Upto 60% Off on UPSC Online Courses

Avail Now

UPSC Optional Success Rate

Aditi Sinha July 18, 2023 01:29 11409 0

UPSC Optional Success Rate: "The Civil Services/IAS exam is a prestigious examination conducted by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission).

UPSC Optional Success Rate

UPSC Optional Success Rate

UPSC Optional Success Rate: “The Civil Services/IAS exam is a prestigious examination conducted by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission). It consists of three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Every year, thousands of aspiring IAS candidates participate in this exam. Although the overall exam process is the same for all candidates, selecting an optional subject in the IAS mains exam (consisting of 2 papers worth 500 marks) can greatly impact their success.

In this article, we will explore the optional subjects with the highest success rates in the IAS Exam and discuss whether candidates should consider recent trends when selecting their optional subject.”

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

UPSC Optional Success Rate: Optional Subjects for IAS 2023-24 Exam

Choosing the right optional subjects for the IAS 2023 Exam is a critical decision for aspiring candidates. Conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Civil Services/IAS exam requires candidates to select an optional subject for the UPSC Mains examination. This choice significantly impacts their chances of success in the highly competitive exam.

Optional Success Rate in UPSC

The success rate of optional subjects in the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exam is an important consideration for aspirants preparing for civil services. While the overall exam process remains the same for all candidates, choosing optional subjects can significantly impact one’s chances of success. 

It is essential to note that the success rate varies among optional subjects due to factors such as scoring patterns, availability of study material, and individual aptitude. In recent years, subjects like Public Administration, Geography, History, and Sociology have been popular choices with relatively higher success rates. 

Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes

However, candidates must select an optional subject based on their interests, background, and proficiency to maximize their chances of performing well in the exam. Thorough research and expert guidance can help candidates make an informed decision and increase their chances of securing a good rank in the UPSC exam.

For expert guidance on which optional subject would be best suited for candidate, PWOnlyIAS brings you an expert guidance facility by offering comprehensive assistance to candidates in selecting the optional subject that best suits their strengths, interests, and background. Our team of experienced mentors and subject matter experts analyze various factors, including past trends, scoring patterns, and individual aptitude, to guide candidates toward making an informed decision.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Coaching

UPSC Optional Success Rate Year Wise

The provided table presents the success rates of UPSC optional subjects for the Civil Services Examination between 2014 and 2017. Candidates can refer to this table to understand the success rates associated with different optional subjects and make an informed choice based on the subject with the highest rate.

However, it is important to note that while the success rate is valuable, several other aspects should be considered when selecting the best optional subject. It is essential to analyze the overall syllabus of each subject thoroughly, assess the time available for preparation, and consider the advice provided by experts in the field. 

By considering these additional factors, candidates can make a well-rounded decision and increase their chances of success in the Civil Services Examination.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

UPSC Optional Success Rate 2017

If you’re getting ready for the IAS exam, it’s a good idea to check out the latest success rates of UPSC optional subjects. These numbers are based on the results of the 2017 civil services examination. By looking at these figures, you can understand how well students have done in different optional subjects. This information can help you choose the right subject and plan your exam preparation accordingly.

Success Rate of Optional in UPSC 2017

Optional Subject Success Rate of Optional in UPSC Number of Aspirants Suggested Number of Aspirants Appeared
Agriculture 12.4 11 89
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences 8.7 2 23
Anthropology 9.7 85 880
Assamese Lit. 0 0 3
Bengali Lit. 0 0 3
Bodo Lit. 100 1 1
Botany 11.4 5 44
Chemistry 8.7 11 126
Civil Engineering 8.9 11 124
Commerce and Accountancy 12.5 28 224
Economics 6.9 16 233
Electrical Engineering 9.8 19 193
English Lit. 9.5 2 21
Geography 5.5 147 2669
Geology 5.4 2 37
Gujarati Lit. 7.9 8 101
Hindi Lit. 7.1 19 267
History 5.5 59 1074
International Relations and Political Science 9.4 117 1246
Kannada Lit. 3.5 4 115
Law 14.1 43 304
Maithili Lit. 6.4 5 78
Malayalam Lit. 7.2 8 111
Management 8.1 7 86
Manipuri Lit. 7.7 1 13
Marathi Lit. 0 0 17
Mathematics 5.9 26 441
Mechanical Engineering 11.2 19 170
Medical Sciences 10.2 32 313
Nepali Lit. 0 0 1
Oriya Lit. 0 0 5
Philosophy 7 53 755
Physics 10 14 140
Psychology 10.9 21 193
Public Administration 10.2 119 1165
Punjabi Lit. 15.4 6 39
Sanskrit Lit. 7.1 5 70
Sindhi Lit. 50 1 2
Sociology 9.6 137 1421
Statistics 0 0 3
Tamil Lit. 4.7 5 107
Telugu Lit. 1.4 1 72
Urdu Lit. 19.2 5 26
Zoology 1.8 1 55

Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes

UPSC Optional Success Rate 2016

The table shows that Literature papers have the highest success rate among the optional subjects. Surprisingly, only a few aspirants chose this subject for the UPSC exam.

