How long the answers are
The printed limit is 150 words for 10 marks and 250 words for 15 marks. The GS Paper 1 answers in the bank average:
| Marks | Answers | Avg words | Avg pages | With a diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 marks | 286 | 175 | 2.0 | 20% |
| 15 marks | 274 | 249 | 2.9 | 17% |
Which directives are asked
Each of the 675 questions is counted by its last directive word.
| Directive | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Discuss | 251 | 37% |
| What / how / why (direct question) | 115 | 17% |
| Other | 63 | 9% |
| Analyse | 40 | 6% |
| Explain | 39 | 6% |
| Examine | 35 | 5% |
| Comment | 25 | 4% |
| Critically examine | 21 | 3% |
Recent GS Paper 1 questions in the bank
Some of the newest questions in the bank that have a topper answer. The full set is 471 questions.
| Question | Year | Marks | Answered by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examine the regional disparities in the distribution of thermal power plants in India. | 2025 | 20 marks | Rohin Kumar (AIR 39) |
| In a capitalist market, the goal of a business is to sell a product to satisfy demand. In this context, a company's objective is to maximize profits. However, there are industries where the social good should take precedence over… | 2025 | 20 marks | Sudipa Dutta (AIR 41) |
| Examine how Chandragupta-II's reign symbolised a golden age of cultural development, laying the foundation for future advancements in Indian art and literature. (Answer in 250 words) | 2025 | 15 marks | Akansh Dhull (AIR 3) |
| ब्राह्मणवाद और बौद्ध धर्म के बीच अर्थ, अनुयायियों और विचारधारा को लेकर हुई प्रतिस्पर्धात्मक एवं शत्रुतापूर्ण गतिशीलता ने किस प्रकार बौद्ध धर्म के पतन में भूमिका निभाई? / How did the competitive and hostile dynamic between Brahminism and… | 2025 | 15 marks | Zinnia Aurora (AIR 6) |
| India has a rich tradition of diverse dance forms, encompassing both classical and folk styles. Illustrate how they reflect the country's rich spiritual, cultural, and social life. | 2025 | 15 marks | Surabhi Yadav (AIR 14) |
| Dravidian temple architecture that came of age during the rule of the Pallavas, reached its zenith at the time of the imperial Cholas. Elaborate with suitable examples. | 2025 | 15 marks | Monika Srivastava (AIR 16) |
| The third decade of the 20th century witnessed the emergence of new forces and ideological currents that influenced the character of the Indian national movement. Elaborate. | 2025 | 15 marks | Geetika Arora (AIR 22) |
| Bring out the role played by the Ahom Kingdom in shaping the cultural and historical identity of North-East India, and discuss its legacy in contemporary times. (Answer in 250 words) | 2025 | 15 marks | Bhavika Chopra (AIR 25) |
How a topper approached it
For each answer, the bank notes how it was built. Two examples:
Opens with a quick geographic and dynastic framing of the Vesara style, then draws a two-column comparison of Nagara and Dravida features before listing eight numbered examples of synthesis across temples, materials and features, closing with a short reflection on Vesara's own indigenous additions.
How the bank describes Akansh Dhull’s (AIR 3, 2025) answer to: “How does the Vesara style of temple architecture represent a synthesis of the Nagara and Dravida styles? (Answer in 150 words)”
Opens with a one-line thesis on the diaspora's contribution, then splits into a short list naming key figures and regions before a longer twelve-point list of the roles they played, closing on the Komagata Maru incident as a summary example.
How the bank describes Akansh Dhull’s (AIR 3, 2025) answer to: “Discuss the role played by Indians living abroad in advancing the cause of India's freedom struggle. (Answer in 150 words)”
Whose answers are in the bank
| Topper | Rank | Year | GS Paper 1 answers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surabhi Yadav | AIR 14 | 2025 | 59 |
| Aryan Yadav | AIR 31 | 2025 | 40 |
| Nausheen | AIR 9 | 2023 | 40 |
| Kush Motwani | AIR 11 | 2023 | 40 |
| Prajnanandan Giri | AIR 24 | 2023 | 38 |
| Akansh Dhull | AIR 3 | 2025 | 35 |
| Aniket Ranjan | AIR 48 | 2025 | 21 |
| Zinnia Aurora | AIR 6 | 2025 | 20 |
Names and ranks are as printed on the published booklets. writeupsc is not linked to these toppers or to the institutes that published the booklets.
Questions
How many GS Paper 1 answers does writeupsc compare against?
675 answers to 471 distinct questions, written by 29 toppers between 2023 and 2025. When you upload a GS Paper 1 answer, writeupsc finds the closest questions in this set and compares what those answers contain with yours.
How long should a GS Paper 1 answer be?
In the bank, 10-mark GS Paper 1 answers average 175 words and 15-mark answers 249 words. Write to the printed limit. The marks are in the dimensions and examples, not in the length.
Do toppers draw diagrams in GS Paper 1?
18% of the GS Paper 1 answers in the bank contain a diagram, flowchart, map or table. Draw one when it shows the structure of your answer, not just to fill space.
See how your own answer compares.
Photograph the sheet the way you wrote it. 1 free evaluation with a Google account, no card.