Sociology Optional For UPSC: Preparation Guide and Strategies

Sociology Optional For UPSC: Preparation Guide and
Strategies

The optional papers play a significant role in deciding merit when it comes
to the UPSC. Sociology is a prevalent choice among aspirants due to
several reasons. It has witnessed a constant increase in popularity over the
years. Especially, after being placed on the list of the Highest scoring
optional subjects in the Civil Services Examination.

Candidates do not require background knowledge of the subject to score
high. However, a simple understanding of the inter-related concepts and
regular practice can unleash a high-scoring potential for candidates. Apart
from being compact and easy to cover, the syllabus has a decent portion
overlapping with the topics from the General Studies paper. This makes it
easier for students to prepare for the subject and score good marks. They
are never put into a situation, where their efforts may not be
proportionately rewarded.

Aspirants also prefer sociology due to the easy-to-understand nature of the
subject, which covers topics based on societal issues. This also makes it
easier for the candidates to score good marks in the interview rounds.
That’s because answering situation-based questions regarding current
affairs doesn’t require separate grooming (given that one has up-to-date
knowledge of societal issues).

Read on to know more about Preparation strategies for Sociology Optional
in the UPSC.

In order to be well prepared for the Sociology optional and score high
marks, aspirants must follow a proper preparation strategy. They must use
the right approach. Building a solid foundation and keeping in mind the
crucial jargon of the subject help write quality answers and analyze
concepts correctly and in-depth. Candidates must refer to question papers
from previous years to understand the kind of questions asked in the
examination. Enrolling in coaching is generally a good idea as it provides a
multi-dimensional approach. Plus, coaching gives a better understanding
of the subjects. Structuring and writing the answers so that they have a
balanced opinion and provide a strong logical conclusion is another crucial
practice. Mentors in coaching institutes can help candidates write well-
structured answers by getting them to practice regularly with the help of
numerous mock tests. The candidates receive feedback on how their
answers can be improved after the evaluation process. This will gradually
lead to improvement in the quality of answers.
Given the health risks as a result of the ongoing pandemic, candidates
should enroll in online coaching. What this enables them is to learn the
topics and tricks that they want to, from the comfort of their homes, and
their own personal study spaces. This is pretty hard to find in a formal
class setup. Moreover, since a subject like sociology requires a lot of
practice, enrolling for a sociology optional test series and appearing for
mock tests will be a smart move. You can practice how much you want to

and however you want to. This helps develop your skills for writing that
perfect answer in your exams. Sociology IAS is considered to have the best
sociology test series that can provide exposure to new questions, and help
candidates develop their prioritization skills. Another added benefit is that
the test series helps the students gauge their answering speeds. This helps
them manage their time effectively during the main examination.