UPSC Optional Subject List - Summary
UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exam is one of the toughest and most respected exams in India. It allows candidates to choose one optional subject for the Mains exam, which helps them score better based on their interest and background. The optional subject plays an important role because it adds 500 marks to the total score, so choosing the right subject is very important for success.
UPSC gives a wide range of optional subjects from different fields like arts, science, commerce, and engineering. Candidates can choose subjects like History, Geography, Political Science, Sociology, Public Administration, or even Literature of their own language. Selecting an optional subject should be based on a candidate’s comfort, availability of study materials, and previous academic knowledge.
UPSC Optional Subject List 2025
| S. No | Optional Subject in UPSC |
|---|---|
| 1 | Agriculture |
| 2 | Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science |
| 3 | Anthropology |
| 4 | Botany |
| 5 | Chemistry |
| 6 | Civil Engineering |
| 7 | Commerce & Accountancy |
| 8 | Economics |
| 9 | Electrical Engineering |
| 10 | Geography |
| 11 | Geology |
| 12 | History |
| 13 | Law |
| 14 | Management |
| 15 | Mathematics |
| 16 | Mechanical Engineering |
| 17 | Medical Science |
| 18 | Philosophy |
| 19 | Physics |
| 20 | Political Science & International Relations |
| 21 | Psychology |
| 22 | Public Administration |
| 23 | Sociology |
| 24 | Statistics |
| 25 | Zoology |
UPSC Literature Optional Subjects
| Assamese | Gujarati | Kashmiri | Malayalam | Nepali |
| Bengali | Bodo | Konkani | Manipuri | Oriya |
| Dogri | Kannada | Maithili | Marathi | Punjabi |
| Sanskrit | Santhali | Sindhi | Tamil | Telugu |
| Urdu | English | Hindi |
You can download the UPSC Optional Subject List in PDF format using the link given below.
