How many optional subjects are there in UPSC IFS mains examination?

There are a total 14 option subjects specified in the official notification of UPSC.

UPSC IFS Mains Syllabus 2025, Download PDF, And Exam Pattern

UPSC IFS Mains Syllabus 2025: After passing the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Prelims examination, candidates proceed to the IFS Mains examination. It’s crucial to emphasize that the IFS Mains syllabus diverges completely from the CSE Mains syllabus. The UPSC IFS Mains Syllabus 2025 exam shall consist of written/descriptive papers. The IFS Mains exam consists of six papers, with candidates tasked with choosing two optional subjects specifically for the IFS exam. These IFS optional subjects encompass two papers each, totaling four optional papers. This distinctive structure underscores the unique and specialized nature of the Indian Forest Service examination compared to the Civil Services Examination.

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UPSC IFS Mains Syllabus 2025

The syllabus for the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Mains exam is vast and covers a wide range of subjects. Here’s a brief overview of the syllabus:

UPSC IFS Syllabus 2025 – Compulsory Papers
Subject	Topics
General English	One Essay in English Other questions will be designed to test candidates’ understanding of English and workmanlike use of words. Passages will usually be set for summary or precis.
General Knowledge	General Knowledge including knowledge of current events and of such matters as may be expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject. The paper will also include questions on the following subjects: Indian Polity including the political system Constitution of India History of India Geography

UPSC IFS Mains Syllabus 2025

UPSC IFS Syllabus 2025 – Optional Subjects

In UPSC IFS Mains, the candidates will have to opt for two optional subjects from the list of 14 subjects. The UPSC IFS Optional paper will be divided into two parts, Part A and Part B. There will be eight questions in each optional subject paper with four in each part. The UPSC IFS Syllabus 2025 for optional papers is as follows:

UPSC IFS Syllabus 2025 – Optional Subjects
Subject	Topics
Agriculture	Paper I: Ecology Cropping patterns and related topics Forestry plantations Soil Farm management Agricultural extension, etc. Paper II: Cell Theory Cytoplasmic inheritance Seed technology Physiology Growth and development Pests and diseases Food production
Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science	Paper I: Animal Nutrition Animal Physiology Livestock Production and Management Genetics and Animal Breeding Paper II: Health and Hygiene Veterinary Public Health Animal Diseases Milk and Milk Products Technology Meat Hygiene and Technology Extension
Chemistry	Paper I: Atomic structure Chemical bonding Solid State The gaseous state Thermodynamics and statistical thermodynamics Phase equilibria and solutions Electrochemistry Chemical kinetics Photochemistry Surface phenomena and catalysis Bio-inorganic chemistry Coordination chemistry General chemistry of ‘f’ block elements Non-Aqueous Solvents Paper II: Delocalised covalent bonding Pericyclic reactions Reactions Chemistry and mechanism of reactions Polymeric Systems Synthetic uses of reagents Photochemistry Principles of spectroscopy and applications in structure elucidation
Agricultural Engineering	Paper I: Soil and Water Conservation Aerial Photography and Remote Sensing Irrigation and Drainage Agricultural Structures Paper II: Farm Power and Machinery Agro-energy Agricultural Process Engineering Instrumentation and Computer Applications in Agricultural Engineering
Botany	Paper I: Microbiology and Plant Pathology Cryptogams Phanerogams Plant Utility and Exploitation Morphogenesis Paper II: Cell Biology Genetics, Molecular Biology and Evolution Plant Breeding, Biotechnology and Biostatistics Physiology and Biochemistry Ecology and Plant Geography
Civil Engineering	Paper I: Strength of materials Structural analysis Engineering Mechanics Structural Steel Design Design of Concrete and Masonry Structures Fluid Mechanics, Open channel flow, and Hydraulic Mechanics Hydraulic Machine and Hydropower Geotechnical engineering Paper II: Construction Technology Construction Equipment Survey and Transport Engineering Hydrology, Water Resources, and Engineering Environmental Engineering
Chemical Engineering	Paper I: Fluid and Particle Dynamics Mass Transfer Heat Transfer Noval Separation Processes Process Equipment Design Process Dynamics and Control Paper II: Material and Energy Balances Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics Chemical Reaction Engineering Chemical Technology Environmental Engineering and Safety Process Engineering Economics
Forestry	Paper I: Silviculture Agroforestry, Social Forestry, Joint Forest Management and Tribology Forest Soils, Soil Conservation and Watershed management Environmental Conservation and Biodiversity Tree Improvement and Seed Technology Paper II: Forest Management and Management Systems Forest Working Plan Forest Mensuration and Remote Sensing Surveying and Forest Engineering Forest Resources and Utilization Forest Ecology and Ethnobotany Forest Protection & Wildlife Biology Forest Economics and Legislation
Mathematics	Paper I: Linear Algebra Calculus Analytic Geometry Dynamics, Statics, and Hydrostatics Vector Analysis Ordinary Differential Equations Paper II: Algebra Real Analysis Complex Analysis Linear Programming Partial differential equations Numerical Analysis and Computer programming Numerical integration Numerical solution of ordinary differential equations Computer Programming Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics
Mechanical Engineering	Paper I: Theory of Machines Mechanics of Solids Engineering Materials Manufacturing Science Manufacturing Management Elements of Computation Paper II: Thermodynamics I.C. Engines, Fuels and Combustion Heat Transfer, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Turbomachine and Powerplants
Physics	Paper I: Classical Mechanics Special Relativity, Waves & Geometrical Optics Physical Optics Electricity and Magnetism Electromagnetic Theory & Black Body Radiation Thermal and Statistical Physics Paper II: Quantum Mechanics I Quantum Mechanics II & Atomic Physics Molecular Physics Nuclear Physics Particle Physics & Solid State Physics Electronics
Zoology	Paper I: Non-Chordata and Chordata Ecology Ethology Economic Zoology Biostatistics Instrumental Methods Paper II: Cell Biology Genetics Evolution Systematics Biochemistry Physiology Developmental Biology
Statistics	Paper I: Probability Statistical Inference Linear Inference and Multivariate Analysis Sampling Theory and Design of Experiments Paper II: Industrial Statistics Optimization Techniques Quantitative Economics and Official Statistics Demography and Psychometry
Geology	Paper I: General Geology Geomorphology and Remote Sensing Structural Geology Paleontology Stratigraphy and Geology of India Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology Paper II: Mineralogy Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology Sedimentology Economic Geology Mining Geology Geochemistry and Environmental Geology

