Eng · Practice archive
Compulsory English practice questions for UPSC Mains 2026.
Reading comprehension, précis, English usage, short essay.
Compulsory English (Paper B) · Tips & tricks
Compulsory English — qualifying, but easy to lose marks on
- Précis: reduce to one-third, no more.Read the passage twice, underline the topic sentence per paragraph, then compose a précis that is exactly 1/3 of the original word count.
- Comprehension answers must be self-contained.Write answers as full sentences that make sense without the passage. Avoid "as mentioned in line 5".
- For the short essay, write 6 paragraphs in 600-650 words.Intro (80-100) → 4 body paragraphs (~120 each) → conclusion (80-100). Examiners want structure, not flair.
- Grammar section: read the verb, not the noun.Subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, parallel structure — UPSC tests these every year. Learn the five common traps once.
No Compulsory English questions yet
Practice questions are being authored — check back shortly. In the meantime, browse other Mains papers.