How to choose optional?
Which subject should be chosen for optional is really a very big question for the students. As you know, from 2013 Mains onward UPSC has done away with the second optional subject. So now you have to select just ONE optional subject that will consist of two papers of 250 marks each. So our task of selecting the best optional subject has become much easier.Which Subject Can Give Highest Marks?
As we know know optional paper is helping students to be get place in the cut-off list as well as for being an IAS.Recommended Books for IAS
Get the most recommended books for Prelims and Mains here. Also find books for popular IAS optional subjects.
Subject having previous background:
Many people who’ve graduated or done Masters in some subject opt for it in the CSE. This is really helpful as you’re already familiar with the subject and will need to study just one subject from scratch. This is where graduation in humanities really helps as the most popular IAS optionals listed above are included within the “Arts” subjects. So if you’re pursuing graduation or masters in any of the Arts subjects and plan to take it up in the IAS mains, make sure you pursue it seriously and focus more on the syllabus common to your degree as well as the IAS Mains.
This point again proves that previous base and interest are more important factors in selecting the right optional for IAS than merely popularity or scoring potential. People who have opted for the most obscure subjects like Literature, Veterinary Science, Mathematics have scored heavily in the Mains simply because they were so much in love with their optionals.
