One of the toughest decisions that an aspirant makes in their civil services journey is choosing their UPSC optional subject. The process of choosing the right optional subject for the UPSC exam can feel very confusing. With so many UPSC optional subjects available, beginners often feel overwhelmed and worried about making the ‘wrong’ choice. Aspirants should choose their optional subject based on interests, strengths and available resources. The right optional subject can make an aspirant’s preparation smoother, more enjoyable and can drastically increase chances of success. For beginners, the challenge is even bigger because they may not know which subjects are easier to understand from scratch and which subjects have a manageable syllabus.
Some of the best UPSC optional subjects chosen by beginners include History, Public Administration, Sociology, Geography and Literature subjects like English, Hindi, or regional languages. It's important to select a subject that you are comfortable with and can prepare thoroughly. Aspirants should research their options well before making the final choice based on their capabilities, resources and interests. Subjects such as Sociology, History, Anthropology and Public Administration are a popular choice due to GS overlap, scoring potential, easy syllabus and logical concepts. However, optional subjects require a dedicated preparation strategy because they require answer-writing capabilities along with strong conceptual clarity.
What is the Optional Subject Paper in the UPSC Mains Exam?
The optional subject paper is a part of the UPSC Mains exam. It is a specialised subject chosen by aspirants from the list of 25 core subjects or 22 literature options and carries 500 marks. The optional subject paper is designed to test in-depth knowledge beyond the general studies, allowing aspirants to leverage their academic background or interest for high scores. The optional paper can drastically improve the overall score if chosen thoughtfully.
How to Choose Right Optional Subject for UPSC Mains Exam?
To choose the right UPSC optional subject, aspirants should balance their interest, aptitude, educational background and syllabus overlap with General Studies, resource availability and suitability for strengths and weaknesses, while analysing past papers for scoring trends, rather than following popularity, to find a subject you can master deeply. Let’s understand how to choose an optional subject for the UPSC mains exam.
1. Interest and Aptitude
Aspirants should choose an optional subject based on their interests and aptitude. When aspirants enjoy their optional subject, studying feels less overwhelming. Also, aspirants should think about whether they are more comfortable with analytical thinking or subjects that require memorisation and writing detailed answers.
2. Academic Background
If an aspirant’s graduation or post-graduation subject matches their optional subject, it can save a lot of time and effort. However, having a background is not compulsory. Many aspirants successfully choose UPSC optional subjects based on their academic background and use that knowledge to make their optional subject preparation easier.
3. GS Overlap
Aspirants should pick an optional subject that overlaps with General Studies papers, as it reduces the overall burden of intense study. Optional Subjects like Geography, Sociology, History help in multiple GS papers. Also, aspirants should check the syllabus to understand what GS topics are common with the optional subject.
4. Availability of Resources and Guidance
Aspirants should make sure they have relevant standard books, notes and online materials for their chosen optional subject. They should also ensure they have good teachers available for effective preparation. Good guidance from teachers or mentors can help clarify doubts and improve answer writing, especially if the subject is totally new.
5. Scoring Potential
When choosing the right optional subject for UPSC, aspirants should look at past results to understand the UPSC exam pattern and figure out scoring potential. A subject becomes scoring when aspirants understand concepts clearly, practice answer writing and present answers logically in the Mains exam.
List of UPSC Optional Subjects 2026
The Union Public Service Commission offers a total of 48 UPSC optional subjects for the civil services exam, which includes 25 core subjects and 22 literature optional subjects. They are broadly categorized into Sciences,Humanities/Social Sciences, Literature and Professional fields. The popular UPSC optional subjects are Public Administration, Sociology, Geography, History, PSIR, and Anthropology. Let’s take a look at the UPSC optional subject list for 2026.
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List of UPSC Optional Subjects 2026
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Categories
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Subjects
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| Humanities and Social Science |
- Anthropology
- Economics
- Geography
- History
- Philosophy
- Political Science and International Relations
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Sociology
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| Professional Subjects |
- Commerce and Accountancy
- Law
- Management
- Medical Science
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| Science and Engineering |
- Agriculture
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Geology
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Statistics
- Zoology
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
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| Literature |
- Assamese
- Bengali
- Bodo
- Dogri
- English
- Gujrati
- Hindi Kannada
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Maithili
- Malayalam
- Manipuri
- Marathi
- Nepali
- Odia
- Punjabi
- Sanskrit
- Santhali
- Sindhi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
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What are the Most Scoring Optional Subjects in UPSC
As per aspirants, the most scoring optional subjects in UPSC have been Anthropology, Sociology and Geography. They are consistently the most sought after subjects due to the short UPSC syllabus, strong overlap with GS topics and proven success among toppers, alongside subjects like Mathematics for its potential for high marks. The best choice depends on an aspirant’s interest, background and overlap with GS papers, along with genuine interest in the subject.
