In the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE), candidates have the option to choose one optional subject for the Mains examination. The Mains examination consists of nine papers, and one of these papers is dedicated to the chosen optional subject.
UPSC offers a wide range of optional subjects for the Mains examination. Candidates can choose one optional subject from the following list:
- Agriculture
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
- Anthropology
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Commerce and Accountancy
- Economics
- Electrical Engineering
- Geography
- Geology
- History
- Law
- Management
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medical Science
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science and International Relations
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Sociology
- Statistics
- Zoology
- Assamese
- Bengali
- Bodo
- Dogri
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Kannada
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Maithili
- Malayalam
- Manipuri
- Marathi
- Nepali
- Odia
- Punjabi
- Sanskrit
- Santali
- Sindhi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
- English
Candidates are advised to choose their optional subject based on their interests, background, and the availability of study material and guidance. The optional subject carries 250 marks in the Mains examination and can significantly impact a candidate's final ranking. Therefore, it's important to make an informed and well-thought-out choice.
