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Which is the most popular optional subject among UPSC toppers?
Subjects like Sociology, Anthropology, and Political Science & International Relations are among the most popular optional subjects chosen by UPSC toppers.
Which subject is best for the UPSC IAS exam?
The best subject for the UPSC IAS exam varies for each candidate based on their interest and background. Generally, Sociology, Anthropology, and PSIR are popular subjects.
Do UPSC toppers choose subjects related to their academic background?
Not necessarily. Many toppers choose optional subjects based on their strengths and interests rather than their academic background.
Why do certain subjects like Sociology and PSIR have high success rates?
Subjects like Sociology and PSIR have structured syllabuses, sufficient study materials, and significant overlap with the General Studies syllabus, contributing to higher success rates.
Which optional subject has the highest score in UPSC?
Generally, PSIR, Geography, Anthropology, Mathematics, etc., are considered highly scoring subjects.
UPSC Topper AIR 1 Shakti Dubey's Optional was PSIR. UPSC topper optional plays an important role in their final score. Find the list of UPSC topper optional subjects and trend analysis here.
Deeksha Dixit25 Apr, 2025
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UPSC Topper Optional was PSIR (Political Science and International Relations) this year as both AIR 1 and AIR 2 choose this subject. While UPSC allows the freedom to choose any subject as optional from thelist of UPSC Optional subjectsin UPSC Mains, this is a critical decision that can significantly impact a candidate's success.
Aspirants frequently visit toppers' success stories, hoping to learn about UPSC toppers optional subjects and their scores. This is due to their belief that a particular optional subject might be best forUPSC Mains Over the years, various optional subjects have helped numerous candidates secure top ranks; therefore, an analysis of the UPSC topper optional has become essential. Read on to learn UPSC toppers' subject choices to know if there is any trend.
UPSC Topper Optional Subject 2025
Recently, the results of the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024 cycle were announced in 2025. Interestingly, this year, the top 5 rankers have chosen some of the popular optional subject despite thier academics background. The UPSC 2024 exam topper Shakti Dubey chose Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) as her optional subject along with AIR 2, Harshita Goyal. While AIR 3 Dongre Archit Parag opted for philosophy as his optional. The optional subject choice of AIR 4 Shah Margi Chirag and AIR 5 Aakash Garg was sociology, showing that this subject, along with the PSIR, remains a top choice. Here is rank wise UPSC topper optional along with thier academic subject:
Rank
Topper
Optional Subject
Education Subjects
1
Shakti Dubey
Political Science & International Relations (PSIR)
Biochemistry
2
Harshita Goyal
Political Science & International Relations (PSIR)
Over the years, UPSC toppers have opted for a wide range of optional subjects from traditional favorites like Political Science and Geography to more specialized fields like Electrical Engineering and KannadaLiterature. Here is the list of optional subjects chosen by some of the famous toppers.
Aditya Srivastava, UPSC 2023 topper, chose Electrical Engineering as his optional. Leveraging his IIT Kanpur background, he tackled the technical syllabus strategically. With thorough preparation and in-depth understanding, he scored an impressive 308 marks in his optional papers, proving that engineering subjects can be highly rewarding for technically strong candidates.
Ishita Kishore’s Optional Subject
Ishita Kishore, AIR 1 in UPSC 2022, selected Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) as her optional. With an Economics background and keen interest in governance and international affairs, PSIR suited her preparation style. Her analytical approach and strong conceptual clarity helped her perform well in both mains and interview. Interestingly, PSIR was also the optional subject of UPSC 2016 topper Tina Dabi and UPSC CSE 2024 AIR 1 Shakti Dubey.
Shruti Sharma, the UPSC 2021 topper, chose History as her optional subject. Her preparation strategy emphasized connecting historical knowledge with current affairs. Through consistent answer-writing practice and a clear presentation style, she made History work to her advantage in the mains examination, contributing significantly to her top rank.
Kanishak Kataria, UPSC 2019 AIR 1, opted for Mathematics as his optional. With a strong foundation from his IIT education, he scored exceptionally well, 170 and 191 in Papers I and II. His success highlighted how technical optional subjects can yield high marks with conceptual clarity and rigorous problem-solving practice.
