Mains answer writing · free
Get your Mains answer evaluated, free
Write an answer by hand, upload a photo, and I'll evaluate it personally: a score, and remarks on what the question demanded, your structure, content and presentation — and the one change that will lift your marks most.
3 answers a week for members (free sign-up) · evaluated within 72 hours · by Shivam Singh
Send an answer
Evaluations are for members — membership is free and takes a minute. You get 3 answers a week.
How it works
Step 1
Pick a question
Any Mains question — every Mains PYQ page has a link that brings it here.
Step 2
Write it by hand, timed
About 7 minutes for 150 words, 11 for 250 — as in the exam. Then photograph the pages.
Step 3
Get it back, evaluated
A score and written remarks within 72 hours, here and by email.
What the evaluation covers
- The demand of the question
- Did you answer what was asked — every part, in the directive's terms (discuss, examine, critically analyse)?
- Structure
- An introduction that sets up the answer, a body that moves in a clear order, a conclusion that adds something.
- Content
- Facts, examples, data, committees, reports and judgments — accurate, relevant and enough for the marks.
- Presentation
- Flow, headings, diagrams and flowcharts, use of space — what an examiner sees in the first ten seconds.
- The one change
- The single thing that will lift your marks most in the next answer.
Need a question? Start with UPSC's own: GS I · GS II · GS III · GS IV · Essay — every question since 2016, with an approach to compare against.
FAQ
About the free evaluation
Is the answer evaluation really free?
Yes. Sign up free and you can send up to 3 answers in any 7 days. There's no payment and no card — it's how you see the way I evaluate before you ever consider mentorship.
Who evaluates my answer?
I do — Shivam Singh, the mentor behind Minimalist IAS. Answers aren't outsourced or marked by software.
What does the evaluation cover?
A score against the question's marks, and written remarks on whether you answered what the question actually demanded, your structure, your content (facts, examples, data, committees, reports), presentation (flow, diagrams, headings), and the one change that will lift your marks most.
Should I write by hand or type?
By hand, as in the exam — speed, legibility and space are part of what's being evaluated. Photograph each page flat in good light, or scan them into one PDF.
Which questions can I answer?
Any UPSC Mains question: a previous year question (every Mains PYQ page in the Vault has a 'Get this answer evaluated' link), a test-series question, or one you've set yourself. GS Papers I–IV, Essay and Optional answers are all accepted.
Who sees my answer?
Only me. It's never shown to anyone else unless you tick the box allowing an anonymised version to be used as an example — and even then, without your name.