“How should I write essays for the UPSC Civil Services Examination?” It is one of the most frequently asked questions among aspirants. But why are we talking about it now, especially when the Mains exam got over more than a month ago and most aspirants are waiting to begin their Prelims preparation after Diwali?The answer is simple. There is no such thing as a “lean month” in the UPSC preparation cycle, which spans at least a year and a half. And more importantly, there are certain components of the exam that simply cannot be left for the last minute. Essay writing is one of them.With no defined syllabus, the Essay paper demands consistent practice, just like daily newspaper reading. For beginners and future aspirants, the months following the Mains exam present a golden opportunity to build the skill of writing impactful, structured, and insightful essays.Then there is the rising fear around the so-called “philosophical quotes” that have increasingly featured as essay topics in recent years. The Essay paper has shifted its focus towards abstract and philosophical themes, making it even more challenging for aspirants.So if you are planning to kickstart your UPSC essay preparation, here’s a 10-question starter’s guide to help you begin the journey right.Q1.What is the Essay Paper in UPSC all about?The Essay paper is a compulsory component of the UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination and plays a crucial role in the selection process. It is divided into two sections, each consisting of four topics. Candidates are required to write two essays in three hours. The essays carry a total of 250 marks (125 each), and the word limit for each is 1,000–1,200 words.Unlike other GS papers, the Essay paper does not have a clearly defined syllabus, which adds to its complexity.Story continues below this adShabbir A. Bashir, an expert on UPSC essays who has been mentoring aspirants for more than two decades, told UPSC Essentials of The Indian Express in a past interview:“UPSC essays are not language proficiency comprehensions, just tools of creativity, or mere works of art. An essay is not about filling pages. The CSE essay is a representation of oneself that is going to be evaluated by one of the most esteemed institutions of the nation—UPSC.”Q2. When should you start preparing for the UPSC Essay paper?Writing good essays takes time. Unlike other GS papers, the Essay paper is not strictly syllabus-bound. Essays need to be rich in references and must test your analytical skills with depth, not superficial understanding. It’s about how well you apply your knowledge, connect the dots, and produce a coherent essay under exam pressure—within a time limit and word count.As UPSC essay topics are becoming more abstract, many students struggle to grasp the themes. One major reason: shallow reading habits. The exam now demands insightful and thoughtful writing.Story continues below this adDo not leave essay preparation for the last moment. Ideally, start preparing alongside Prelims. Preparation doesn’t just mean writing—it means strategizing: reading quality articles, analyzing previous year questions (PYQs), learning how to draft a blueprint, noting down good points in a diary specifically dedicated to essays, and adopting other effective practices.Q3. What kind of topics are asked in the UPSC Essay paper?In recent years, UPSC has increasingly included philosophical quotes as essay topics. These are essentially abstract themes.Ravi Kapoor, former IRS officer, explains:“Philosophical or abstract topics are more difficult to write about than others precisely because they apply to so many phenomena across the board. This means that even if you address the central theme of the essay topic in the UPSC exam, there could be important aspects of it that you failed to consider.”Essay topics can be broadly categorised into recurring themes:(a) Philosophy and Ethics : e.g. ‘Contentment is natural wealth; luxury is artificial poverty’ (2025)Story continues below this ad(b) History & Culture : e.g. ‘Culture is what we are, civilization is what we have’ (2020); ‘History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce’ (2021)(c) Environment : e.g. ‘Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence’ (2022)(d) Economic Growth and Development : e.g. ‘Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere’ (2018)(e) Social Issues : e.g. ‘Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality’ (2020)Story continues below this ad(f) International Issues & Security : e.g. ‘The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting’ (2025)(g) Science & Technology : e.g. ‘The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced’ (2021)This classification helps draw parallels with GS papers. While much of the content can come from GS and current affairs notes, remember: the Essay paper is not a GS paper, and your answers should not read like GS responses.Despite the classification, many topics remain abstract in essence. Essays are about ideas, where facts and analysis support your expression. They should not lack clarity, coherence, or narrative ability.Story continues below this adQ4. How should you choose between the four topics in each section of UPSC Essay paper?Options are not always helpful. Each Essay paper has two sections with four topics each. Aspirants must pick one from each. Since most topics are abstract, a seemingly familiar one may not offer enough content to develop effectively.Another dilemma: Should you attempt the unusual topic or the safe one?The answer: Attempt the topic on which you can write the best essay.Here are a few parameters to help with topic selection:(a) Clarity of thought on the topicStory continues below this ad(b) Availability of content based on prior knowledge and experience(c) Comfort level with the theme(d) Scope for a good structure and multidimensional analysisA well-drafted blueprint during rough work and brainstorming will help determine which topic best suits your strengths.Q5. How should you structure an essay?Structure defines the flow of your essay. It keeps the evaluator engaged, especially in a 1,000-word write-up. Poor structuring breaks the flow and fails to hold the examiner’s interest.Structure and flow refer to how you organise your ideas and arguments. A good structure makes your writing easy to follow and ensures that your points build upon each other. Flow ensures smooth transitions between sections and ideas.Story continues below this adEveryone knows the basic format: Introduction – Body – Conclusion. But what you write in each part and how you write it, makes all the difference between average and excellent marks.Ravi Kapoor outlines various structural styles:(a) Two-Side Face-off: Compare both sides of a debate through arguments and counterarguments.