Things to keep in mind while choosing an optional subject - (CSAT Forecast)

   Most of the aspirants usually have a few common questions when they start preparing for the civil service exam and one of the question is choosing the optional subject . I have a few questions below which I generally see in forums when it comes to choosing the optional subject.

1.Which optional subject should I choose ?
2. I am from Science / Engineering back ground, what optional should I choose?
3. Which optional is good for scoring more marks ?
4. How should I choose an optional for civil service examination ?

     Most of you would have asked the same question to many and even queried in Google and various forums for guidelines. Here I have a list of guidelines, which I hope will give a good idea for choosing an optional subject.

What is an optional subject?
 In civil service examination, apart from the common papers we have to go through the two other papers which we have the freedom of choosing from the list of subjects. Since we have the option of choosing from a list of subjects  it is called so. As of now the choice of optional have been removed from preliminary examination ( Civil Service Aptitude Test) and the option still remains the same in main examination.

Science / Engineering Graduates
  Either you are a science graduate or an engineering graduate or even a arts graduate the criteria is same. The minimum eligibility for appearing in civil service examination is any degree from a recognized institution. So you can choose
from any subject in the list of subjects and you are not restricted to your main / core subject in your degree. It means, a science or a engineering graduate can choose any arts subject and arts student can even choose science or engineering as his option.

Graduate through distance education
         If you are a graduate through distance mode and if you are worrying whether you are eligible for taking the exam, then I can you say to you in a single word, " Don't worry" you too are like the above graduates and you too can take the exam with the same rule for choosing the optional.

Basic tips for choosing an optional

      The subject you are choosing should be a choice of your interest. If you are science or engineering graduate and if you are advised to take any arts subject. Ask yourself a few questions, do you feel interested when some one tells about various countries and its features or do you love listening to some one who talks about politics and administration or whether you felt those social subjects interesting in your school days. If your answer is yes, then move ahead with your choice, but if you feel no and If you have selected as others have chosen it, then it may take you to vain as it not the subject of your choice.

     Availability of books and notes plays a key feature while choosing an optional subject. You should choose in such a way that plenty of materials should be available in market to supplement your effort. There are lot of books available for arts subject, but I always find hard to find science and especially engineering subjects.

     Coaching centers: Most of the coaching centers including the top institutes offer coaching for most of the arts subjects and those which offer for science and other subjects can be counted.

     If you have chosen an arts subject and if you have confusion to choose among it, then analyze which is a good scoring subject. Geography is one of the option which is mostly preferred by many aspirants now as it is a good scoring subject and there are few questions which will be based in Map. If you are choosing history it has a vast portion and a aspirant require an additional effort to revise it frequently when compared to geography. Similarly the other subjects too have advantage and disadvantage. Analyze as I said before deciding.

 Can the same principle of choosing optional work for CSAT ? 

               Since you don't have the option of choosing a subject in preliminary examination there is no problem and the problem lies only when you are choosing a main subject. I have analyzed a few things which I think will have some effect from this year onwards,
  Geography was mostly chosen by aspirants till now, the ultimate reason behind it is, geography was present in general studies, optional subject in preliminary and also main examination. So once they choose this subject they don't have to give extra effort in the general studies paper and also some part in preliminary papers as they are totally preparing. Since with reformation in preliminary examination there is a possibility for other subjects boom, but however geography is one among the top choice.
 It has been told that the CSAT will focus mostly on decision making skills and the candidates ability on administrative skills. So choosing Public administration or Political science may move a step ahead from the coming year as the candidates may have a extra credit with these optional subject.

Top choices

            Based on several criteria following are considered now as the best optional subjects,
Geography, Public Administration, Sociology and Political Science.

Civil Service Examination Forecast

          Since the present form of civil service examination is in a pattern of cramming up facts, the commission has reformed the preliminary examination into civil service aptitude test, which will test a civil servant's capability to make decision and his aptitude. Similarly talks have been going on to reform the main examination too. If it happens in the years to come then choose your optional now in such a way that it will not affect your preparation and make you empty handed.

Related Links
Book List for Main examiantion for various subjects