Mains Optional Subjects for UPSC

Explore Mains optional subjects for UPSC a tailored Civil Services exam strategy. Choose your path to success. The IAS subjects for the UPSC exam syllabus encompass a wide range of topics, including general studies that are covered in school. However, the IAS exam syllabus goes beyond what is taught in schools and requires a deep understanding of each compulsory and optional subject.

The UPSC subjects are designed to test a candidate’s knowledge and understanding of their surroundings, as well as their ability to make informed decisions as civil servants. Since IAS officers play a role in policy-making and dealing with people and policies, the selection of IAS subjects is done with great care.

How Many Optional Subjects for IAS

Many students frequently ask how many optional subjects can be chosen for the IAS exam. Apart from the compulsory subjects, there is only one optional subject that can be selected for the UPSC exam. The optional subject has two papers, which are conducted on the same day of the exam – one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

The UPSC Syllabus is divided into three sections:

UPSC Prelims Syllabus for IAS Exam
UPSC Mains Syllabus for IAS Exam
UPSC Personality Test (Interview)

Preliminary Syllabus

The preliminary syllabus is designed to evaluate a person’s understanding of current affairs and their ability to answer questions in a short duration of time. It consists of two compulsory papers – General Studies Paper I and General Studies (CSAT) Paper II, which is a qualifying paper. To move on to the next stage of the exam, called the Mains Exam, candidates must clear the prelims exam. The maximum marks for the prelims exam is 400.

UPSC Subjects for Prelims

The Preliminary Exam for Paper-I covers current events of national and international importance, history of India and Indian National Movement, Indian and world geography, Indian Polity and Governance, economic and social development, issues on environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change, and general science. These are the subjects that need to be covered for the IAS exam.

Mains Syllabus

The mains syllabus for optional papers is generally at the honours degree level, which is between a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. It consists of 9 papers, with two qualifying papers and seven papers that are counted for ranking. The syllabus is framed according to the subjects and carries a total of 1750 marks.

IAS Subjects for Mains

The syllabus for the mains exam is more extensive and covers subjects similar to the prelims, with a focus on disaster management, government policies, and ethics, integrity, and aptitude. It is recommended to prepare the same syllabus as the mains for the prelims as well, and to focus on the specific topics mentioned in the prelims IAS exam syllabus during revisions.

Interview (Personality Test)

The UPSC Interview/personality test does not have a prescribed syllabus. Candidates will be interviewed by a board of competent and unbiased members and will be evaluated based on various criteria such as their intellectual qualities, social traits, interest in current affairs, and leadership abilities, among others.

Compulsory Subjects for the UPSC Exam

The compulsory subjects for the UPSC exam include 4 papers of General Studies, an Essay paper, an English paper (qualifying), and an Indian Languages paper (qualifying).

What are the optional subjects in the Mains exam?

Here is a list of optional subjects that can be chosen for the Civil Services (Mains) examination, as per the UPSC prescribed subjects. By clicking on the listed links, you can find resources related to each IAS exam paper and its syllabus. Having a thorough understanding of the IAS syllabus is crucial for success in the UPSC exam.

Optional IAS subjects for Social Science
– Economics
– Geography
– Indian History
– Philosophy
– Political Science
– Psychology
– Public Administration
– Sociology
– Law

List of UPSC Optional Subjects for Science
– Agriculture
– Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
– Botany
– Chemistry
– Mathematics
– Statistics
– Medical Science
– Physics
– Zoology
– Anthropology
– Geology

IAS exam Optional Subjects List of Engineering
– Civil Engineering
– Electrical Engineering
– Mechanical Engineering

Optional subjects for IAS exam for Commerce and Management
– Commerce
– Management

UPSC Optional IAS subjects for Indian Languages
– Assamese
– Bengali
– Bodo
– Dogri
– Gujarati
– Hindi
– Kannada
– Kashmiri
– Konkani
– Maithili
– Malayalam
– Manipuri
– Marathi
– Nepali
– Oriya
– Punjabi
– Sanskrit
– Santali
– Sindhi
– Tamil
– Telugu
– Urdu
– English

Useful Tips For Civil Services Exams
– IAS Exam Strategy
– Prelims Exam Syllabus 2019
– How To Prepare For Prelims
– Mains Examination Syllabus
– How to Choose Mains Subjects
– Guidance for Mains exam
– General Studies
– Essays for Mains
– English (Qualifying nature) for Mains
– Indian Languages for Mains
– Preparing for Mains
– How to Read
– How to Prepare Notes
– UPSC Question Papers
– UPSC Interview Questions