The civil services exam is considered to be one of the most difficult examinations. An aspirant must not only require knowledge about the subjects but also you must have a clear idea and knowledge regarding the syllabus of the exam. Once the aspirant knows about the syllabus the second task is to choose the right optional subject.
Among the nine papers that form the UPSC Mains exam, two of them are dedicated to your optional subject. And so it becomes important for the aspirants to choose the right subject so that the optional paper can become their scoring paper. Studying for optional subjects not only includes studying different subjects but also being connected to the current world by reading current affairs and editorials.
Process for Selecting an Optional Subject in the Mains Exam
In the civil service exam, an optional subject is the only subject that can be chosen by the aspirants from the list provided by UPSC. The marks of this exam are considered in the merit calculation. Apart from this the remaining papers are either for everyone or are only qualifying in nature. The two optional papers in total are 500 marks, since the pacers are divided into two sets so 250 marks go for each. The list of optional subjects includes the following options:
- Agriculture
- Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
- Anthropology
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Commerce and Accountancy
- Economics
- Electrical Engineering
- Geography
- Geology
- History
- Law
- Management
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medical Science
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science and International Relations
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Sociology
- Statistics
- Zoology
Optional Subject & its Significance
Choosing the right optional subject is quite significant in the UPSC CSE. It is significant because the scope of achieving higher marks is more optional than the General Studies (GS) Mains exam or any other category. Taking an average from 2-3 years of GS Mains exam which has a weightage of 1000 marks, the marks of a GS Mains topper ranges from 475-525 out of 1000. This is only 50% of the total marks for GS Main. On the other hand in the case of toppers of optional subjects scores range from 350-370 out of 500, as the weightage of optional subject is 500 marks. This scoring mark is more than 70%.
So, even if the weightage of the optional subject exam is less than the GS Mains, the possibility of scoring higher marks is much better in the optional subject.
Criteria for Choosing the Right Optional Subject
Choosing a correct optional subject is very important for an aspirant and so the aspirant must keep certain criteria for choosing the optional subject. Different criteria for choosing the right optional are:
Subject Scorability
It would be wrong to consider that all the optional subjects in the UPSC are scoring. So, it should be the highest priority of the aspirants to choose the right subject which for you is a scoring subject.
Student’s ability
It’s not possible that an aspirant will be a master in all the subjects. So, it is important to recognize which subject is better for you or in which subject you hold a good command and choose accordingly. For instance, if you have exceptionally good writing skills then you must choose a subject where subjectivity matters such as in Political Science, Sociology, Literature, Public Administration, etc.
One’s interest
UPSC is a journey that along with consistency is fully dependent on three D’s- Dedication, devotion, and determination. So if you choose a subject that you love to study. This can help you to fully dedicate yourself to your studies.
Commonality
If an optional subject is also helpful in General Studies or an Essay or interview, then it automatically increases the preference for the particular subject. The other thing to consider is to see by how much marks the subject is helping you or how much time is it saving.
Points to be Remembered While Choosing an Optional
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula for selecting an optional subject for the UPSC mains. There is also no ‘correct’ option. Emulating others in this regard may not work for you. What worked for the previous topper may not work for you. Keep in mind the criteria mentioned above but ensure that you choose a subject that you like and are confident in, regardless of its popularity or supposed ability to fetch high marks.
