UPSC IAS Optional Subject 2024: Aspirants who have qualified for the UPSC Prelims exam must choose an optional subject for the mains exam based on their learning and understanding capabilities. Optional papers play a significant role, as scoring high in these subjects will increase your probability of selection. Every year more than 10 lakh candidates appeared in the prelims exam and approximately 11 to 15 thousand are selected for the mains exam. Among all the candidates appearing in the mains exam only 1% get selected for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE).
Each optional paper carries 250 marks and the maximum weightage of optional papers is 500 marks out of a total of 1750 marks in the UPSC Mains. There is a list of 42 optional subjects available and the applicants need to pick any one of them from the subject list prescribed by the commission. With this, aspirants should consider all the important factors and success rate data of each optional subject over the previous years in order to select the right optional subject.
Toppers and experts suggest that while selecting the UPSC IAS Optional Subject, candidates must check the syllabus to have a complete understanding of what they have to study. Also, some subjects in optional papers have a vast syllabus, which requires a proper understanding of concepts and theories.
UPSC toppers who have qualified for the exam, have also suggested that candidates check the subject score trends, as this will help them to score good marks in the main exam. Choosing the most scoring option in UPSC is important as it would make a huge difference in the total scores and the overall ranks obtained by the candidates. It is also suggested that aspirants check the availability of study materials in the market and consult their peers about the subject and the approach they have followed to qualify.
In this article, we have shared the best optional subject for UPSC, along with the important factors to be considered and a list of the top 10 optional subjects for the IAS Exam.
UPSC IAS 2024: Best optional subject to choose
Every optional subject is equally difficult in the UPSC CSE exam. Hence, it is recommended to pick only that optional subject that aligns with your interests, skills, and knowledge. Apart from this, you must pick an optional subject whose books, study resources, and expert guidance are available in abundance on authentic online platforms or in local bookstores.
- As per the latest UPSC pattern, the optional subject carries 500 marks out of 2025 marks (Mains + Interview).
- It is crucial to finalise and choose the best optional subject for UPSC, as it is a major factor in deciding your final scores and overall rank.
- There are a plethora of factors to be considered when choosing the best scoring optional subject for UPSC, including previous knowledge of the subject, interest, availability of study resources, and much more.
- The majority of aspirants choose the subject as optional that they have studied in their graduation degree. But it is not a mandatory factor so it cannot be considered the only determining parameter.
- Choosing the wrong optional subject will make a difference in their final scores, If the two candidates have the same level of preparation, then the difference between their GS scores will be 8–12 marks but if one have them has not chosen the right optional, then the difference might increase to 40–50 marks.
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UPSC IAS 2024: Most Preferred Optional Subject
One should remember that the scoring optional subject and the best optional subject for UPSC are two opposite things. Going by the previous exam trends and records of the toppers, it is concluded that aspirants can obtain high scores in every optional subject.
In order to score high rank in the UPSC exam, one must choose the scoring optional subject as it comes with numerous advantages. Here, we have shared the list of the top optional subjects for the UPSC exam in the table below:
| Optional Subjects | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |||
| Candidates Appeared | Passed(%) | Candidates Appeared | Passed(%) | Candidates Appeared | Passed(%) | |
| Political Science & International Relations | 1863 | 8.3% | 1662 | 8.2% | 1317 | 8.0% |
| Geography | 1322 | 7.2% | 1916 | 5.5% | 1993 | 5.1% |
| Sociology | 1245 | 9.2% | 1263 | 10.0% | 1072 | 10.0% |
| 1211 | 8.3% | 1189 | 9.1% | 797 | 8.2% | |
| 581 | 4.1% | 751 | 6.8% | 848 | 6.1% | |
| 580 | 5.8% | 539 | 8.3% | 344 | 8.1% | |
| Public Administration | 509 | 4.5% | 705 | 8.2% | 726 | 9.2% |
| Philosophy | 347 | 7.5% | 439 | 6.2% | 463 | 9.1% |
| Economics | 236 | 13.1% | 243 | 10.7% | 200 | 11.5% |
| Literature Of Hindi Language | 226 | 8.4% | 191 | 6.8% | 236 | 6.4% |
UPSC IAS 2024: Most Opted Subject
From the above table, it is clear that most of the majority of the students go for Political Science & International Relations, Geography, Sociology and Anthropology, History etc. as the syllabus also overlaps with prelims, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3 and GS Paper 4.
- The UPSC optional subject like mathematics can help you in scoring high, owing to the exact responses for every question as compared to humanities subjects, which are totally based on the choice of the examiner.
- There are many subjects that are considered low scoring owing to the fewer efforts of the candidates or incorrect choice of the best optional subject for UPSC in accordance with their knowledge and ability.