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UPSC IFS Mains Exam Pattern 2025

Candidates who succeed in the UPSC IFS prelims move on to the mains, which consists of 6 descriptive papers. The syllabus for this stage is crucial, as the scores determine the final merit list.

In the 2025 UPSC IFS Mains Exam Pattern,

There are 6 papers over 3 hours.
Papers I and II are worth 300 marks each, while Papers III, IV, V, and VI are worth 200 marks each.
Candidates must choose two optional subjects from the approved list, avoiding specific combinations as per the official notification.

UPSC IFS Mains Exam Pattern 2025
Paper	Subject	Marks
Paper I	General English	300
Paper II	General Knowledge	300
Paper III	Optional I	200
Paper IV	Optional II	200
Paper V	Optional III	200
Paper VI	Optional IV	200

Cracking IFS Mains: Structure, Options, and Evaluation

English Mastery: IFS Mains Paper I Insights
- This paper is designed to test the candidates’ understanding of English and use of words. It typically includes essay writing, comprehension, and précis writing. The purpose is to evaluate the candidate’s ability to communicate effectively in English.
General Knowledge Mastery: IFS Mains Paper II Exploration
- Paper II of the Indian Forest Service examination covers a wide range of subjects, encompassing Indian politics, its political framework, and the Constitution.
- Candidates undergo evaluation on their proficiency in Indian history and geography, demanding a thorough understanding of the socio-political terrain that defines our nation.
- This comprehensive assessment aims to analyse the candidates’ capabilities in navigating the complexities of India’s political and historical dimensions.
Strategic Selection: Choosing and Acting IFS Mains Optional Subjects (Papers III, IV, V and VI)
- Candidates have the flexibility to choose optional subjects based on their preferences and expertise.
- These selections play an important role in Papers III and IV, shaping the content and focus of these segments.
- This emphasizes the importance of thoughtful consideration when picking optional subjects that align with individual strengths.
- Understanding each paper and how optional subjects fit in helps you get ready for the UPSC IFS Mains Exam.
- The total number of optional subjects questions in the questionnaires will be eight.
- Every question allotted equal marks. Each paper will be divided into two parts, Part A and Part B, each part containing four questions.
- Out of eight questions, five questions are to be attempted. One question in each part will be compulsory. Candidates will be required to answer three more questions out of the remaining six questions, taking at least one question from each Part.
- In this way, at least two questions will be attempted from each Part i.e. one compulsory question plus one more.

Please note here all the papers of the UPSC IFS Mains examination i.e. papers I, II, III, IV, V, VI are considered for evaluation. The marks scored in these papers will determine your rank in the final result.

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UPSC IFS Mains Syllabus FAQs

There are a total of 14 optional subjects specified in the official notification of UPSC.

No, the first two papers of UPSC IFS mains i.e Paper I and Paper II are of 300 marks each and the four optional papers have weightage of 200 marks each.

No you can choose two optional combinations other than specified by UPSC, combination is mentioned in the above article.

Yes, in the UPSC IFS prelims, there is a negative marking of -0.66 for Paper 1 and -0.83 for Paper 2.

Yes, the syllabus for UPSC IAS and UPSC IFoS is the same for the Prelims stage. However, the Mains syllabus differs, with IFoS focusing more on science and engineering subjects while IAS covers broader topics in general studies.

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UPSC IFS Mains Syllabus 2025, Download PDF, and Exam Pattern

UPSC IFS Mains Syllabus 2025

UPSC IFS Syllabus 2025 – Optional Subjects

UPSC IFS Mains Exam Pattern 2025

Cracking IFS Mains: Structure, Options, and Evaluation

UPSC IFS Mains Syllabus FAQs

How many optional subjects are there in UPSC IFS mains examination?

Do all papers of UPSC IFS Mains have equal weightage ?

Can I choose any two optional subjects from the given list of optional subjects?

Is there a negative marking in the UPSC IFS exam?

Is the syllabus the same for the UPSC IAS and IFS exams?

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