mention causes/ consequences also .
After the introduction, enter the positive/negative aspects, followed by causes/consequences.
Additionally, provide solutions, suggestions, examples etc and conclude with a holistic view of the subject.

Discuss critically

Same as above, only be very careful with the reasoning applied to reach a conclusion.

Evaluate

Assess each side of the statement/topic
Mention the statement's worthiness or utility.
Briefly discuss the positive and negative aspects of the statement/topic.
Introduce the statement/ topic then forced entry paragraphs of positive/ negative aspects and end with a concluding remark on why you think that it's worthy or unworthy

Critically evaluate

Additionally to the above, bring out the worth of the subject.
Same as above, but you'll lean towards either the positive aspects or the negative, counting on the
topic/subject.

Analyse