UPSC Mains Answer Writing – Chapter 6: Time, Word Limits and Presentation (20 MCQs)

← Back

UPSC Mains Answer Writing – Chapter 6: Time, Word Limits and Presentation (20 MCQs) – 20 questions, subject: Mains Answer Writing. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

Get daily current affairs & exam alerts – follow us YouTube WhatsApp Channel Telegram Channel Facebook Page Instagram
Share with friends & study groups
Link to this page from your website / blog (HTML code)
1.  

In the speed test, you write for ten minutes and then:

Correct Answer: A [divide the word count by ten]

Explanation:

Words written in ten minutes divided by ten gives your writing speed in words a minute.

2.  

At 10 words a line, a 250-word answer is about:

Correct Answer: B [25 lines]

Explanation:

10 words a line × 25 lines gives about 250 words.

3.  

In the two-pass order, the first pass covers:

Correct Answer: C [the questions you know well]

Explanation:

The first pass covers all the questions you know well, which secures sure marks early.

4.  

A candidate who writes 17 words a minute should aim for about:

Correct Answer: D [130 and 180 words]

Explanation:

17 words a minute is in the 16–19 band, which aims for about 130 and 180 words.

5.  

The best way to correct an error in the answer booklet is:

Correct Answer: A [a single neat line through it]

Explanation:

One neat line through the error keeps the page readable and leaves no identifying mark.

6.  

With five minutes of reading and about 7.5 minutes for each 10-mark answer, all ten 10-mark answers of a GS paper should be done by about:

Correct Answer: B [80 minutes]

Explanation:

Five minutes of reading plus about 75 minutes for ten 10-mark answers brings the tenth to about 80 minutes.

7.  

Underlining is best done:

Correct Answer: C [at the end of each answer, two or three terms per point]

Explanation:

Underline at the end of each answer, two or three terms per point, in about fifteen seconds.

8.  

When you are behind time, you should:

Correct Answer: B [shorten the remaining answers]

Explanation:

Cut length, never questions – the first lines of an answer earn marks at the highest rate.

9.  

In a 7-minute plan for a 10-mark answer, the largest share of the time should go to:

Correct Answer: A [the body headings]

Explanation:

The body headings take about 4.5 of the 7 minutes.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. Answers may be written in any order, each in the space for its question.
2. The examiner counts the words of every answer.
3. White space between parts helps the examiner find each point.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 3 only]

Explanation:

Any order is allowed if each answer stays in its own space, and white space guides the eye; nobody counts words.

11.  

Assertion (A): A candidate should measure their own writing speed before fixing answer lengths.

Reason (R): The standard time plan assumes a writing speed that not every candidate has.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Because the standard plan assumes about 20–25 words a minute, each candidate must test their own speed before fixing lengths.

12.  

In the 'section first' order – all 10-mark answers, then all 15-mark answers – the main risk is that:

Correct Answer: A [a weak 15-mark question gets the tired end of the paper]

Explanation:

The 15-mark answers come last, when the candidate is tired, so a weak one suffers most.

13.  

The lyrist (veena-player) coin type is associated with:

Correct Answer: B [Samudragupta]

Explanation:

Samudragupta's lyrist type shows the king seated playing the veena, reflecting his reputation as a musician.

14.  

"S-H-N-U-C" stands for:

Correct Answer: C [Space, Headings, Numbers, Underline, Clean corrections]

Explanation:

S-H-N-U-C stands for Space, Headings, Numbers, Underline and Clean corrections.

15.  

The first task in the last ten minutes is to:

Correct Answer: D [write skeletons for any blank questions]

Explanation:

The closing routine starts with Blanks: any question still blank gets a four-line skeleton before anything else.

16.  

K. V. Ratnam's fountain-pen workshop began in 1932 at:

Correct Answer: B [Rajahmundry]

Explanation:

Ratnam Pen Works has made pens at Rajahmundry, on the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, since 1932.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Bíró's ballpoint pen patent
2. Gel ink pen introduced
3. Typewriter marketed by Remington
4. Waterman's fountain pen patent

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [3-4-1-2]

Explanation:

1874, 1884, 1938, 1984.

18.  

Writing well under the word limit is risky mainly because:

Correct Answer: D [demands may be left out]

Explanation:

An answer a third under the limit may leave some demands of the question unanswered.

19.  

A candidate fell behind the time plan from the first answers, rushed Q19 and left Q20 blank. The main problem was:

Correct Answer: C [a slow start that was never recovered]

Explanation:

The candidate fell behind from the first answers and never caught up, so Q19 was rushed and Q20 left blank.

20.  

Palm-leaf texts in South India were written with:

Correct Answer: D [an iron stylus]

Explanation:

South Indian palm-leaf texts were incised with an iron stylus and the letters darkened with soot or lamp-black.

➤ Directive words, answer templates, model answers with marginal notes, evaluation rubrics and paper-wise Mains practice – U28 · Mains Answer Writing (UPSC book, ₹249): www.shanmugamiasacademy.in/study-materials/upsc-mains-answer-writing

📘 U28 · Mains Answer-Writing Workbook – UPSC Civil Services (Mains – Essay and GS Papers I–IV)
Here you get the answer with a one-line explanation. 20 chapters · directive words, structure templates, diagrams · model answers with marginal notes · rubrics · 163 Mains practice questions incl. PYQs
Get the book – ₹249 ₹499 →
Score: 0 Answered: 0 / 0