Every candidate has to take one Optional subject for CSE Mains and UPSC offers a long list of subjects. You can pick up any of the more than 40 subjects from the list. About 90% of candidates take either History or Pol. Science or Geography as their Optional subject.

Civil Services exam 2021 final result announced few days back has once again confirmed that History is the most successful Optional Subject. Shruti Sharma has topped IAS exam this year with History Optional. There are more than 150 candidates in the final merit list this year who have cracked UPSC with History Optional. I am also one of these candidates.

In my opinion, History Optional gives a number of benefits to students. It covers a major portion of General Studies syllabus. It benefits in all the 4 papers of GS as well in Essay paper. This year I could write both essays by using the knowledge of History. With History as the Optional subject, it becomes very easy to qualify Prelims exam because one can score 45 to 50 marks out of about 90 marks needed by solving the questions from History.

Moreover, it is the quality of coaching classes and notes that make an optional good or bad. You can score high marks in main exam by choosing any optional subject, if you have prepared properly. History Optional makes this task little easier. I was lucky to get the guidance of Prof. S. Baliyan sir for my Optional subject. It was just because of the mentorship and high-quality teaching of Baliyan sir that I could score highest marks in History Optional this year. My marks in History Optional are even more than Rank 1 Shruti Sharma. We used study together in Baliyan sir’s classes at Delhi.

History Optional benefits in Interview also. I was asked 6 to 7 questions in interview from Freedom Struggle and ancient Indian civilisations. I realised that it was one the best decision I ever made in my life. Without History Optional, I would have not even qualified Prelims.

Hope it will help you.

Thank You.