IBPS PO 2025: Descriptive Paper Strategy for Top Scores
Scoring high in the Descriptive English section is no longer optional—it’s essential. With 25 marks up for grabs and a tight 30-minute window for Essay + Comprehension, you must be strategic, precise, and practiced. Below is a battle-tested strategy to help aspirants aim for top scores.
1. Understand the Terrain First
- The descriptive paper now comprises Essay + Comprehension (Letter writing has been dropped).
- You will type your responses on a computer. Speed, accuracy, and editing comfort all matter.
- Essay usually expects 250–300 words.
- The comprehension will test your ability to understand a passage, infer, summarise, interpret tone, and answer focused questions.
- The evaluation considers relevance, structure, grammar, spelling, word count, and paraphrasing (especially in comprehension).
Knowing this, your strategy must align with what is scored.
2. Pre-Exam Strategy: What You Must Build Before the Day
| Skill / Asset | Why It Matters | How to Build |
|---|---|---|
| Typing fluency + comfort | You’ll lose precious time fumbling on keys or fixing small errors | Practice essays & passages on a computer daily; aim for ~35–45 WPM with minimal errors |
| Topic bank across themes | The essay topic might come from economy, tech, social, environment or policy | Prepare 20–30 essay topics (with points & examples) across those areas |
| Reading & comprehension muscle | Helps you finish the RC quickly + write crisp answers | Daily reading of editorials, reports; summarise and answer inference questions |
| Error log & iterative correction | Keeps you from repeating known mistakes | Maintain a log of grammar mistakes, weak transitions, off-topic sentences. In each new write-up, consciously avoid those |
| Timed full mocks | Brings all skills together under exam pressure | Take 2–3 full 30-minute mocks per week; mimic test environment |
3. 30-Minute Game Plan: Time-Wise Execution
This plan should become instinctive in your mocks so that on exam day your fingers and mind “auto-pilot”.
| Time Slot | What to Do | Key Focus / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00 – 1:00 | Read prompt & passage; decide which to start first | Sometimes comprehension seems easier—go with your strength |
| 1:00 – 2:30 | Outline essay: thesis, 2–3 key points, conclusion | Keeps your writing focused |
| 2:30 – 14:30 | Write essay (first 3–4 paragraphs) | Keep paragraphs short, transitions clear |
| 14:30 – 18:30 | Write remaining part of essay (solutions / conclusion) | Ensure your essay has closure |
| 18:30 – 26:30 | Solve comprehension: read carefully, answer questions in your own words | Be precise, quote minimally if required |
| 26:30 – 30:00 | Final proofreading & cleanup | Check grammar, spelling, remove redundancies, confirm word count |
If you fall behind, don’t panic. Drop less critical embellishments and ensure core content + correctness.
4. Essay Strategy: Content + Presentation
A. Choose wisely
- If 2 or more essay options are given, pick the one on which you have clearer points and examples.
- Don’t pick something exotic unless you’re very confident.
B. Structure matters
A 5-paragraph structure works well:
- Introduction (define + thesis)
- Body 1 (first pillar, with example or logic)
- Body 2 (second pillar or counterargument + rebuttal)
- Solutions / Way forward (actionable steps)
- Conclusion (summarise + forward outlook)
C. Use examples & clarity
- Limit examples to 1–2, but explain their relevance.
- Use simple, correct English over flashy vocabulary.
- Avoid dangling sentences, overlong constructions.
D. Language control
- Be wary of grammar errors, article usage, subject-verb agreement.
- Use transition words (However, Moreover, In contrast, Therefore, Consequently).
- If you mention data, use approximate or rounded figures (unless you know with certainty).
5. Comprehension Strategy: Precision & Paraphrasing
- Read the passage fully first, then again underlined for key statements.
- Identify the central idea, tone, supporting arguments, and author’s stance.
- For each question, answer with your own words. Avoid copying large chunks from passage.
- Be concise: 2–4 lines per question (unless longer is demanded).
- Use linking words in your answers: “The author suggests…”, “In contrast…”, “Because…”, “Therefore…”
- For summary questions, combine main ideas into a logical paragraph—don’t add your own opinions.
6. Proofreading & Final Polish
In the last 2–3 minutes, run a mini-check:
- Did I stay close to the word limit in essay?
- Are there any grammatical slips, spelling errors, or subject-verb mismatches?
- Do paragraphs flow logically?
- Any redundant or irrelevant sentences that can be dropped?
- Did I answer exactly what was asked in comprehension and not deviate?
Make quick cuts or corrections—not full rewrites.
7. Common Mistakes to Avoid (so you don’t lose marks)
- Diverting from the topic or writing off-topic sentences
- Using vocabulary or terms you don’t fully control
- Copy-pasting sentences in comprehension
- Writing extremely long paragraphs with no structure
- Skipping final proofreading or rushing through it
- Ignoring time splits and overshooting one task
- Repeating the same point just to fill the word count
- Introducing unsupported or wrong data just for show