The Optional Subject in the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is a crucial component of the Mains examination. Candidates must choose one subject from a list provided by the UPSC. The chosen subject will have two papers in the Mains exam, each carrying 250 marks, making a total of 500 marks for the optional subject.
### List of Optional Subjects
Here is the list of optional subjects available for the UPSC CSE:
1. **Agriculture**
2. **Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science**
3. **Anthropology**
4. **Botany**
5. **Chemistry**
6. **Civil Engineering**
7. **Commerce and Accountancy**
8. **Economics**
9. **Electrical Engineering**
10. **Geography**
11. **Geology**
12. **History**
13. **Law**
14. **Management**
15. **Mathematics**
16. **Mechanical Engineering**
17. **Medical Science**
18. **Philosophy**
19. **Physics**
20. **Political Science and International Relations**
21. **Psychology**
22. **Public Administration**
23. **Sociology**
24. **Statistics**
25. **Zoology**
In addition to these, there are also literature subjects from various languages:
26. **Literature of any one of the following languages:**
- Assamese
- Bengali
- Bodo
- Dogri
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Kannada
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Maithili
- Malayalam
- Manipuri
- Marathi
- Nepali
- Odia
- Punjabi
- Sanskrit
- Santhali
- Sindhi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
- English
### Choosing an Optional Subject
When choosing an optional subject, candidates should consider the following factors:
1. **Interest and Background:** Choose a subject that interests you and aligns with your educational background. A subject you are passionate about can make preparation more engaging.
2. **Availability of Study Material:** Ensure there is sufficient study material and resources available for the subject.
3. **Guidance and Coaching:** Availability of guidance, whether through coaching institutes, online resources, or mentors, can be crucial for complex subjects.
4. **Overlap with General Studies:** Some optional subjects have significant overlap with the General Studies syllabus, which can help reduce the overall study load. Subjects like Geography, History, Political Science, and Sociology often overlap with the General Studies papers.
5. **Scoring Trends:** Analyze past years’ trends to see how different subjects have performed. Some subjects might have higher average scores compared to others.
6. **Competition and Popularity:** Highly popular subjects may have more competition, but they also tend to have more resources and peer support available.
### Preparation Strategy
1. **Syllabus Understanding:** Thoroughly understand the syllabus for the chosen optional subject and divide it into manageable parts.
2. **Standard Books and Resources:** Collect standard textbooks and reference materials. Use NCERT books for basics if required.
3. **Notes Making:** Prepare concise and effective notes for quick revisions.
4. **Previous Year Papers:** Solve previous years' question papers to understand the pattern and level of questions.
5. **Answer Writing Practice:** Regularly practice answer writing to improve presentation skills and time management.
6. **Mock Tests:** Take mock tests to simulate exam conditions and identify areas for improvement.
Choosing the right optional subject and preparing effectively can significantly impact your performance in the UPSC CSE Mains examination.
