How to Improve Writing Speed?

aamengineer

@ArindamSarkar - Plz elaborate this point- 9. About writing - try moving your shoulder more than you move your fingers. Write with your shoulder; fix the pen with your fingers.

My 2 cents.

Some of us "draw" letters instead of writing them (I too draw). When we draw we use our fingers more (~90% of the effort needed) than our shoulders. The quality and speed and handwriting of people who draw is highly dependent on the comfort with the pen being used.

When we "write" we use our shoulders more. This is a more robust approach to writing, especially in stress exams like upsc where it is physically tiring.

To get shoulders involved more, try writing on a black board or a white board. Basically we can not draw when we write "big" letters, so that helps to get the "shoulder" in the writing.

+1
perfect answer....i am a writer then, not a drawer

rahulrana681

Personally I feel I can write faster than avg people. Its inherent to me as I have never practiced for it. After 3-4 yrs without writing much I started writing for these mains. I did complete the GS-4 as it was the only paper in which I had stuff to write.

Some points which can make you fast - 1. A pen with a smooth tip like Cello Butterflow or Papersoft. Smoother it is faster you write.

2. Make sure your words are shorter in length. I mean a simple word like "pen" can take space from 1.5 cm to 3 cm. If you keep it short in length then you can write more words in the same time.

3. Compromise between the quality and quantity.

4. You should be able to bear the pain. In my GS-4 paper my fingers were paining badly but I had to finish it. After giving the exam it felt as if somebody has hit my 3 left most fingers with a hammer. I am a left handed person.

5. Sticking to the word limit helps to complete the paper though it doesn't change your writing speed.

6. Maybe you can practice more writing.

7. When writing try not to exert pressure on the paper and the pen. It reduces the pain in your hand but it is inevitable. Unknowingly a lot of people put a lot of pressure.

seth

@Neyawn- dimaag haath se aage nikal jata hai. Jab tak haath catch up karta hai, dimaag saari baat bhool jaata hai :P

I have improved my speed by writing smaller letters. Reducing the height and width.

integral_unity

Thank you for valuable suggestions .

Copy-pasting my response on the other thread on the same topic :

Having written 14 sets subjects in 2-3 different sets of exams a year in college over 5.5 years certainly taught me how to write fast. I've never given mains, though. But if you ask for general pointers, I'll state the following :

1. Pick a smooth-writing ball-point pen that is comfortable to write with. Experiment to find your best fit. Those 3/- use-and-throw pens work like a charm for me at least.

2. If you're not sure how much you write per page, get an idea. This would help you understand how much (pages / lines) to write keeping in mind the word limit. Don't forget your wrist watch.

3. Take short 15-30 sec breaks whenever your hand start to cramp up. Put the pen down and sit up straight; drop your hands by your side off the table.

Make sure you're well hydrated. Have some water if you need. Carry your own water if possible.

Never get into an exam hall without eating something. Carry hard candy for the time when you'll feel drowsy / tired / hypoglycemic.

4. Make sure you carry your own writing board. If the table is uneven, you'll waste precious time trying to position your paper and avoiding poking holes in it.

5. Compromise a bit on the handwriting quality to gain speed, if you have to. You only need to be legible; you don't need calligraphy. Don't waste time thinking about it in the hall. Don't try to change your handwriting at the time of the exam.

6. Respond to the question paper; do not react to it. Be it easy or hard, all your can do is answer it. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement or distract you. Write the best you can putting in everything you can think of. Don't bluff and make up things you're clueless about.

7. Glance through the paper; don't waste time reading everything in details. Pick the ones you have no idea about and ignore them till you're done with the rest. Divide your time between the rest keeping 10 mins for revision.

8. Get all the margin drawing and information filling over with before you start attempting questions. This should preferably be before the starting bell if allowed. Get it all over with and concentrate solely on the task at hand.

9. About writing - try moving your shoulder more than you move your fingers. Write with your shoulder; fix the pen with your fingers.

10. Go with the flow.