UPSC conducts the civil service examination every year on a national level. Candidates who wish to serve the country apply for the IAS exam and fight for their seats to get into various government departments. UPSC conducts the IAS examination in three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. There is a provision for choosing optional subjects in the Mains exam. Therefore, we will be discussing the Top 10 UPSC Optional Subjects in this article for the ease of the candidates.
UPSC is a challenging and comprehensive examination that demands sheer knowledge and hard work on the candidates’ part. To perform well, the candidates should first know about the UPSC exam pattern so that they can make a proper preparation strategy for the same.
Top 10 UPSC Optional Papers
As mentioned above, UPSC is one of India’s most complicated and competitive exams. Candidates have to clear three stages to finally enter the Indian Administrative Services (IAS). Aspirants must simultaneously prepare for both Prelims and Mains exams as there is not much gap between the two phases. Therefore gathering complete information is advised. To make it less complicated, candidates can refer to the list of top 10 optional subjects for UPSC which will enable them to think more clearly while choosing their subjects.
The UPSC Mains exam consists of seven merit papers and 2 compulsory papers. The merit papers from Papers 1 to 7 include 1 Essay paper, 4 GS papers, and 2 optional subject papers. To the relief of the candidates, they are given a choice to choose 2 subjects from a list of 48 UPSC Optional Subjects. This choice makes things a bit relaxed for the candidates and gives them a chance to score their best through this section. The consolidated list of the top 10 UPSC optional papers is as follows:-
- Public Administration
- Sociology
- Political Science
- Philosophy
- Law
- Psychology
- History
- Geography
- Economics
- Literature
How to Choose the Best UPSC Optional Subjects?
The UPSC IAS exam is a tough nut to crack and therefore requires a well-thought-out strategy and a study plan. Thousands of aspirants await this golden opportunity each year which may give them a chance to serve in various government departments in a position of power. It is certainly a dream for many.
To realize this dream, it is extremely essential that candidates take each step with serious thought. The compulsory papers in both Prelims and Mains are required to be prepared well and are not in the candidates’ control. Choosing the optional subjects and scoring well in them is surely under their control. Therefore a proper thought process should be put in while selecting from the list of UPSC optional papers. Here are a few points that need to be kept in mind while choosing the optional papers:-
- Scoring subject – Check which of the subjects is the most scoring subject. Candidates should filter out such subjects and then proceed with further steps.
- Preference as per interest – The second most crucial step is segregating the subjects that you have the most interest in.
- Qualification – Choosing the subjects which you have studied in your graduation/postgraduation will surely give you an edge.
- Popularity & Competition – You surely need to keep in mind that the subjects that are most popular and most chosen prove to be the most competitive and therefore the cut-off seems to reach higher levels. Therefore it would also prove smart enough to look out for subjects that are not so much opted.
- Familiarity – The subjects that are most familiar to you surely prove beneficial in achieving good scores as they are easier to comprehend and further express in written form.
