Selecting an optional is bit a tricky task but it decide your destiny in the UPSC exam. Selecting an optional should be your second task after you remember the entire general study syllabus.
A. Optional Subject Importance
Optional subject alone carries 500 marks (part 1 + part 2). Thus, need special attention, time and efforts. You have to choose optional subject from the list UPSC has already given you in the syllabus. But how exactly to choose optional?
I personally would suggest you to select a subject which you have studied in the graduation or in which you have completed your degree. But what if you are an electrical engineer graduate? It would become difficult to take electrical engineering as optional because-
- You will face problem to gather resources.
- It is usually tough to find a right mentor/coach who can guide in technical subject as optional.
B. How to check what fits you well
1. Shortlist 2-3 optional subjects and go through the syllabus. Analyse of reading which subject’s syllabus you did not felt tired/distracted/bored.
2. Read the previous year question papers of shortlisted subjects. They give an idea about how lengthy/analytical the subject is. If you feel this is interesting and I can get along with then stick to it. Because UPSC is a long journey. Your interest in the subject will help you sail through.
3. You must see at what % your optional is overlapping with general studies papers. example – PSIR optional will help you in GS2 (Polity, Governance, IR etc). optional overlapping with general studies makes your task bit easy.
How to select an optional subject is already discussed. Now the question is when to start studying for Optional?
C. When to start studying for Optional?
The answer to this depends on what optional subject you have chosen. I usually suggest to start optional after reading NCERT of polity History and Economy because 90% of optional subjects overlap with general studies syllabus.
But what if your optional is maths or medical science? Hence there is no universal advice on when to start studying Optional. You can start it from day 1 of your preparation or after reading basic NCERTs. Since my optional was PSIR, I started preparation right after reading class 11 NCERT of Polity.