- Basically, non-technical papers overlap with the UPSC GS syllabus, which gives an edge to the aspirants as their preparation time is reduced and they have sufficient time to revise all the concepts studied so far.
UPSC IAS 2024: Best optional subject for IAS exam?
Candidates need to pick the best optional subject for UPSC after considering all the influencing factors to make an informed decision. Some of the factors to be considered when choosing the best optional subjects are as follows:
- Check the syllabus of every UPSC optional subject, whether it is vast or short.
- Determine how much time is needed for the preparation.
- Check the availability of books and resources for the optional subject.
- Check whether the particular optional subject was a part of your graduation or post-graduation course.
- Identify if the optional subject syllabus overlaps with the General studies papers of Prelims/Mains.
UPSC IAS 2024: Most scoring optional subject
It is observed that the IAS toppers have opted for the most scoring optional in UPSC over the last few years. Moreover, there are many UPSC optional subject syllabus that overlaps with the other sections of the UPSC CSE exam, such as Prelims, GS paper 1, GS paper 3, GS paper 3, GS paper 4 and essays like History, Political Science & International Relations, Sociology, Geography, Economics, and Public Administration. Thus, it could help you save some time on preparation.
UPSC IAS 2024: Optional subjects to score good marks
In the table below we have tried to represent the data of optional as chosen by aspirants in 2020 and 2019
Optional subject Trend in 2020
In the table below we have shared the data as released by UPSC for 2020, the number of candidates opted for and selected from each optional subject
| Number of Candidates who appeared for UPSC Mains 2020 | |||
| Optional Subject | Number of Candidates Appeared | Number of Candidates Recommended | Success Rate (Percent) |
| Political Science & International Relations | 1863 | 154 | 8.3% |
| Geography | 1322 | 95 | 7.2% |
| Sociology | 1245 | 115 | 9.2% |
| Anthropology | 1211 | 100 | 8.3% |
| History | 581 | 24 | 4.1% |
| Mathematics | 580 | 26 | 4.5% |
| Public Administration | 509 | 38 | 7.5% |
| Philosophy | 347 | 20 | 5.8% |
| Economics | 236 | 31 | 13.1% |
| Literature of Hindi Language | 226 | 19 | 8.4% |
| Commerce & Accountancy | 210 | 27 | 12.9% |
| Mechanical Engineering | 201 | 22 | 10.9% |
| Electrical Engineering | 170 | 15 | 8.8% |
| Law | 167 | 23 | 13.8% |
| Medical Science | 162 | 16 | 9.9% |
| Psychology | 155 | 11 | 7.1% |
| Chemistry | 153 | 15 | 9.8% |
| Civil Engineering | 130 | 9 | 6.9% |
| Physics | 130 | 8 | 6.2% |
| Agriculture | 111 | 3 | 2.7% |
| Literature of Malayalam Language | 93 | 10 | 10.8% |
| Literature of Kannada Language | 83 | 7 | 8.4% |
| Literature of Tamil Language | 64 | 4 | 6.3% |
| Literature of Gujarati Language | 49 | 4 | 8.2% |
| Zoology | 41 | 5 | 12.2% |
| Literature of Sanskrit Language | 39 | 1 | 2.6% |
| Management | 38 | 6 | 15.8% |
| Literature of Telugu Language | 36 | 5 | 13.9% |
| Geology | 35 | 2 | 5.7% |
| Literature of Maithili Language | 31 | 3 | 9.7% |
| Botany | 27 | 2 | 7.4% |
| Literature of English Language | 27 | 6 | 22.2% |
| Literature of Punjabi Language | 25 | 3 | 12.0% |
| Literature of Urdu Language | 11 | 1 | 9.1% |
| Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science | 10 | 1 | 10.0% |
| Literature of Marathi Language | 9 | 1 | 11.1% |
| Statistics | 5 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature of Manipuri Language | 4 | 1 | 25.0% |
| Literature of Assamese Language | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature of Bengali Language | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature of Oriya Language | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature of Sindhi (Arabic) Language | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
Optional Subject Trend in 2019
In the table below we have shared the data as released by UPSC for 2019, the number of candidates opted for and selected from each optional subject
| Number of Candidates who appeared for UPSC Mains 2019 | |||
| Optional Subject | Number of Candidates Appeared | Number of Candidates Recommended | Success Rate (Percent) |
| Geography | 1916 | 105 | 5.5% |
| Political Science & International Relations | 1662 | 137 | 8.2% |
| Sociology | 1263 | 126 | 10.0% |
| Anthropology | 1189 | 108 | 9.1% |
| History | 751 | 51 | 6.8% |
| Public Administration | 705 | 58 | 8.2% |
| Mathematics | 539 | 45 | 8.3% |
| Philosophy | 439 | 27 | 6.2% |
