Handwriting for Civil Services Exam: Your handwriting should be fairly legible specifically when it comes to pen down the answers in an Exam. More so, it would be in the best of your own interests, in case, you are going to face the Mains for the Civil Services Exam.
Nobody can deny that the Union Public Service Commission is far from being impressed by a candidate’s calligraphy skills. However, the handwriting should be at least readable. It will not be improper to say that a readable handwriting can be considered a great plus point while you write down the answers.
Handwriting for Civil Services Exam: Why Improve the Handwriting?
It is what you write that helps you score well in any Exam. And the same applies to the Mains, CSE. An IAS aspirant would not like to spare any effort to score high in the Mains.
Here are a few reasons why your handwriting is important
1. It May Affect Your Rank:
Above all, it is your handwriting that reflects what you want to convey. No IAS aspirant would like to risk his marks only because of poor handwriting. Besides, it should not be forgotten that the difference of even a single mark can move your rank either higher or lower in the CSE result.
2. And what if you fail to clear the Civil Services Exam?
It’s even more crucial. A handwriting that is far from being readable may also play a decisive role when it comes to clear the Exam in CSE Mains. Even the difference of a single mark can result in a candidate’s failure.
And it would be a great pity if a candidate fails for no other reason, but poor handwriting.
How to Improve Your Handwriting?
Improving the handwriting so that it is, at least, readable, is an activity that can be undertaken at any point of time. Given below is a strategy that will help you improve your handwriting within 14 steps:
Step 1: Analyze your Handwriting
Write down a few sentences on any topic. Write in a spontaneous manner without taking any pains to make the handwriting perfect. It will help you produce the precisely accurate sample of your handwriting.
Now, begin to analyze your handwriting.
What should you look for while analyzing the handwriting?
It is advisable to scrutinize the handwriting paying attention to the following points:
- The shapes of the loops, hard corners and curves etc., in the shapes of various letters
- The degree of the slant i.e., the angle at which the letters are penned down
- Alignment of various letters, that is to say, whether they are aligned upward or the downward angle or if they overlap other letter(s)
- Space in between the words
- Letter size
- The quality of the lines, i.e., whether they can be read easily or you put too much of pressure on the paper
Identify the areas where you can improve
There may be a scope for improvement in one or more of the following:
- Letters that may be placed either too far or too close to each other
- Alignment might be crooked
- The angle at which the letters and/or the words are written might be too steep
- Letters might be improperly shaped and thus, might be unreadable
- The pressure put on the letters may be either too less or too much, again making the writing unreadable
Step 2: Choose the Right Material
The writing material should be of a quality so that it makes the process of writing a comfortable and convenient one. In case, you feel ill at ease while writing, your handwriting is not very likely to be readable.
Step 3: Keep Yourself Motivated
Motivation goes a long way whenever it comes to improving yourself. Unless and until you feel like achieving your goal with an unwavering focus, you are not very likely to achieve it.
Step 4: Exercise Your Hands
Writing for long hours may tire your hands. Thus, exercising your hands may help them relax and write better.
Step 5: Hold your pen in the right way
Many of the people hold their pen in a careless manner. And it takes a toll on the handwriting. Holding the pen in the right way can help you write better, thus making your handwriting readable to a greater extent.
Step 6: Sit in a right posture
The sitting posture you opt for also leaves a tremendous impact on your handwriting. Besides, if you do not sit in a right posture, you would not be able to write comfortably. And your handwriting might not be readable, as a result.
Step 7: Writing implies more than merely moving your fingers
Apart from your fingers, it is your forearm and the shoulder that should be placed and moved properly. Besides, it is advisable not to put too much of pressure on your thumb.
Step 8: All the basic shapes should be right
Be sure that the basic shapes for all of the letters are right. It will help to make your handwriting readable to a greater extent.
Step 9:Focus on the size of the loops
All the loops should not only be properly shaped, but should also be properly sized. Making the loops too big or too small would only serve to make the handwriting unreadable.
Step 10: Do not slant or tilt accordingly
It is advisable not to tilt or slant your letters too much. Doing so will make it difficult for the reader to understand what your handwriting actually aims at conveying.
Step 11: Review and practice
Review your handwriting. And after making an analysis, try to improve upon the problem areas.
Step 12: Focus on the letter tops
The top of the letter, if shaped properly serves to make the letters more readable and hence, meaningful. It may help you write well during the Exam.
Step 13: Paper Positions
The manner you position the sheet of the paper also contributes to make the handwriting more readable. However, it also depends a great deal what hand you are using to write. If you use the right hand, it would be better to place the paper sheet left angled and vice versa for the people who use the left hand.
Step 14: Pressure
Putting too much of the pressure on the paper while writing would not only make the same unreadable, but also fatigue your wrist and hand.
And last, but not the least, keep patience. It always takes some time to show the results. Keep practicing, and your handwriting will definitely improve.
