UPSC CIVIL SERVICES_ Choosing the Right Optional Subject

UPSC CIVIL SERVICES: Choosing the Right Optional
Subject

Overview

The optional subjects often end up being the reason for an aspirant’s failure
or success in the UPSC exam. These subjects carry almost 25% weightage
when it comes to the total marks, which is a significant amount. As a result,
aspirants often find themselves questioning the need of coaching for
sufficient preparation.

What are the Optional Subjects?

Candidates get to choose subjects of their liking and interest, from a given
list of subjects. This is for the papers VI and VII of the UPSC Civil Services
Main examination. They have to appear for two papers on the subject of
their choice. Each paper is of 250 marks and has a duration of 3 hours. The
marks scored in these papers are considered for the preparation of final
merit. Plus, it often plays a role in differentiating the overall score and
ranks of aspirants.
The list of Optional Subjects is given below-

1. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
2. Anthropology
3. Botany
4. Chemistry
5. Civil Engineering
6. Commerce and Accountancy
7. Economics
8. Electrical Engineering
9. Geography
10.Geology

11.History
12.Law
13.Management
14.Mathematics
15.Mechanical Engineering
16.Medical Science
17.Philosophy
18.Physics
19.Political Science and International Relations
20.Psychology
21.Public Administration
22.Sociology
23.Statistics
24.Zoology
25.Literature of anyone the following language: Assamese, Bengali,

Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili,
Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit,
Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, English.
26.Agriculture

Choosing the Right Subject: Trends and Facts to keep in mind.

When it comes to choosing an optional subject, candidates are advised to
avoid the herd mentality. Simply put, they must never choose a particular
subject solely based on its performance in the previous years. Finding a
subject based on analysis of interests, availability of sufficient study
material, proper coaching, and scoring potential are advisable. Candidates
need to research how vast the syllabus is, if any of it overlaps with the
General Studies paper. It is equally important to consider whether they will
be able to complete their preparation on time.

Based on previous trends and success rates, History, Geography, Public
Administration, and Sociology are considered to be the most popular and
highest scoring optional subjects for the UPSC.
History and Geography are popular among candidates due to their
relevance with the General Studies Paper- and prelims. This overlap
ensures the completion of a vast portion of the IAS syllabus. The easy-to-
understand, fact-based nature of the subjects along with questions that can
be answered easily even during the personality test make these subjects
popular.
A compact and highly relevant syllabus that can be covered within a few
months. And enormous overlap with the GS papers, especially topics
related to governance, make Public Administration a popular and
interesting choice among aspirants.
Availability of the best coaching for sociology optional, along with
sufficient study materials and essay-type nature of the paper makes it a
popular choice among aspirants. Even for those with no academic
background in the subject. Considered to be among the most scoring
subjects, the syllabus for sociology also overlaps with topics of General
study to some extent.

Conclusion

The primary deciding factor when it comes to choosing an optional subject,
should be the candidate’s interest towards the subject. Although
researching all the other factors is quite necessary, the candidate’s love for
the subject is what determines the amount of conscious effort that goes into
the preparation of the subject.