Planning, Structure and Time · GPSC (Gujarat)

What the official syllabus says

Paper 3: Essay (Main Examination). Marks: 250. Time: 3 hours.
Attempt two essays, one from each of the two sections, in about 1000-1200 words each.

Reading every topic in both sections before choosing.
Choosing, in each section, the topic on which you can write 1,000 words of substance with examples, not the one that looks easiest at first sight.
Checking the instructions on the question paper for how many topics each section has and any other condition.
Deciding the meaning of an abstract topic (a quotation, a proverb, a single word) before committing to it.

Brainstorming: noting every idea, example and fact that comes to mind on the topic.
Looking at the topic from several sides: social, economic, political, constitutional, ethical, environmental, historical, scientific, international, and the Gujarat angle.
Choosing the central idea and the six to nine points that will make the body.
Ordering the points: background, dimensions or causes, effects, challenges, the way forward.
Allotting the examples to the points they support.

Introduction (about 100 to 150 words): an opening (an incident, a question, a fact, a contrast, a quotation), what the topic means, and the line the essay will take.
Body (about 800 to 900 words): paragraphs of 80 to 120 words, each with one point, its explanation and an example.
Counter-view: one or two paragraphs on the other side, and why the essay's position still holds or how it is qualified.
Conclusion (about 100 to 150 words): drawing the threads together and looking ahead, without new points.
A title is not needed beyond the topic itself; sub-headings are generally avoided in an essay.

The syllabus fixes the total time only; how it is divided is the candidate's choice. A practical plan is roughly equal time for each essay, each with about 15 to 20 minutes for choosing and planning and a few minutes at the end for reading through.
Writing about 2,000 to 2,400 words by hand in 3 hours needs practice at full length under time.
The paper asks for two essays, so the time plan should leave room to finish both.

The language is chosen for the paper in the Main Examination application and cannot be changed later; practise in the language you will choose.
Writing in Gujarati: standard written Gujarati, correct spelling, and English technical terms used sparingly.
Writing in English: plain, correct English; Gujarati or Hindi terms only when there is no exact English word.

One full-length essay a week, timed, in the chosen language, and one essay plan (10 minutes) every day or two.
Building a stock of examples for each theme area (see Theme Areas to Prepare).
Having essays reviewed against the three objectives (see What the Essay Paper Assesses).

The shorter essays of the qualifying English (about 500 words) and Gujarati (about 250 to 300 words) papers use the same planning on a smaller scale.