Success Rate of Optional in UPSC 2016

Optional Subject Success Rate Percentage Number of Aspirants Suggested Number of Aspirants Appeared
Agriculture 18.6 41 220
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences 12.3 8 65
Anthropology 10.7 37 345
Arabic Lit. 0 0 1
Assamese Lit. 40 2 5
Bengali Lit. 0 0 5
Botany 4.5 14 312
Chemistry 5.6 7 124
Civil Engineering 3.9 1 35
Dogri Lit. 0 0 1
Economics 11.3 37 326
Electrical Engineering 5.4 4 74
English Lit. 15 6 40
Geography 5.8 236 4049
Geology 5.6 2 36
Gujarati Lit. 16.7 7 42
Hindi Lit. 5.7 56 974
History 5.5 212 3870
Kannada Lit. 16.7 14 84
Konkani Lit. 0 0 1
Law 5.2 19 365
Maithili Lit. 4 1 25
Malayalam Lit. 7.3 5 67
Management 7.7 1 13
Manipuri Lit. 4.5 1 22
Marathi Lit. 16.7 7 42
Mathematics 2.9 8 277
Mechanical Engineering 5.2 5 96
Medical Sciences 16.3 16 98
Oria Lit. 0 0 4
Pali Lit. 7.1 18 255
Persian Lit. 0 0 10
Philosophy 4 84 2092
Physics 6.7 16 239
Political Science and International Relations 6.4 85 1320
Psychology 10.9 116 1061
Public Administration 10.5 337 3301
Punjabi Lit. 26.3 5 19
Sanskrit Lit. 8.2 10 122
Sindhi Lit. 0 0 1
Sociology 5.7 89 1555
Statistics 0 0 14
Tamil Lit. 12.9 29 225
Telugu Lit. 6.1 9 147
Urdu Lit. 13.8 4 29
Zoology 3.7 18 484

Enroll now for UPSC Online Coaching

UPSC Optional Success Rate 2015

The table provided illustrates the success rates of various IAS optional subjects based on the 2015 civil services examination data, excluding the Literature optional subjects.

UPSC Optional Subjects Success Rate in 2015

Optional Subject Success Rate of Optional in UPSC Number of Aspirants Suggested Number of Aspirants Appeared
Agriculture 16.4 20 122
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science 23.1 12 52
Anthropology 6.3 38 579
Botany 11.5 12 104
Chemistry 10.6 11 104
Civil Engineering 10.6 5 47
Commerce and Accountancy 14.9 28 188
Economics 19 51 269
Electrical Engineering 6.3 8 126
Geography 7.2 314 4351
Geology 14.4 4 28
History 8.3 174 2090
Law 17.1 42 246
Management 14.4 24 167
Mathematics 7.1 23 325
Mechanical Engineering 4.7 3 64
Medical Science 23.4 55 235
Philosophy 8.9 99 1116
Physics 6.4 17 266
Political Science and International Relations 10.9 121 1107
Psychology 7.9 92 1163
Public Administration 5.1 359 7077
Sociology 9.2 230 2490
Statistics 6.3 1 16
Zoology 12.7 29 228

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

UPSC Optional Success Rate 2014

The Union Public Service Commission has shared the success rates of UPSC optional subjects for the 2014 Civil services examination. It is important to carefully review this data before deciding on an optional subject for the Mains paper.

