One of the most common conversations that I have come across during my engineering days ( :P ) :

“Saala maine usko padhaya aur marks bhi usko hi jyada mile!”

Have you ever wondered why so? Why is it that two friends studying the exact same portion a day before results in the two getting different scores? And sometimes the differences in the scores are eye-popping!

One of the critical yet much ignored reasons behind this is the way in which a paper is written.

Anything beautifully written catches attention and creates a positive response (yes, by that I mean more marks).

Writing is an art, be it writing a love letter or a blog or an exam answer paper!

Being an engineer myself and having experienced a difference in my marks, I can assure you that the following answer writing skills and techniques can fetch you good marks with least preparations:

1. The First page:

For any answer sheet, the first page is equivalent to creating a first impression. And we want to leave a great first impression. So what do we do:

We write beautifully.

We choose the question which we can answer extremely well and start the paper with that answer. That way, the paper-checker creates a positive first impression in mind thinking that the student is knowledgeable. Most of the times, the first impression is carried forward for the entire answer sheet.

2. Diagrams:

Believe it or not, any slightly relevant diagram can fetch you a mark or two. Draw diagrams wherever possible. Try to draw a diagram in all your answers. Images appeal more to the mind than words.

3. Good handwriting:

Although it’s difficult to maintain a good handwriting throughout the paper, at least start the paper with one! A good writing on first few pages helps to increase readability and improves the way in which an answer is presented.

4. Presentation:

Start a new question on a new page. Leave lines wherever necessary. Make your answers a combination of diagram and text which is readable.

5. Pointers:

Wherever possible, use pointers. Use arrows or numbers or stars or anything that can improve the way your answer is perceived. Pointers help to put forward ideas precisely, clearly and unambiguously.

6. Structure:

After reading a question, always try to take a few seconds off to decide the way in which it’s solution will be presented. Answer can include an introduction to the question or the topic followed by the actual answer and some inferences/ ideas/ suggestions in the end that can make it more customized. Any relevant new inputs from students are always positively accepted.

Ultimately it’s about making the paper checker happy with your answer sheet. A good presentable answer sheet can get blessed with better marks than a shabby sheet with good content. So, try to implement these tips in your exam and stay ahead of the competition.