What does “Examine” ask for?
Look closely at the causes, features or effects. A heading for each factor, an example under each, no verdict required.
Which papers ask it?
| Paper | Topper answers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| GS Paper 1 | 48 | 12% |
| GS Paper 2 | 82 | 21% |
| GS Paper 3 | 64 | 16% |
| GS Paper 4 (Ethics) | 80 | 20% |
| Optional subjects | 119 | 30% |
How do toppers answer a “Examine” question?
| Answers measured | 393 |
| Use headings | 67% |
| End on a “Way forward” or “Conclusion” heading | 7% |
| Bring in the other side (however, limitations, challenges, criticism) | 59% |
| Carry a diagram or flowchart | 27% |
| Median words, 10 / 15 marks | 172 / 252 |
Measured from the toppers’ answer copies in the writeupsc bank; UPSC does not publish marked answer sheets. Counted on the question text after numbering and marks are removed; essays left out.
Examples from topper answers
Foreign aid is a form of neo-colonialism, as the economically wealthier countries can exploit the developing countries under the cloak of aid. Examine.
Opens by naming foreign aid as an often-misused component of international funding, boxes the claim "foreign aid → exploiting developing countries" and lists four numbered reasons with examples, then pivots with "however" to list three ways international funds also help development, and closes by making the intent behind the aid the determinant of its morality.
How the bank describes the answer by Aditya Srivastava (AIR 1), GS Paper 4 (Ethics), 2023 copy.
Examine the factors contributing to the short-lived nature of many social and protest movements, despite their initial significance and impact. What are the common organizational and strategic shortcomings that lead to their decline?
Defines social movements and their tools of protest, illustrates with the Anna Andolan and the farmers' protests, then lists the reasons for their short life (leadership and funding gaps, state repression) and the organisational and strategic shortcomings (structure, hierarchy, coherence), closing by affirming their democratic value despite these limits.
How the bank describes the answer by Harshita Goyal (AIR 2), Optional subjects, 2024 copy.
Examine the major challenges hindering the Indian textile industry from achieving its full potential in the global value chain.
Opens by framing the textile sector's importance through its employment intensity and its links to exports and agriculture, then organises the challenges around a five-stage value chain the candidate draws as a chain of boxes, running through eleven numbered points from raw material quality to exports. Closes with a Way Forward of the same length and a one-line statement on the sector's role in job-led and rural growth.
How the bank describes the answer by Akansh Dhull (AIR 3), GS Paper 3, 2025 copy.
Check your own “Examine” answer
Read only your headings and your last two lines: do they do what “Examine” asks? writeupsc reads the directive from your question and marks whether the structure and the conclusion match it, beside what the toppers to the closest questions did. Upload an answer.
Other directives: Discuss · Critically examine · Analyse · Evaluate · Comment · Explain · all directive words.
Questions
What does “Examine” mean in a UPSC question?
Look closely at the causes, features or effects. A heading for each factor, an example under each, no verdict required.
How long should a “Examine” answer be?
Toppers in the bank write a median of 172 words for 10 marks and 252 for 15 marks on “Examine” questions.
Do toppers use headings for “Examine”?
In 67% of the 393 answers measured, and 7% end on a “Way forward” or “Conclusion” heading.
See how your own answer compares.
Photograph the sheet the way you wrote it. 1 free evaluation with a Google account, no card.