Success Rate of Optional in UPSC 2014

Optional Subjects Success Rate Percentage Number of Aspirants Suggested Number of Aspirants Appeared
Agriculture 9.1 7 77
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science 15.6 5 32
Anthropology 11.8 53 449
Botany 14 7 50
Chemistry 7.1 85 6
Civil Engineering 13 7 54
Commerce and Accountancy 7.5 20015
Economics 20.2 38 188
Electrical Engineering 11.5 11313
Geography 5.6 178 3158
Geology 6.7 151
History 7.7 100 1303
Law 24.3 35 144
Literature of Assamese Language 0 0 2
Literature of Bengali Language 16.7 1 6
Literature of Dogri Language 0 0 1
Literature of English Language 16.7 5 30
Literature of Gujarati Language 12.5 8 64
Literature of Hindi Language 4.2 12 284
Literature of Kannada Language 12 75 9
Literature of Maithili Language 10.7 84 9
Literature of Malayalam Language 8.7 6 69
Literature of Manipuri Language 5 1 20
Literature of Marathi Language 3.8 1 26
Literature of Oriya Language 10 10 1
Literature of Punjabi Language 11.1 54 6
Literature of Sanskrit Language 5.6 4 71
Literature of Santhali Language 100 1 1
Literature of Sindhi (Devanagari) Language 0 0 1
Literature of Tamil Language 10.7 758
Literature of Telugu Language 4.3 4 93
Literature of Urdu Language 17.9 5 28
Management 13.8 16723
Mathematics 6.1 32920
Mechanical Engineering 6.7 60 4
Medical Science 16.4 48 293
Philosophy 7.9 73658
Physics 8.8 13 147
Political Science and International Relations 6.1 65140
Psychology 9.8 34834
Public Administration 6.2 176 2840
Sociology 9.1 150 1647
Statistics 16.7 1 6
Zoology 9.8 92 9

Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes

UPSC Optional Success Rate: Most Opted IAS Optional Subjects Success Rate

The table provides details about the average number of aspirants who chose each optional subject for the UPSC exam. These subjects are selected because they appear in more than two papers, offering a degree of overlap in the content.

IAS Most Opted Optional Subjects Success Rate

Optional Subjects (Approx) Number of Aspirants UPSC optional success rate
Philosophy 1000 7
Sociology 1800 9.6
Political Science 1800 9.4
Public Administration 3000 10.2
Geography 3500 5.5
History 3500 5.5

 

Enroll now for UPSC Online Coaching

UPSC Optional Success Rate: Highest Success Rate Optional UPSC

  • Aspirants have a choice to select their preferred optional subjects from a list of 48 available subjects.
  • Out of the total choices, 23 subjects fall under modern Indian languages, while the rest cover various educational fields.
  • The best optional subject for each candidate may vary, so it’s important to consider the success rates of optional subjects in the UPSC exam.
  • Evaluating the success rates helps select the easiest and most recommended subjects based on the experiences of other applicants.
  • Candidates should take into account their personal interests and educational background while shortlisting the subjects.
  • It is crucial to assess the number of hours that can be dedicated to studying the optional subjects.
  • Researching the availability of quality study material and experienced lecturers is essential.
  • Candidates should also consider whether the chosen UPSC optional subjects align with other parts of the IAS exam, such as Prelims, GS papers in mains, and the Essay section.
  • Ensuring coherence and integration in the exam preparation strategy is important for success.
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

UPSC Optional Success Rate FAQs

Based on UPSC 2019 data, the success rate of optional subjects varied. Subjects such as Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Anthropology, Management, Sociology, Economics, and Law had the highest success rates in the UPSC exam 2019.

Geography, Public Administration, and Sociology are considered to be among the easiest subjects to score well in the UPSC exam. Based on the results from the previous year, numerous applicants achieved scores exceeding 400 marks in these optional subjects.

Sociology is widely chosen as an optional subject and boasts a high success rate among UPSC aspirants. Around 1800 candidates opt for Sociology, considering it to be the best optional subject due to its relevance to GS I, GS II, and the Essay paper in UPSC. Over the span of four years, the success rates for the Sociology optional subject are as follows: 2017 - 9.6% 2016 - 5.7% 2015 - 9.2% 2014 - 9.1%

Yes, Geography is considered a good optional subject for the IAS exam due to its scoring potential, relevance to other papers, and availability of study resources.

Based on recent data, the top 10 UPSC Optional Subjects with the highest success rates are: Chemistry Any Literature Subject Commerce and Accountancy Law Psychology Economics Medical Science Agriculture History Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science

Archive Calendar

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30  

by month

Need help preparing for UPSC or State PSCs?

Connect with our experts to get free counselling & start preparing

 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

THE MOST
LEARNING PLATFORM

Learn From India's Best Faculty

      

 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

Quick Revise Now !
AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD SOON
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

<div class="new-fform">







    </div>

    Subscribe our Newsletter
    Sign up now for our exclusive newsletter and be the first to know about our latest Initiatives, Quality Content, and much more.
    *Promise! We won't spam you.
    Yes! I want to Subscribe.