Which is the most scoring optional subject in UPSC?

There is no scoring optional subject in UPSC. candidates have scored good marks in every optional subject in previous UPSC exams. Everything depends on the skills, efforts, and interests of the candidate. As per the recent analysis, more students suggest others should opt for Political Science & International Relations as their optional subjects. The second most scoring optional subject in UPSC is supposed to be Sociology as per the preference of candidates.

Which is the best optional subject for UPSC based on the syllabus?

Philosophy is the best optional subject for UPSC based on the syllabus as it has the shortest syllabus compared to other optional subject lists in UPSC. Due to its easy and short syllabus, it is a common preference of UPSC aspirants. According to the UPSC exam, Philosophy optional had a success rate of 7% in 2015-16, greater than Public Administration, Political Science, History, and Geography.

Which is the toughest optional in UPSC?

Geography is the toughest optional in UPSC . In Paper II, there is a focus on regional planning and contemporary matters. It makes the paper very dynamic and hugely advances its scope. So the tough part here is the vastness of it. Geography Books for UPSC Highest Marks in Geography Optional

Which is the easy optional subject for UPSC?

Philosophy is the easiest optional subject for UPSC . It has the smallest syllabus of all the UPSC optional subjects. Additional options like Anthropology, Public Administration, and Sociology are also believed to have comparatively easy and short syllabi. Public Administration Optional Sociology Books for UPSC

Is History the highest scoring optional in UPSC exam?

History is not the highest scoring optional as compared to technical subjects, like Science and Mathematics. History has a vast syllabus and you need to memorize a sequence of events that occurred in the past along with relevant dates and names. To be proficient in history, students should have a sharp memory. History Books for UPSC How to Prepare History for UPSC?

Which are the top 5 Optional Subjects for UPSC IAS Exam?

The best optional subject for UPSC is decided based on how many students pick it as their optional and what is the success rate of the optional subject in the exam. The top 5 Optional Subjects for UPSC IAS Exam are listed below. Sociology Geography Literature Subject (Any) Anthropology Agriculture.

For science students, which is the best optional subject for UPSC?

The best optional subject for UPSC for science students includes Anthropology, Animal husbandry and Veterinary Science , Botany, Physics, Zoology, Civil Engineering, Medical Science, and Chemistry. Zoology Optional UPSC UPSC Physics Optional Syllabus

Which is the best optional subject for UPSC in Hindi medium?

For students coming from a Hindi medium background, the best optional subject for UPSC Mains is Literature , which is considered to be fruitful for them as these subjects are from their core expertise. Apart from this, Philosophy and History are some of their additional preferences. Hindi Literature Syllabus Current Affairs in Hindi 2023

Which optional subject has highest success rate in UPSC?

The success rate of the optional subject varies every year; as per UPSC 2019 data Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Anthropology , management, Sociology, economics and law had the highest success rate in UPSC.

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Best Optional Subject for UPSC: 10 Most Scoring Optional Subjects

Q: Which is the best optional subject for UPSC?

The best optional subject for UPSC depends upon individual skills. Only aspirants know their strengths and weaknesses and must choose the optional subject accordingly. There is no right answer to this question. However, candidates must choose an optional subject with enough study material available. How to Choose Optional for UPSC? UPSC Optional Subjects List

By Balaji

Updated on: March 21st, 2023

Best Optional Subject for UPSC is the subject that makes it easier for the candidates to fetch good marks in the optional papers of the UPSC exam. The exam for the optional subject is divided into two papers, each carrying 250 marks. The total weightage of the optional subject is 500 marks out of 1750 marks in the UPSC Mains. It shows the importance of the optional subject and how important it is to choose the Best Optional Subject for UPSC, as it can make a huge difference in the overall rank of a candidate.

This article will guide the candidates with the data on the success rate of each optional subject in the previous years of UPSC exams which would be immensely helpful when choosing the best optional subject for IAS. Below we have mentioned the Best Optional Subject for UPSC and factors a candidate should consider before choosing the optional subject for UPSC.

Table of content

1. Best Optional Subject for UPSC
2. Most Opted UPSC Optional Subject
3. Most Scoring Optional in UPSC
4. Optional Subjects with Highest Success Rate in UPSC/IAS Exam
5. Highest Scoring Literature Optional Subjects
6. List of Top 10 Optional Subjects for IAS Exam 2023
7. Best UPSC Optional Subject for Medical Students and Doctors
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 with easily available study material.

According to the most recent patterns for the UPSC civil services exam, the weightage of the optional subject is 500 marks out of 2025 marks.
This is an integral factor in determining the final ranks. You need to choose the best scoring option for UPSC to help you fetch maximum marks.
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 they choose at graduation. But it is not the constant or only factor deciding the Best Optional Subject for UPSC.
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. Candidates can score big in every subject as per past records.

But some subjects are perceived as low scoring because the candidates cannot put in the requisite effort or they have chosen an optional subject that is not right for them. And this is when the concept of the Best Optional Subject for UPSC comes into the picture.
Technical subjects like mathematics can fetch you high marks because there is an absolute answer to each question. In comparison, humanities subjects depend on the examiner’s preferences.
If you see the bigger picture, it can be concluded that the UPSC Toppers scored 320+ in both technical and non-technical subjects.
But it doesn’t mean the candidates can’t score well in these non-technical subjects.
The non-technical subjects that overlap with the 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 hasn’t put in the requisite 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:

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
Does 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 for by the majority of candidates over the years. Their syllabus overlaps with the other parts of the UPSC exam, such as UPSC 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. So, let’s look at these 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

Read:

As we have mentioned above, the common exam strategy while opting for the Best 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.
So this should not be the only deciding factor when opting for the Best Optional Subject for UPSC.

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 UPSC 2019 is given below.

Success-Rate of Optional in UPSC 2019
Best Optional Subject for UPSC	Number of Candidates		Success Rate (Percent)
Best Optional Subject for UPSC	Appeared	Recommended	Success Rate (Percent)
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%.

The success rate for all the optional literature subjects is illustrated below for the IAS Mains (2019).

Best Optional Subject for UPSC (Literature)	Number of Candidates		Success Rate (Percent)
Best Optional Subject for UPSC (Literature)	Appeared	Recommended	Success Rate (Percent)
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 in the UPSC exam 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.

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.

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.

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Current Affairs for UPSC	Magazine for UPSC
Best Pens For UPSC Mains	Free UPSC Study Material