Best pen to write the UPSC Mains Papers

UPSC CSE examination is conducted in three stages. The requirements and the scheme of these three stages are different. The Prelims exam is an objective type paper whereas the Mains Exam is a descriptive type paper. The examination requires students to write 9 subjective papers in the mains examination. While the decision to choose the right pen to write these papers may seem simplistic it is not so. As the Mains Examination is a subjective paper. So, choosing the right pen for the exam becomes crucial.

In the Prelims Exam, UPSC has allowed using only a black ball point pen to answer in the OMR Sheet. And, in the Mains Exam, an aspirant can use either a black or blue pen. Because if you cannot write at a convenient pace with the pen you are writing in the Mains Exam then major problems can occur on D-Day.

Since in the mains examination, the candidates get to write so many descriptive and long answers in a time constraint, the pen should be comfortable to use and must be smooth. Here are some basic characteristics of pens that are needed to be present in the pen you are using in your mains paper:

You must choose a lightweight pen and not a heavy one. A lightweight pen will be smooth which will help you to write more in a time constraint. On the other hand, a heavy pen will tire you easily.

• It is advisable to avoid sharp-tipped pens since they tend to tear the answer sheets. Hence, use a soft-tipped pen for faster and smooth handwriting.
• Use a rubber grips pen and not a plastic grips pen. Rubber grip pens have better grip whereas plastic grip pens can be painful and tiring for your fingers after writing for a long period and are slippery in nature.
• Choose transfer and smudge proof pens. Avoid using gel pens or ink pens that leave a trace on the other side of the page or might smudge easily.
• It is highly recommended, not to buy a pen because it is fancy and luxurious. But buy a pen that is lightweight and easy to hold for a long duration.
• Buy 5-6 different pens and write 1000-1200 words with each pen to check which one is more comfortable for your hand.

Practice answer writing at home as much as you can to ensure good handwriting with excellent content given the time and space constraints. Because practice is the only way to fetch you more marks in the exam irrespective of which pen you use in the paper.