UPSC CSE Optional Subjects List & Syllabus

UPSC Civil Services Main Exam has two optional papers from one subject only. Paper VI and VII are those two optional subject papers in the UPSC Mains exam. Each optional paper carries 250 marks. Hence, a total of 500 marks for both optional papers of one optional subject can significantly influence the All India Ranking (AIR) of the candidate in the final result.

For our own convenience, the optional Subjects for UPSC CSE can be broadly divided into three categories namely:

Technical optional subjects
Non-Technical optional subjects
Literature optional subjects

UPSC CSE Technical Optional Subjects

There are Sixteen optional subjects that are technical in nature, namely:

Civil Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Medical Science
Physics
Chemistry
Botany
Zoology
Geology
Agriculture
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
Economics
Mathematics
Commerce and Accountancy
Statistics
Law

UPSC CSE Non-Technical Optional Subjects

There are Nine optional subjects that are non-technical in nature, namely:

Geography
History
Management
Philosophy
Political Science and International Relations (PSIR)
Public Administration
Psychology
Sociology
Anthropology

UPSC CSE Literature Optional Subjects

The list of twenty three literature optional subjects are as follows:

Assamese
Bengali
Bodo
Dogri
Gujarati
Hindi
Kannada
Kashmiri
Konkani
Maithili
Malayalam
Manipuri
Marathi
Nepali
Oriya

CSE Optional Subjects Available in NEXT IAS

Currently, there are seven optional subjects being taught in NEXT IAS institute namely Geography, History, Economics, Political Science and International Relations (PSIR), Sociology, Anthropology and Mathematics.

Learn more about the optional foundation courses for UPSC civil services examination offered by NEXT IAS.

CSE Mains Optional Subjects Previous Year Question (PYQ) Papers

UPSC Mains optional subjects PYQ papers (2013–2025) reveal pattern consistency across 48 choices, with 250 marks per paper (500 total). Popular optionals like Geography, Anthropology, and PSIR show 60-70% questions from static syllabus, 30% analytical. Low-competition subjects like Statistics (0-5% success) emphasize numericals from past 10 years' repeats. Solving PYQs boosts answer-writing precision by 25–30% for toppers.

To understand the optional paper exam process in a better way, have a look at the UPSC Mains optional previous year questions (PYQs). You can follow the link below.

Download Optional Subject Previous Year Papers

FAQs

What is the UPSC optional syllabus?

The UPSC optional syllabus is the detailed topic list for the one subject you choose for the Mains stage. It has two papers (Paper I & II), 250 marks each, totalling 500 marks.

How many optional subjects are available?

There are 48 UPSC optional subjects, including 25 core subjects (like History, Geography, PSIR, Sociology, Anthropology) and 23 literature optional subjects of various Indian languages mentioned in Schedule 8th of the Indian Constitution.

Do both optional papers have the same syllabus?

No, each optional paper has Paper I & Paper II with distinct but related sections. For example, Physical vs Human Geography, or Paper I theory vs Paper II application.

Where can I download the official optional syllabus?

You can download PDFs of all 48 optional subjects from the UPSC official website and numerous coaching portals that provide subject-wise links at one place.

How should I use the optional syllabus for preparation?

Break the syllabus into micro-topics, map each topic to specific books and PYQs, revise repeatedly. This prevents over-reading and ensures every topic is backed by sources and practice.