Anudeep Durishetty’s Optional Subject
Anudeep Durishetty, UPSC 2017 topper, chose Anthropology as his optional subject. Despite preparing mostly through self-study, he developed a deep understanding of the subject. His structured preparation, diagram-rich answers, and real-life examples helped him stand out, making Anthropology a popular optional among aspirants after his remarkable success.
While it's essential to consider personal interest and academic background, being aware of popular optional subjects for UPSC toppers and their success rates can provide direction for choosing the right subject.
In 2024, UPSC toppers' optional subject preferences in the CSE 2023 results displayed a diverse range. Here's a look at the top 10 rank holders in the UPSC Topper 2024 list and their optional subjects:
As we saw, sociology and anthropology were the top choices among the top 10 rankers in the UPSC CSE 2023 final results. However, this data is not sufficient to arrive at any conclusion. Let’s examine the optional subjects of UPSC toppers from the past decade to check if there were any popular optional subjects for All India Rank 1 holders.
UPSC Toppers List Year Wise
Exam Year
Topper
Optional Subject
2023
Aditya Srivastava
Electrical Engineering
2022
Ishita Kishore
Political Science & International Relations (PSIR)
Which Optional Subjects Are Popular Among UPSC Toppers?
The above list displays that certain subjects, like Anthropology and Political Science & International Relations, have consistently appeared among the choices of UPSC toppers. Therefore, these subjects attracted many candidates. However, we can not arrive at any conclusion without considering the success rate of UPSC optional subjects. These are the top 10 UPSC topperOptional subjects for UPSC Mains based on the 72nd UPSC report:
Optional Subject
Number of Candidates Appeared
Number of Candidates Recommended
Success Rate (Percent)
PSIR
1863
154
8.3%
Geography
1322
95
7.2%
Sociology
1245
115
9.2%
Anthropology
1211
100
8.3%
History
581
24
4.1%
Mathematics
580
26
4.5%
Public Administration
509
38
7.5%
Philosophy
347
20
5.8%
Hindi Literature
226
19
8.4%
Economics
236
31
13.1%
How Do UPSC Toppers Select Their Optional Subjects?
Choosing an optional subject is a critical decision for UPSC aspirants. Toppers often base their selections on various important factors:
Personal Interests: Toppers select subjects they are genuinely interested in, aligning with their strengths.
Subject Structure: They prefer subjects with a clear and manageable syllabus, making study easier.
Study Material Availability: Subjects that have abundant resources and guidance attract more candidates.
Overlap with General Studies: Many toppers choose subjects that overlap with the General Studies syllabus, allowing for efficient preparation.
Success Stories: Previous toppers’ achievements influence new candidates, leading them to choose similar subjects.
Flexibility: Toppers often demonstrate that, with the right strategy, success is possible in any optional subject.
UPSC Topper Optional Subject Choice Analysis
It can be observed that the popular optional subjects for UPSC toppers include PSIR, sociology, geography, anthropology, history, and Hindi literature, due to their structured syllabus, availability of study materials, and good performance records. A detailed analysis of UPSC toppers' optional subject preferences reveals certain patterns:
Consistency of Certain Subjects: Subjects like Anthropology, Sociology, and Political Science & International Relations are popular choices. This consistency suggests these subjects have a coverable syllabus, good study material availability, and higher success rates.
Diversification: It has been observed that toppers do not rely on their academic background if they need to pick a subject. They select optional subjects that align with their strengths and interests.
Overlap with General Studies: Subjects like Sociology, History, and PSIR offer significant overlap with the General Studies syllabus. This overlap helps candidates prepare efficiently, making them quite popular among toppers.
Impact of Success Stories: The success of previous toppers often influences the choices of future aspirants. For example, Tina Dabi's success with PSIR in 2015 and Anudeep Durishetty’s with Anthropology in 2017 continue to inspire many candidates.
Subject Availability and Guidance: The availability of quality study material and guidance also plays a crucial role. Subjects with abundant resources and mentorship often attract more toppers.
Therefore, it can be said that there are a few subjects that are favorite among UPSC toppers, but this does not deter committed aspirants from going beyond the trend. For instance, UPSC topper Aditya Srivastava has proved that with the right strategy, any optional subject can be scored in UPSC Mains.