Best UPSC Optional Subjects for Beginners
For beginners, the best UPSC optional subjects for beginners are Sociology, Geography, Public Administration, History and Anthropology due to strong overlap with General Studies papers. It's important to select a subject that you are comfortable with and can prepare thoroughly. These subjects also have an easy syllabus and scoring potential. Let’s take a look at the top 5 best UPSC optional subjects for beginners.
1. Sociology
Sociology is a popular optional subject for UPSC among beginners because of its short syllabus and logical concepts. It has a strong overlap with GS Paper I and GS Paper II and is very useful for Essay writing in the Mains, along with some ethics concepts. Many topics from the Sociology optional can be linked with current affairs and everyday life, making answers more effective and impressive.
2. Geography
Geography is the best optional subject for upsc for beginners who like maps, diagrams and visual learning. It combines scientific concepts with human aspects, making it very logical and easy to study. The subject overlaps well with GS Paper I, GS Paper III and Prelims, helping aspirants save time during Mains preparation. Also, the answers can be strengthened through visual tools such as diagrams and tables.
3. History
History is also a best optional subject for upsc for those who prefer memorization. It strongly links with GS Paper I and Essay writing topics in the Mains exam. Studying upsc history optional builds a solid understanding of India’s social, political and cultural evolution, which is helpful in The Interview and day-to-day activities after becoming a civil servant.
4. Public Administration
Public Administration is related to the actual work of civil servants, making it one of the most sought-after optional subjects. It has a precise syllabus and overlaps significantly with GS Paper II. The subject also helps in the Interview stage, as it improves understanding of public administration policies and government functioning.
5. Anthropology
Anthropology is the easiest optional subject for upsc for beginners due to its structured syllabus. It has a good scoring potential and offers a unique blend of both science and social science. The subject overlaps with GS Paper I & Paper II and allows the use of diagrams and case studies, making answers more impressive and easier to write. The anthropology optional allows aspirants to develop analytical thinking skills.
Key Preparation Tips for UPSC Optional Subjects
The UPSC optional subjects are known for being very scoring because they resonate with an aspirant’s strengths and weaknesses. To prepare effectively for the UPSC optional subject, aspirants should master the syllabus, stick to quality resources, make quality notes and practice answer writing regularly. By making effective notes, mastering the syllabus and practicing answer writing regularly, aspirants can master their optional paper with flying colours. Let’s understand how to prepare UPSC optional subject for high scores in the mains examination: -
1. Master The Syllabus
Before starting the preparation, aspirants should master their optional subject syllabus. They should break down the syllabus and identify high-weightage areas and use previous year question papers to understand question patterns and recognise what topics are linked with the GS subjects.
2. Stick To Quality Resources
Aspirants should stick to 2-3 standard books to study for the optional subject preparation and avoid excessive study materials to prevent information overload. Also, they should make sure to verify the credibility of the study materials and UPSC books before finalising them. This approach helps save time and streamline preparation.
3. Build Conceptual Clarity
Instead of memorizing texts, aspirants should develop a deep understanding of core concepts to build conceptual clarity. This will help aspirants understand the upsc important topics better, and they’ll be able to handle tricky questions without feeling stuck because many optional subject questions are concept-based.
4. Make Effective Notes
At times, aspirants find no time to read lengthy books for the optional subject preparation. Aspirants should make effective notes by using bullet points, flowcharts, and diagrams.They should convert lengthy texts into short and revision-friendly notes for smooth study.
5. Practice Answer Writing Regularly
Aspirants should practice answer writing for mains on potential topics regularly to boost their scoring potential because the answer writing section carries significant marks. Aspirants should practice daily and weekly by curating a time schedule accordingly. While practising answer writing, they should focus on structure, logical arguments, clarity, and time management.
Conclusion
The UPSC optional subjects are known to be very scoring, and it is one of the easiest papers in the Mains examination. Aspirants often feel confused about choosing a suitable optional subject because of too many options. They should always choose optional subjects based on their strengths, weaknesses, aptitude, resource availability and resonance with the GS topics. Some of the most scoring optional subjects in UPSC are geography, history, public administration, anthropology and sociology. To secure good marks in the optional subject, aspirants should master the syllabus and stick to quality resources. Build conceptual clarity, make effective notes, and practice answer writing regularly.