How To Choose Optional Subjects For UPSC

Candidates aspiring to qualify for the UPSC exam must be knowing the significance of optional subjects in the UPSC exam. Candidates get an opportunity to choose among a set number of subjects for a total of 500 marks in UPSC Mains. Candidates must choose UPSC Optional Subjects precisely as it can be a radical step for candidates. Optional subjects will aid candidates to take a leap towards acing the exam meritoriously. Candidates can have a dominance of 20-50 marks as one can choose subjects based on their strengths and weaknesses.

Significance of Optional Subjects For UPSC

Optional subjects in the UPSC examination are an opportunity for candidates to score well in the exam. To choose optional subjects for UPSC candidates must keep in mind the below-mentioned features.

• A subject with great interest
• A subject with familiarity
• Candidates must not choose subjects in which they are not confident.
• Study resources and books are easily available online/ offline

It is advisable to choose an optional subject with an unbiased opinion as popularity and claims of a high score will mean nothing if one can not understand the basic concepts of that subject. Therefore, candidates must choose a subject they have a keen interest in as regular practice and hard work will help them ace the exam with flying colors.

Types of Optional Subjects For UPSC

UPSC gives a wide set of options for candidates to choose from for the examination. UPSC optional subjects comprise subjects related to a wide range of syllabi. Check out the tabular data to have a detailed overview of the optional subjects.

Key Features of UPSC Optional Subjects

To choose optional subjects for UPSC; a candidate must be conversant with the key features of the subjects. The significant qualities of an exemplary subject are mentioned here. Candidates must take note as it can act as a deciding factor.

• A subject with a scope of high marking.
• A well-known and researched subject.
• A subject with a graduate/post-graduate level of familiarity to the candidate.
• A subject with similarity to the current affairs section of UPSC as it will help them cover both sections with a similar preparation strategy.
• A subject candidate has a keen interest in. An interesting subject can be a great way to break the monotony of tedious exam preparation.
• Candidates must not be biased on the basis of past success rates of subjects as it varies for individuals.
• Candidates can consider a not so well known subject as popularity has nothing to do while choosing the optional subject.

How to Choose Optional Subjects For UPSC

There is no expertise required to choose optional subjects for UPSC. The foremost thing that candidates should keep in mind is that an optional subject can be a real game changer in their selection process and a subject with less competition and an apt difficulty level may lead them to a path of success. Here are a few tips that may help candidates choose the prime subject for their examination.

• The foremost thing that a candidate must consider is an overlapping syllabus. Candidates can benefit from the similarity as it will mitigate the pressure.
• UPSC is one of the toughest examinations and candidates must not do anything to surge the pressure as it will complicate the preparation. Candidates must go through all the optional subjects and choose a subject they are more confident in.
• A quality resource is another factor to keep in mind while choosing the optional subject as it acts as a key point while preparing for UPSC. Any subject with less study material or guidance will be a straining issue.
• Hard work and consistency are other prime factors apart from numerous approaches on how to choose optional subjects for UPSC as one can perform exceptionally well in any subject if one prepares diligently.