Best Optional Subject for UPSC: 10 Most Scoring Optional Subjects
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 14th, 2023
Best Optional Subject for UPSC makes it easier for the candidates to fetch good marks in the two optional papers of the UPSC exam, each carrying 250 marks. The total weightage of the optional subject is 500 marks out of 1750 in the UPSC Mains. This shows the significance of the optional subject and how important it is to choose the most scoring optional in UPSC, as it can make a huge difference in the overall rank of a candidate.
This article will guide the aspirants with the data on the success rate of each optional subject in the previous years of the IAS exam which would be immensely helpful when choosing the right optional subject. Below we have mentioned the Best Optional Subject for UPSC along with the factors a candidate should consider before choosing any optional subject for the toughest examination in India.
Table of content
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1.
Best Optional Subject for UPSC
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2.
Most Opted UPSC Optional Subject
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3.
Most Scoring Optional in UPSC
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4.
Optional Subjects with Highest Success Rate in UPSC/IAS Exam
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5.
Highest Scoring Literature Optional Subjects
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6.
List of Top 10 Optional Subjects for IAS Exam 2023
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7.
Best UPSC Optional Subject for Medical Students and Doctors
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8.
Which is the Best Optional Subject for UPSC for Engineering Candidates?
Best Optional Subject for UPSC
No optional subject is easier for UPSC. The skill, learning ability, and interest of a candidate determine which optional subject would best suit him/her. However, candidates should choose an optional subject whose study materials are readily available in the market or on online platforms.
- According to the most recent patterns for the civil services exam, the weightage of the optional subject is 500 marks out of 2025 marks.
- You need to decide and pick the best scoring optional subject as it is an integral factor in determining your final rank.
- There are many parameters to choosing the Best Optional Subject for UPSC, such as the knowledge of the subject and the availability of study materials.
- Most of the candidates opt for a subject from their graduation course. But this is not always the case or the only deciding factor.
- If the subject you studied in your graduation is not part of the optional subject, then no need to worry. You can choose any subject and still succeed on the very first attempt.
Most Opted UPSC Optional Subject
A scoring subject and the best optional subject for UPSC are two different things. As per the past records of toppers, it is observed that candidates can score high marks in every subject.
- Technical subjects like mathematics can fetch you high marks because there is a definite answer to each question. In comparison, answers to humanities subjects totally depend upon the preference of the examiner.
- Some subjects are perceived as low scoring because the candidates cannot put in the requisite effort or they have not chosen the best optional subject for UPSC according to their ability.
- If you see the bigger picture, it can be concluded that the UPSC Toppers scored 320+ in both technical and non-technical subjects.
- The non-technical subjects that overlap with the UPSC GS syllabus offer an advantage to the candidates as they will get more time for preparation and reading materials. This will help the candidates to boost their overall Mains score.
- Some subjects are known as low scoring because the candidate has not put in the required effort.
Which Optional Subject is Best for UPSC?
Based on the below factors, you need to make your choice and come up with the best optional subject for UPSC. Things you need to consider while choosing the best optional are:
- Check if the syllabus is vast;
- If you have enough time for preparation;
- If you have studied this subject at your graduation or post-graduation level;
- Understand if the syllabus overlap with the GS part of Prelims/Mains;
- Are there enough study materials available?
Most Scoring Optional in UPSC
The most scoring optional subject in UPSC has been opted by the majority of candidates over the years. Their syllabus overlaps with the other parts of the UPSC exam, such as Prelims, GS I, II, III, IV, and essays.
According to some aspirants, the Best Optional Subject for UPSC should have relevance to the UPSC exam. Let us glance at the optional subjects in the table below.
| Best Optional Subject for UPSC | (Approx) Number of Aspirants | Syllabus Overlaps with |
| Sociology | 1800 | GS I, GS II, Essay |
| Geography | 3500 | Prelims, GS I and GS III |
| Philosophy | 1000 | GS IV. Essay |
| Political Science | 1800 | Prelims, GS II |
| History | 3500 | Prelims, GS I |
| Public Administration | 3000 | Prelims, GS II |
As we have mentioned above, the common exam strategy while opting for the easiest optional subject for UPSC is to choose a subject that overlaps with the UPSC Syllabus. However, this strategy may not work for you, and many candidates have cracked the UPSC Exam without picking these popular subjects.
