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Are you an aspirant preparing for the challenging UPSC exams? Considering the prestigious and competitive UPSC CSE, choosing the right optional subject is very important. Among the various choices, geography is constantly chosen as the most preferred option for the candidates. If you too think of selecting geography as the optional subject, this blog will reveal both sides of your choice.
Going in-depth into the pros and cons of geography, as an optional subject helps you to make an informed decision. Let’s start looking into the world of Geography, as an optional subject.
Geography vs. Other UPSC optional subjects
When speaking about the UPSC CSE Mains phase, most subjects are common and compulsory for all candidates. However, here comes a differentiating thing. A subject that can be chosen by the candidate based on his choice/preference. This is nothing but ‘Optional Subject’.
Aspirants can choose their preferred optional subject from the list of given choices depending on their interests, no matter what their academic background is. Looking into the previous trends, nearly 3500 candidates opt for geography as their optional subject every year in the UPSC CSE.
Some UPSC optional subjects such as physics and chemistry require so much factual knowledge for preparation. But with geography, there is a perfect balance between factual information and the potential to understand such information.
On the other hand, optional subjects such as Political Science, International Relations, and History require candidates to memorize the data. Compared with these kinds of choices, geography gives good hopes for the interpretation of its concepts.
2016-2017 Data on the choice of candidates regarding the optional subject
Let's see some of the top choices of optional subjects

Optional Subject in UPSC CSE Mains No.of candidates
Geography 3427
Sociology 1635
Public Administration 1506
History 1427
Political Science & International Relations 1218
Anthropology 922
Philosophy 847
Mathematics 406
Medical Science 368
Law 313

Note: The aspirants can choose among 48 subjects or languages for their optional subject.
Out of the 1750 marks in the UPSC, optional subjects contribute to 500 marks i.e. 28.5%. This emphasizes the importance of the optional subject.
Things that highlight Geography as an optional subject
Let us see the positive sides of the choice.
High-scoring potential
Geography is recognized as a scoring subject in the UPSC CSE. The straightforward concepts along with the logical approach enable aspirants to score high in the exam, ultimately assuring positive impacts on the overall score of the learners.
This subject comes with high-scoring map-based questions which are easy to answer and thus help in enhancing the scores of students. Utilizing diagrams, flowcharts and more help in securing more marks.
Overlapping syllabus with General Studies
The subject topics of Geography majorly overlap with General Studies, including both the prelims and the Mains. This is of utmost benefit to aspirants. Especially, there are significant associations with GS topics such as Disaster Management, Environment, and Indian Geography. A deep understanding of the candidates towards such topics ensures the best scores in both optional and GS papers.
Interdisciplinary
Unlike traditional science, geography is a scientific subject that covers various topics such as the universe, physical topography, history, economics, politics and more. This interdisciplinary makes the subject an appealing choice for students belonging to science, medicine, and engineering.
Choosing geography as an optional subject empowers candidates to establish connections between diverse subjects and ensures a wide perspective.
Relevance
The subject is highly relevant to existing global and national issues like sustainability, urban planning and climate change. Hence the candidates don’t have to memorize the things, but can easily understand the topics and present their understanding in the essay paper.
Easy concepts
The concepts and topics of Geography are straightforward and relatively easy to understand. There is no scope for interpretation, like humanities and natural science subjects and the theory-based questions help in scoring high marks.
Availability of Resources and Materials
Students can avail of the extensive resources, materials and references for the subject. The definite information of geography makes the learners easily prepare for the exam.
Complications in Geography
Let us go through the negative side of the choice
Extensive syllabus
The syllabus of Geography is vast and it includes an array of topics such as physical geography, human geography and Indian Geography. These may appear tough for those candidates who do not have familiarity with these topics.
Challenging
The questions of Geography in the UPSC CSE can be challenging. These questions will require immense understanding towards the subject. For those students who are not confident in their knowledge of Geography, they may find it a bit challenging. In addition, the marking scheme is also strict, posing the possibility of lesser scores.
High level of competition
The competition for this optional subject is high compared with other optional subjects.
Subjective Nature of Evaluation
The assessment of answers of Geography is subjective. This requires candidates to ensure giving well-structured and logical answers to score high marks.
Time-Taking Concepts
Some of the concepts such as geomorphology, climate change and oceanography may demand a lot of time to understand them. These significant time-taking concepts may impact the overall focus on other UPSC subjects.
Prepare for Geography for UPSC With Chinmaya IAS Academy
Despite the challenges that lie in choosing Geography as an optional subject, you can navigate easily if you have the experts’ assistance in learning the subject. We are an exclusive platform for UPSC aspirants who look to crack the exam with significant scores. Our team has mentors with deep subject knowledge. Hence we can nurture your skills to score the best in your chosen subject of Geography.
Selecting Geography as an optional subject for UPSC CSE is a highly rewarding choice if you enrol in the coaching with Chinmaya IAS Academy.