| Medical Science | 247 | 26 | 10.5% |
| Economics | 243 | 26 | 10.7% |
| Mechanical Engineering | 213 | 12 | 5.6% |
| Electrical Engineering | 200 | 16 | 8.0% |
| Literature Of Hindi Language | 191 | 13 | 6.8% |
| Law | 186 | 19 | 10.2% |
| Commerce & Accountancy | 183 | 20 | 10.9% |
| Physics | 165 | 12 | 7.3% |
| Psychology | 164 | 15 | 9.1% |
| Chemistry | 156 | 13 | 8.3% |
| Civil Engineering | 146 | 15 | 10.3% |
| Agriculture | 124 | 13 | 10.5% |
| Literature Of Kannada Language | 124 | 17 | 13.7% |
| Literature Of Malayalam Language | 105 | 13 | 12.4% |
| Literature Of Gujarati Language | 85 | 3 | 3.5% |
| Literature Of Tamil Language | 77 | 5 | 6.5% |
| Management | 54 | 6 | 11.1% |
| Literature Of Maithili Language | 53 | 2 | 3.8% |
| Literature Of Sanskrit Language | 53 | 2 | 3.8% |
| Zoology | 44 | 4 | 9.1% |
| Literature Of Telugu Language | 32 | 1 | 3.1% |
| Literature Of English Language | 31 | 3 | 9.7% |
| Geology | 30 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Botany | 28 | 2 | 7.1% |
| Literature Of Punjabi Language | 18 | 1 | 5.6% |
| Literature Of Urdu Language | 18 | 2 | 11.1% |
| Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science | 16 | 3 | 18.8% |
| Literature Of Manipuri Language | 7 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature Of Marathi Language | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature Of Assamese Language | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature Of Oriya Language | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Statistics | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature Of Sindhi(Devanagari) Language | 2 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Literature Of Bengali Language | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
Optional Subject Trend in 2018
In the table below we have shared the data as released by UPSC for 2018, the number of candidates opted and selected from each optional subject
| Number of Candidates who appeared for UPSC Mains 2018 | |||
| Optional Subject | Number of Candidates Appeared | Number of Candidates Recommended | Success Rate (Percent) |
| Geography | 1993 | 101 | 5.1% |
| Political Science & International Relations | 1317 | 105 | 8.0% |
| Sociology | 1072 | 107 | 10.0% |
| History | 848 | 52 | 6.1% |
| Anthropology | 797 | 65 | 8.2% |
| Public Administration | 726 | 67 | 9.2% |
| Philosophy | 463 | 42 | 9.1% |
| Mathematics | 344 | 28 | 8.1% |
| Literature Of Hindi Language | 236 | 15 | 6.4% |
| Medical Science | 220 | 24 | 10.9% |
| Law | 201 | 27 | 13.4% |
| Economics | 200 | 23 | 11.5% |
| Commerce & Accountancy | 186 | 27 | 14.5% |
| Electrical Engineering | 164 | 17 | 10.4% |
| Mechanical Engineering | 152 | 9 | 5.9% |
| Psychology | 128 | 9 | 7.0% |
| Physics | 120 | 13 | 10.8% |
| Civil Engineering | 115 | 6 | 5.2% |
| Chemistry | 114 | 12 | 10.5% |
| Agriculture | 102 | 3 | 2.9% |
| Literature Of Gujarati Language | 91 | 6 | 6.6% |
| Literature Of Malayalam Language | 85 | 9 | 10.6% |
| Literature Of Kannada Language | 79 | 4 | 5.1% |
| Literature Of Tamil Language | 73 | 8 | 11.0% |
| Management | 59 | 8 | 13.6% |
| Literature Of Telugu Language | 57 | 3 | 5.3% |
| Literature Of Sanskrit Language | 54 | 2 | 3.7% |
| Zoology | 43 | 6 | 14.0% |
| Geology | 41 | 1 | 2.4% |
| Literature Of Maithili Language | 41 | 1 | 2.4% |
| Literature Of English Language | 21 | 3 | 14.3% |
| Botany | 21 | 1 | 4.8% |
| Literature Of Punjabi Language | 19 | 3 | 15.8% |
| Literature Of Urdu Language | 16 | 3 | 18.8% |
| Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science | 15 | 1 | 6.7% |
| Literature Of Manipuri Language | 11 | 1 | 9.1% |
| Literature Of Marathi Language | 7 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature Of Oriya Language | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature Of Bengali Language | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature Of Assamese Language | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Statistics | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature Of Sindhi(Devanagari) Language | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
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Before starting preparation for UPSC, it is important to understand the examination pattern. The UPSC CSE comprises three stages: the Preliminary Examination (Prelims), the Main Examination (Mains), and the Personality Test (Interview). Each stage tests different aspects of your knowledge, aptitude, and personality. Read here about the best preparation strategy for beginners
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