UPSC Optional Subject List 2024, Check Mains Optional Syllabus

Union Public Service Commission Mains optional exams carry 250 marks for each paper. There are 48 Optional Subjects in UPSC mains. The UPSC Optional Subject cannot be changed once the application form has been submitted. Thus, candidates must decide carefully before doing so. Candidates for the UPSC must choose their optional subject carefully because it carries 500 marks, which is almost 25% of the total marks of the Written Exam and Personality Test together, so it adds a significant change to your merit scores. Two of the nine papers in the UPSC Mains Exam, GS VI and GS VII, are the optional subjects that candidates choose.

UPSC Optional Subject List 2024

Aspirants can choose any of the Optional Subjects for UPSC exam 2024 from the UPSC Optional Subject based on their educational background and areas of interest. The UPSC has made a list of 48 optional subjects available, and applicants may select any one of them from the subjects listed below.

Read More: UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024

How to Choose an Optional Subject for UPSC 2024?

Choosing an Optional Subject for the UPSC requires a number of important considerations, including individual preference, the availability of study materials, the nature of the syllabus, educational background, and many others. Read some of the factors you might take into account when selecting from the list of optional subjects for the UPSC in order to clear your confused mind.

• The subject that was studied during their graduation or postgraduate time should be taken into account as the first choice for a UPSC optional subject, as per the list of optional subjects. Because you will be aware of the basic concepts of that subject it can help you to develop a better understanding of that subject and can easily score good marks in the UPSC Mains exam.
• Otherwise, choose the Optional Subject that is also covered in the UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains Exam if your graduation subject did not include any of the courses that are listed in the UPSC Optional Subject list. This will reduce your preparation time and require less effort to acquire a new subject. Geography, History, Sociology, Economics, Law, Political Science, Philosophy, Agriculture and Public Administration make up the majority of the pertinent disciplines that are covered in both Prelims and Optional.
• You are aware that the UPSC exam syllabus is lengthy and complex, therefore selecting an optional subject with a broad syllabus might not be the best choice for you until and unless that subject is studied in graduation. Because it takes more time to cover an entire syllabus in the specified time period, which is not a good strategy if you want to clear the UPSC IAS Exam 2024.
• The availability of proper study material is also an important factor which must keep in mind during the selection of the optional subject for the UPSC Mains exam because sometimes in the middle of the preparation, candidates realised that they don’t have proper study material to complete the whole syllabus without any compromise.

Read More: UPSC Syllabus in Hindi

Top 10 UPSC Optional Subject List

Choosing an optional subject is a personal choice of the candidates as per their interest area, but according to analysis, candidates also tend to prefer the following subject as the best UPSC optional subject. If you are having trouble choosing among 26 subjects, check out the list of the top 10 Most Popular UPSC Optional Subjects below:

• Sociology
• Public Administration
• Geography
• Political Science and International Relations (PSIR)
• History
• Anthropology
• Mathematics
• Agriculture
• Medical Science
• Literature Subject (Any)

Read More: UPSC Syllabus 2024

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