(b) Dimensional Analysis: Break down the topic into multiple dimensions—social, economic, historical, ethical, political, etc. Use only when appropriate.(c) Timeline and Chronology: Some topics benefit from a historical or evolutionary narrative. For example: ‘History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man’.(d) Anecdotes and Stories: Starting with a relevant anecdote, personal or fictional, can be powerful, but requires creativity and skill. However, anecdotes alone cannot carry the weight of an essay.You can mix and match structures across sections of your essay. There is no single “best” structure. Choose what serves the topic best.Q6. What resources should you use?This is one of the most common queries. The GS syllabus is clearly defined. But Essay paper is not. With the rise in abstract topics, many aspirants feel lost.Remember, the UPSC Essay paper is not a PhD thesis. You don’t have time to read a library of books. A smart resource strategy matters.Here is what works:(a) Analyze PYQs and practice those essays : Helps you identify trends and build content for recurring themes.(b) Make the newspaper your best friend : Not just for facts, but also to improve your expression, understand various dimensions, and collect quotes, case studies, editorials, and reports. Pay attention to articles that may not be “GS-relevant” but provide philosophical or ethical content.(c) Use social media wisely: Follow quality content creators, academic institutions, or thought leaders who offer knowledge-enriching perspectives.(d) Make a list of authors, columnists, and public figures: Their insights can enrich both Essay and GS answers.Prof. Pratibha Sharma of Miranda House addresses common fears regarding philosophical quotes. In an interview with UPSC Essentials, she said:“Let’s begin by understanding that the great philosophers whose quotes appear in question papers come from diverse disciplines. Descartes, Leibniz, and Whitehead were mathematicians. Plato was a polymath. Political science students would know John Rawls. Figures like Tilak, Tagore, Malaviya, and Gandhi weren’t academic philosophers either—but their thoughts shaped philosophy…So, one doesn’t need to be a philosophy scholar to understand such quotes. Reading too many philosophy books in a short time won’t help. This is knowledge acquired gradually. I suggest aspirants make wise use of the Internet to explore ideologies, thinkers, and quotes. It will also help in Ethics papers, which are closely tied to philosophy. For those who want to go deeper, an ‘Introduction to Philosophy’ covering major themes is a good start.”Q7. Should you prepare a few essays in advance?Absolutely.Practicing previous years’ questions is essential. Beyond that, take up topics or quotes with similar themes and practice writing regularly. This helps you test whether you’re able to convert your knowledge into essay form.Many aspirants worry that their effort will be wasted if the practiced topics don’t appear. But that concern is misplaced.Even if exact topics don’t repeat, regular practice develops core skills: reading from diverse sources, organizing thoughts, handling abstract themes, building arguments, and writing with clarity under pressure.These are the abilities that make you exam-ready. And if a related theme appears in the final exam, you’ll definitely have an edge.Q8. Do you need to use facts, stats, or quotes?It’s not mandatory but when used relevantly, statistics, real-life examples, case studies, and quotes enhance credibility and impact.(a) Use stats only when you’re sure about the figures. Wrong data can harm your impression.(b) Quotes help build arguments but shouldn’t be forced into the essay.(c) Know a few good quotes, but don’t rely on quantity. One meaningful quote is better than five irrelevant ones.(d) A quote isn’t always a proverb. It should be relevant, meaningful, and enriching.Sources for good quotes include books, novels, newspaper editorials, reports like the Economic Survey, and even speeches.Remember: A quote or anecdote adds value only if it supports your point.Q9. What gives you an extra edge in the Essay paper?(a) Be observant. Keep a pocket diary to note impactful dialogues from movies, quotes and anecdotes from newspapers or books, campaign ideas from advertisement bill boards on the roadside etc.(b) Analyze everything you read for essay relevance.(c) Practice writing regularly (weekly if possible) and seek peer review or mentor guidance.(d) Don’t wait for the last hour. Start early.Q10. What mistakes should you avoid?(a) Writing against constitutional values, ethical norms, or sensitive issues like environmental sustainability and gender rights.(b) Not having a clear structure, using jargons, heavy datas, and loosing track from the topic(c) Making your essay sound like a GS answer or being overly poetic.(d) Expressing frustration, anger, or bias.(e) Trying to balance the essay artificially. Balance of mind matters more than balance of points.(f) Giving generic, impractical solutions just for the sake of it.Share your views, answers and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.comThe UPSC Section of Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest Updates.Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Anniversary Special: Read the UPSC Essentials September 2025 special edition, celebrating two years of the magazine! Share your views and suggestions at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com