To score high in UPSC essay, you need two essays that each interpret the topic precisely, cover four to six genuine dimensions with specific examples, include a fair counter-view, and end with a credible way forward, written in clear, controlled language within time. Most aspirants already know facts; marks rise when structure, depth and balance become consistent across both essays.
The stated goal of our Essay Foundation programme is to move an aspirant from a roughly 110-mark essay to 140+. This article breaks down how that jump actually happens. If you are new to the paper, start with the UPSC essay paper guide.
Why the Essay Is Worth the Effort
The essay paper is worth 250 marks, the same as a full GS paper. GS scores tend to bunch together among serious candidates, so the essay is often where the biggest gaps open up. Thirty extra marks here can be worth more than months of extra GS reading. What counts as a good score is discussed in our good score in UPSC essay guide.
What a 110 Copy Looks Like vs a 140+ Copy
| Area | Typical ~110 essay | 140+ essay |
| Topic reading | Takes topic at face value | Interprets keywords, spots hidden assumptions |
| Introduction | Generic quote, long preamble | Sharp hook that turns into a thesis |
| Body | List of points by GS subject | Dimensions that build an argument |
| Examples | Vague (“many schemes”, “several countries”) | Specific: a scheme, a judgement, a case, a story |
| Balance | One-sided | Counter-view stated and answered |
| Coherence | Paragraphs could be shuffled | Each paragraph links to the next and to the topic |
| Conclusion | Repeats the intro | Synthesis + way forward + vision |
| Two essays | One strong, one rushed | Both of similar depth |
Note what is missing from the right column: extra facts. The jump is mostly about thinking and organisation.
How to Score High in UPSC Essay: A 7-Step Method
1. Choose the topic you can argue, not the one you like
Pick the topic where you can quickly list five dimensions and ten examples. Favourite themes can trap you into writing a GS answer.
2. Decode the topic in writing
Underline keywords. Write one line: “This topic asks whether…” If you cannot write that line, you have not understood the topic yet.
3. Brainstorm before you outline
Spend 10–12 minutes dumping ideas: dimensions, examples, stakeholders, counter-arguments, quotes. Our UPSC essay brainstorming guide shows a working template.
4. Pick a structure
The programme teaches three: Philosophical-Anchor, Contemporary-Issue and Hybrid. Match the topic to one. The UPSC essay structure and format article explains each.
5. Use specific value-additions
Replace generalities with something checkable: a constitutional article, a Supreme Court judgement, a government scheme by name, a historical episode, a short story from a village or a city. One specific example persuades more than three vague ones.
6. Write the counter-view honestly
State the opposing argument at its strongest, then respond. This shows maturity, which examiners reward in a paper meant to test a future administrator’s balance.
7. Close with a way forward that is doable
Three or four concrete steps: who does what. End with a single vision line. Do not end on a quote with nothing after it.
Language: Clear Beats Ornate
High-scoring essays use plain, precise sentences. Ornate vocabulary often hides weak thinking and slows the examiner down. Aim for:
- Sentences of 15–25 words on average
- One idea per paragraph
- Transition words that show logic: “however”, “as a result”, “this raises a deeper question”
- No jargon unless you explain it
You may write in Hindi or English; the paper is marked on content and expression in either. Hindi-medium aspirants can read our UPSC essay in Hindi guide.
A Practice Routine That Actually Moves Marks
Writing more essays without feedback mostly repeats the same mistakes. The routine that works has a loop:
- Two essays a week — one philosophical, one contemporary.
- Timed — 90 minutes each, including outline.
- Evaluated quickly — feedback within days, while the essay is fresh in your mind.
- One fix per week — pick a single weakness from feedback (e.g., weak conclusions) and target it in the next two essays.
- Rewrite one essay a fortnight — rewriting a returned essay teaches more than writing a new one.
- Track a simple log — topic, structure used, score, top comment.
Over 8–12 weeks, this produces 16–20 evaluated essays, which is enough for most aspirants to see a clear change in consistency.
One Topic, Two Approaches
Imagine a topic about whether technology makes us freer. A 110-level essay lists benefits of digital services, then problems of cybercrime, then a conclusion calling for balance. A 140-level essay first asks what “freer” means — freedom from want, freedom to choose, freedom from surveillance — then tests technology against each meaning with one specific Indian example per dimension, concedes where technology has narrowed freedom, and closes with a way forward on rights-respecting design. Same facts; very different thinking.
Mistakes That Cap Your Score
- Writing a GS answer with headings instead of an essay
- Spending 2 hours on the first essay and 1 hour on the second
- Using the same memorised introduction for every topic
- Facts with wrong numbers (if unsure, drop the number)
- Drifting from the exact topic wording in the middle paragraphs
A fuller list is in our UPSC essay common mistakes guide.
How the Essay Foundation Programme Helps
The programme runs for a focused 8–12 weeks, online, with weekly live sessions and recorded archives, in English and Hindi. Each week you get one philosophical and one contemporary topic and write two essays of at least 1,000 words. Every essay comes back within 72 hours with margin remarks on structure, content depth, value-additions, quotes, anchor-shifting and conclusion. You get a 1:1 mentor call every two weeks, along with idea banks, quote banks, example banks and a curated list of essay-tested topics from the last 15 years of UPSC CSE.
Riyasat Ali Sir has been the regular Essay and Ethics mentor since 2011. Ayushi Pradhan (AIR-36, CSE-2023) was a student of the Daily Answer Writing and Essay programmes, and Ravi Raj (Hindi medium, AIR-20, CSE-2025) was a mentorship student for Ethics, Essay and Interview.
Batches are small and capped, with two cycles a year (June and December) and rolling admissions. To start, enrol in the Essay Foundation programme — check the course page for the current batch or book a free counselling call.
FAQs
Is 150 in UPSC essay realistic?
Scores in that range are achieved, but they require consistent quality across both essays. A more useful target is to make both essays reliably strong; the marks follow.
How many practice essays do I need to score high?
Quality of feedback matters more than count. Around 16–20 evaluated essays over two to three months, with rewrites, is a solid base for most aspirants.
Do I need to read many books to score high in essay?
No. A few well-chosen books, newspapers and your GS preparation provide enough material. What lifts marks is using that material with structure and balance.
Should I choose the philosophical or the contemporary topic?
Each section usually has both kinds. Choose the topic where you can quickly generate dimensions and specific examples, regardless of type.
Can Hindi-medium aspirants score high in the essay?
Yes. The paper is marked on content, structure and expression in your chosen language. Ravi Raj, a Hindi-medium candidate, secured AIR-20 in CSE-2025.
Ravi Raaz
Hassan Khan
Shadab Ali