The UPSC provides a list of optional subjects for the civil services examination, and candidates have to choose one optional for the mains exam. The optional subject has two papers, and each paper accounts for 250 marks. Candidates can choose from a list of 48 optional subjects that includes literature subjects (English and Indian languages) . Out of these 48 subjects, 26 are core subjects, and the rest are literature optional subjects. The 26 optional subjects in UPSC are:
- 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
- Literature subjects (English and Indian languages)
Candidates can choose any subject they want from these listed subjects. The marks attained in these subjects are essential for the marks scored in the final merit. Therefore, the selection of a subject must be made cautiously. Candidates should consider the subject they have a background in graduation or post-graduation, the optional subject with which most candidates have succeeded, and their interest area while choosing an optional subject for the UPSC exam.
