How to choose an optional subject for UPSC civil service exam

Choosing the right optional subject plays a crucial role in your final selection for the UPSC exam. How to choose the optional subject for UPSC civil service examination? This is one of the most common questions that haunt every civil service candidate. A student has to choose only one Optional subject for the UPSC main exam with the changed exam pattern in 2013.

Now, there are two papers with 250 marks each. So, it is suggested to choose the optional subject for Mains earlier so that you have sufficient time to study, collect relevant notes and books and form a study group.

How to choose an optional subject for the UPSC exam

● Most of the students still find it difficult to choose the right optional subject for the Mains exam. However, there is no optional subject that can be called the easiest or the best Optional subject for IAS mains. It depends on each candidate on what is easy and what is not.

● Don't choose the optional subject at the very beginning but first, start preparing for General Studies papers and after some time choose the optional subject because a wide variety of optional subjects will be introduced in General Studies papers like History, Geography, Public Administration, Political Science and Sociology.

● It will help candidates to determine their interest and inclination toward a particular subject. They will be able to understand the demand of each subject's thinking pattern, writing style and presentation techniques.

● Interest and proper understanding of the subject writing style suitable for that particular optional subject presentation technique length of the syllabus.

Best Optional subject

● Sociology, Public Administration, History Geography, Political Science and Philosophy are the popular choices among aspirants. More than 80% of the students opt for these subjects because they overlap with the general studies papers.

● There are some common rules for selecting optional subjects. First, you should choose a subject that you are comfortable with. Normally, candidates should choose the subject to be studied at the graduation level. The criteria for choosing the optional subjects should be as per your interest and you have studied them at the graduate level at the same time.

● Maybe, if you are an Engineering, Medical or Science student having proficiency in a particular subject but it may be difficult to re-grasp the same subject due to lack of touch because you are working for some time and have lost touch with your core subject of graduation days.

● Plenty of study material is available for optional subjects like History, Geography, Anthropology, Political Science, Psychology and Public Administration. Thus, the selection of the Optionals should be based on the availability of quality books and study material.

● You may choose a subject that has minimum rush if you are comfortable because there are chances of scoring good marks. Social sciences papers have much competition among the candidates due to their difficulty to score high marks in the subject.

● Proper time is needed even with the subject of your interest so the selection of optional subjects also depends on how much time you can spend every day. If your basics concept for any technical subject is clear then go for it.

● Also, take some advice from those who have qualified for the examination on those optional subjects to write their Mains examination. You may know how many marks they have scored in the two papers on the subject and also give some tips on the study material and the way they choose its preparation.

● Often, toppers' interviews are printed in competitive magazines you have to go through them and develop your own strategy or idea based on the same while choosing optional paper.

Popular optional subject

● Subjects like Geography, Public Administration, History, Sociology and Anthropology come under the criteria among all optional subjects including literature subjects too.

● These 5 optional subjects cover the 50% share of Mains optional subject and are very popular as optional among candidates.

● If the optional subject makes you acquainted with more about it, enthuses you, makes you think out of the box, does not bore you or has study material easily available then it is advised to choose the subject with these qualities.

● If a candidate has succeeded in the IAS exam and scored well in any optional subject it does not prove that it is a popular optional subject. Therefore, choosing the Optional subject based only on the scoring criteria is not good.

● If you are still confused about which is the most scoring or the best optional subject for the UPSC Mains exam then you should understand that there is no right answer to that question. This only depends on every individual.

● It is better to decide by your own judgement rather than the others or previous year's toppers and after selecting your Optional you should study hard and turn it into the most scoring optional subject for the UPSC exam.

More about the optional subject

● With a subject like Public Administration with a definite and limited syllabus especially for the paper second, you can easily cover it within 5 month

● Geography is a subject that needs to concentrate on conceptual question and require deep analysis. It has a definite syllabus but is a bit vast and candidates should be well aware of current affairs as well as good in India and the world map.

● Geography is the most popular optional subject due to its semi-scientific nature and is preferred by most Engineers, Doctors and Law students.

● It needs more understanding and interpretation because in the exam you have to link the concept with some facts in their answer.

● Sociology is a very interesting and easy to understood subject as the topics covered concern humanity and our part of society.

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