The UPSC Civil Services Examination offers a wide range of optional subjects for candidates to choose from for the Main Examination. Each candidate is required to select one optional subject, which will have two papers (Paper VI and Paper VII) in the Main Examination. Here is the list of optional subjects:
Literature of Languages
- Assamese
- Bengali
- Bodo
- Dogri
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Kannada
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Maithili
- Malayalam
- Manipuri
- Marathi
- Nepali
- Odia
- Punjabi
- Sanskrit
- Santhali
- Sindhi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
- English
Humanities
- Anthropology
- History
- Geography
- Political Science & International Relations
- Sociology
- Public Administration
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Economics
Science
- Agriculture
- Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Geology
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Statistics
- Zoology
Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
Commerce and Management
- Commerce & Accountancy
- Management
Law
- Law
Candidates should choose their optional subject based on their interest, academic background, and the availability of study materials. It is also helpful to review the syllabus and previous years’ question papers for the chosen subject to get a better understanding of the exam pattern and types of questions asked.