How often do toppers draw, by paper?
| Paper | Answers | With a diagram | With a table | Two or more drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS Paper 1 | 675 | 18% | 7% | 4% |
| GS Paper 2 | 879 | 33% | 6% | 11% |
| GS Paper 3 | 890 | 28% | 5% | 7% |
| GS Paper 4 (Ethics) | 1,288 | 34% | 13% | 7% |
| Essay | 84 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Optional subjects | 2,085 | 19% | 5% | 4% |
“With a diagram” is the bank’s diagram tag for each answer; “with a table” counts answers whose transcription contains a table; “two or more” counts answers with two or more transcribed flowcharts. Measured from the toppers’ answer copies in the writeupsc bank; UPSC does not publish marked answer sheets.
Do longer answers have more diagrams?
| Paper | 10 marks | 15 marks | 20 marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS Paper 1 | 20% | 17% | – |
| GS Paper 2 | 34% | 37% | – |
| GS Paper 3 | 28% | 30% | – |
| GS Paper 4 (Ethics) | 32% | 41% | 39% |
| Optional subjects | 16% | 18% | 26% |
Share of answers with a diagram; mark values with fewer than 30 answers left out.
Which optionals use diagrams?
| Subject | Answers | With a diagram |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | 556 | 32% |
| Economics | 297 | 8% |
| Political Science and International Relations | 603 | 3% |
| Psychology | 194 | 38% |
| Sociology | 417 | 22% |
The tag undercounts Economics graphs drawn inside the text, so read Economics as a floor.
What do real topper diagrams look like?
One diagram per paper from ranked toppers’ copies, described from the transcription. The bank stores what each diagram shows, not the drawing, so there are no images here; each answer links to its booklet page on the topper answers pages.
| Paper and topper | Question | What the diagram does | Its boxes, in order |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS Paper 1 · Akansh Dhull (AIR 3) | The fabric of Indian philosophical thought owes as much to Northern India as to Southern India. Elucidate. | the Buddhism/Jainism point is drawn as a two-branch diagram rather than written as prose | Buddhism and Jainism → Buddhism → Jainism → Buddha was born in Lumbini and lived most of his life in Srawasti → Stupas in Sanchi → Mahavira lived his life around North India Mahajanapada |
| GS Paper 2 · Akansh Dhull (AIR 3) | Fluctuations in the price of TOP (tomato, onion, potato) crops impact all strata of societies. Highlighting… | Reasons and implications are each illustrated with a small diagram | High Price → High production by all → Increased Supply → Reduced price → Low Supply → Reduced production |
| GS Paper 3 · Shakti Dubey (AIR 1) | What the candidate answered was plainly written on disaster management in India, the issues with the… | sets out the Act's three-part focus and its hierarchy of authorities as a chain diagram | Disaster management → Prevention → Reduction → mitigation |
| GS Paper 4 (Ethics) · Akansh Dhull (AIR 3) | Discuss how the relationship between law and ethics is dynamic and continuously shaped by societal changes.… | closing with a counterpoint that law can also drive social progress and a diagram contrasting Law and Ethics | Society, 2 People → Elect representative → Frame Laws → change in Thought → change in leaders / change of leaders thought |
| Optional subjects · Rajeshwari Suve M (AIR 2) | 1. Write notes on the following in about 150 words each. (d) Bring out the correlation between Economic base… | draws a base-superstructure pyramid | Economic base → Religion → Family → education → Polity etc.. |
Which kinds of diagram work?
- Flowchart for a process or a cause-and-effect chain.
- Map of India or the world for geography and IR.
- Stakeholder wheel for governance and ethics.
- Table for comparisons and options.
What rules do toppers follow?
- One diagram, labelled, in pen.
- Placed where it replaces a paragraph, not in addition to one.
- A one-line caption.
How writeupsc evaluates it
writeupsc reads the photo of your handwritten answer, finds the closest questions in a bank of 5,901 real topper answers, scores seven criteria out of 5 with what the toppers did beside each, and names the changes that move marks: where to write them, what to write, and how many toppers did it. Every reference opens the booklet page. 1 free evaluation, Google sign-in, no card. It also decides whether the question needed a diagram at all, and draws one in the model answer when it did. See a real evaluation or run your own.
Questions
Should every answer have a diagram?
No. 30% of GS topper answers have one. Draw when the question has a structure a drawing shows faster.
Do diagrams count toward the word limit?
No. They replace words.
Can writeupsc check my diagram?
Yes. Diagrams are one of the seven criteria.
See how your own answer compares.
Photograph the sheet the way you wrote it. 1 free evaluation with a Google account, no card.