UPSC Optional Subjects: A Make or Break Decision for Success
- There are 26 UPSC optional Subjects to choose from.
- Paper VI & VII cover optional subjects for 250 marks each, and a max total of 500.
Apart from a list of compulsory subjects UPSC offers 26 subjects, the right choice can be the difference between success and failure. Aspirants are expected to make judicious selection based on passion, scoring potential and availability of resources. With strategic planning and preparation an aspirant can master the chosen subject and can see the dream turn into reality.
How to Solve the Maze of UPSC CSE Optional Subject
It is known that there is no subject choice for the preliminary examination, but an aspirant has to choose one from the given list for the mains. Mains is the second and an important phase for selection, and selecting the best optional subject is crucial as it significantly alters the final marks.
In the UPSC CSE Mains, two papers, Paper VI & VII, are dedicated to the optional subject, each carrying a maximum of 250 marks summing up to 500 out of the total of 1750. The score of these papers significantly impacts the final score of an aspirant. Therefore, deciding your optional subject requires utmost care and seriousness.
UPSC Optional Subject List
The list of the subjects for UPSC CSE are mentioned below, to obtain detailed information about the UPSC Optional Subject Syllabus, [place the backlink here] preparation strategy and the prescribed list of books [place the backlink of book list blog for the subjects is also provided.
Agriculture | Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science | Anthropology | Botany | Chemistry |
Civil Engineering | Commerce & Accountancy | Economics | Electrical Engineering | Geography |
Geology | History | Law | Management | Mathematics |
Mechanical Engineering | Medical Science | Philosophy | Physics | Political Science & International Relations |
Psychology | Public Administration | Sociology | Statistics | Zoology |
Literature of the following languages are also an integral part of UPSC Optional Subjects for UPSC Mains examination. An aspirant is expected to choose what’s best from the available options.
Assamese | Bengali | Bodo | Dogri | Gujarati |
Hindi | Kannada | Kashmiri | Konkani | Maithili |
Malayalam | Manipuri | Marathi | Nepali | Odia |
Punjabi | Sanskari | Santhali | Sindhi | Tamil |
Telugu | Urdu | English | – | – |
Looking at the scoring opportunity and potential contribution to selection, choosing a subject becomes very important. Choosing a trending subject might not be a good idea for an aspirant, also choosing an off-beat subject could spell failure for some. Hence, experts at IAS Origin will provide you guidance so that you can make a well informed decision.
