UPSC CSE Optional Subject List 2026 for Mains Examination
Union Public Service Commission will conduct the UPSC IAS Mains exam 2026 on August 21, 2026. Candidates can find the syllabus and UPSC optional subjects list in the notification. A total of 48 optional UPSC subjects 2026 are given in the notification. The UPSC Mains 2026 exam will be conducted in offline mode
A total of 9 papers must be attempted in the UPSC Mains exam. Out of the 9 papers, the last two papers are the UPSC optional subjects 2026. Candidates can select the choice of subject from the UPSC optional subject list 2026 pdf. Go through the article below to know more about the UPSC 2026 subject list.
How many optional subjects in UPSC Mains 2026?
The total number of UPSC Mains optional subjects are 48. The UPSC IAS Mains exam 2026 is conducted for 1750 marks. Paper VI and Paper VII of UPSC Mains come under optional subjects. Each UPSC optional paper is conducted for 250 marks. Below are the lost of the UPSC 2026 optional subjects.
Agriculture
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
Anthropology
Botany
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Commerce and Accountancy
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Geography
Geology
History
Law
Management
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Medical Science
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science and International Relations
Psychology
Public Administration
Sociology
Statistics
Zoology
Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.
Also check -
UPSC Mains Exam Pattern 2026
The UPSC Mains 2026 exam pattern is specified in detail in the official notification. Candidates can refer to the UPSC 2026 Mains exam pattern to get an idea. Each paper is of 3 hour duration.
UPSC Mains Qualifying Papers 2026
Paper | Total Marks |
Paper-A | 300 marks |
Paper-B - English | 300 marks |
Also check -
UPSC Mains Subjects/ Papers counted for merit
Paper | Total Marks |
Paper-I - Essay | 250 marks |
Paper-II - General Studies-I | 250 marks |
Paper-III - General Studies -II | 250 marks |
Paper-IV - General Studies -III | 250 marks |
Paper-V - General Studies -IV | 250 marks |
Paper-VI - Optional Subject - Paper 1 | 250 marks |
Paper-VII Optional Subject - Paper 2 | 250 marks |
Sub-total | 1750 marks |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There are a total of 46 subjects in the UPSC Subject list PDF 2026.
The UPSC exam of Mains will be conducted on August 21, 2026.
There are a total of 9 papers in the UPSC Mains exam.
Questions related to UPSC CSE
On Question asked by student community
Dear Student, you are actually at a good stage to start preparing for your IAS goal. For now, focus on doing well in Class 12 while developing a habit of reading newspapers, understanding current affairs and strengthening subjects such as History, Geography, Polity and Economics. After school, you can choose
Hello Aspirant,
If your goal is to become an IAS officer, you can choose any stream like Arts, Humanities, Science, or Commerce, because UPSC does not require a particular stream in Classes 11–12.
However, Humanities and Arts can be a practical choice because subjects such as Political Science, History, Geography,
Hello Student, when choosing an IAS coaching institute in Delhi, it is useful to compare factors such as faculty, course structure, study material, test series, current affairs support, batch size, fees and student feedback. If you share your budget, preparation level and preferred area in Delhi, I can help you
Hello there!
That’s a wonderful and ambitious goal! Becoming an IAS officer requires clearing the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
You can start by building a strong foundation in NCERTs (Classes 6–12), current affairs, Indian Polity, History, Geography, Economy and basic answer-writing. After graduation, you can appear for UPSC CSE, provided
Hey there,
Copy-paste answer:
Choosing between becoming an IAS officer or a doctor depends on your interests, skills, and career goals. If you are passionate about public administration, policymaking, and serving society through governance, IAS can be a great choice. If you enjoy science, helping patients, and working in the