Optional Subjects with Highest Success Rate in UPSC/IAS Exam
It is clear from the table below that Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science is considered the best subject for UPSC as it has the highest success rate of 18.8%.
As per the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), the success rate of the optional subjects for the 2019 UPSC exam is given below.
| Success-Rate of Optional in UPSC 2019 | |||
| Best Optional Subject for UPSC | Number of Candidates | Success Rate (Percent) | |
| Appeared | Recommended | ||
| Geography | 1916 | 105 | 5.5% |
| Sociology | 1263 | 126 | 10.0% |
| Commerce & Accountancy | 183 | 20 | 10.9% |
| Economics | 243 | 26 | 10.7% |
| Agriculture | 124 | 13 | 10.5% |
| Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science | 16 | 3 | 18.8% |
| Anthropology | 1189 | 108 | 9.1% |
| Botany | 28 | 2 | 7.1% |
| Electrical Engineering | 200 | 16 | 8.0% |
| Chemistry | 156 | 13 | 8.3% |
| Geology | 30 | 0 | 0.0% |
| History | 751 | 51 | 6.8% |
| Law | 186 | 19 | 10.2% |
| Management | 54 | 6 | 11.1% |
| Mathematics | 539 | 45 | 8.3% |
| Public Administration | 705 | 58 | 8.2% |
| Civil Engineering | 146 | 15 | 10.3% |
| Statistics | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Zoology | 44 | 4 | 9.1% |
| Political Science & International Relations | 1662 | 137 | 8.2% |
| Psychology | 164 | 15 | 9.1% |
| Mechanical Engineering | 213 | 12 | 5.6% |
| Medical Science | 247 | 26 | 10.5% |
| Philosophy | 439 | 27 | 6.2% |
| Physics | 165 | 12 | 7.3% |
Highest Scoring Literature Optional Subjects
Candidates having a good command of literature subjects can opt for it as their optional subject. Among all the mentioned UPSC best optional subjects of literature, Sindhi (Devanagari) Language has the highest success rate of 50%.
According to the IAS Mains 2019 data analysis, the success rate for the Literature optional subjects is illustrated in the table below.
| Best Optional Subject for UPSC (Literature) | Number of Candidates | Success Rate (Percent) | |
| Appeared | Recommended | ||
| Literature of Sanskrit Language | 53 | 2 | 3.8% |
| Literature of Kannada Language | 124 | 17 | 13.7% |
| Literature of Maithili Language | 53 | 2 | 3.8% |
| Literature of Malayalam Language | 105 | 13 | 12.4% |
| Literature of Hindi Language | 191 | 13 | 6.8% |
| Literature of Marathi Language | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature of Oriya Language | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature of Punjabi Language | 18 | 1 | 5.6% |
| Literature of Assamese Language | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature of Bengali Language | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature of English Language | 31 | 3 | 9.7% |
| Literature of Gujarati Language | 85 | 3 | 3.5% |
| Literature of Manipuri Language | 7 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Literature of Sindhi (Devanagari) Language | 2 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Literature of Tamil Language | 77 | 5 | 6.5% |
| Literature of Telugu Language | 32 | 1 | 3.1% |
| Literature of Urdu Language | 18 | 2 | 11.1% |
List of Top 10 Optional Subjects for IAS Exam 2023
Picking a scoring subject for UPSC can benefit the aspirants to get a good overall score. Though students must pay attention to the vast UPSC syllabus, they can skip studying a few subjects they are not good at by selecting their favorite optional subject from the list.
After considering all the points and data given above, and the latest UPSC Results, we have prepared a list of the top 10 optional subjects for UPSC, which are as follows.
- Sociology
- Geography
- Literature Subject (Any)
- Anthropology
- Agriculture
- Medical Science
- Public Administration
- Psychology
- Law
- History
Best UPSC Optional Subject for Medical Students and Doctors
Out of all the optional subjects for UPSC, Medical Science remains the first choice for medical students and doctors. However, candidates with medical backgrounds also take subjects like Zoology, Animal Husbandry, and Veterinary Science as optional subjects. If someone is not interested in these subjects, then he/she can also go for the non-technical subjects that overlap with the GS syllabus.
Which is the Best Optional Subject for UPSC for Engineering Candidates?
So many candidates from engineering backgrounds appear for the IAS exam. However, the choices for these candidates are limited to Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical engineering. Apart from these subjects, Math, Physics, and Chemistry can also be considered. The non-technical subjects are highly preferred among engineering candidates.
