Have you finished your 12th class? Do you aspire to be a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS)? Do you want to know which degree is best for becoming an IAS officer? If you answered yes, this article will be beneficial to you. The completion of a bachelor’s degree program is a significant milestone in a student’s life. It can also assist with IAS preparation in a variety of ways.

Excellent graduation marks help in IAS preparation. Many of the IAS Toppers we spoke with stated that there is a direct link between this alliance level and the discretionary field chosen in the IAS main examination. IAS Preparation Beginning with Graduation allows you to gain an early advantage.

IAS Preparation is aided by a good bachelor’s degree. Many toppers have claimed that the graduation degree and the optional subject picked in the IAS Main Exam are inextricably linked. It is the candidates’ attitude to the IAS Exam, not the stream, that increases their chances of being selected. No optional subject is superior to the others; rather, it is the applicants’ writing abilities, as evidenced by their responses.

With the importance of government positions growing by the day, the IAS stands out among them all because of the respect and power it commands in Indian society. In fact, many applicants begin dreaming of joining the Indian Administrative Service as early as elementary school and begin training for the prestigious civil services exams shortly after. In the last two years, the tendency has accelerated, with even IAS coaching institutes reporting a bigger number of undergraduate students preparing for the IAS examination.

Best Degrees for IAS Exam Preparation

You can choose to complete your graduation with these subjects because they will greatly assist you in your preparation for the UPSC CSE Union Public Service Commission Examination.

1. Political Science
2. History
3. Geography
4. Economics
5. Psychology
6. Sociology
7. Public Administration
8. Philosophy

Opt for Optional Subjects within the IAS Examination

It’s not just the flow that increases the possibilities of this conclusion at the IAS Assessment; it’s also the procedure for these IAS candidates. When it comes to IAS Exam Preparation, no optional subject is far superior to the others. However, it is the writing ability, as well as the responses collated from the applicants, that makes the difference. If you enroll in the best IAS coaching, such as Pragnya IAS Academy, your IAS preparation will be a delight.

IAS Prelims Syllabus

These fresh applicants, who have yet to choose their optional subject, frequently have a question about the mother of all tests, namely, which stream is best suited to passing the IAS exam. The basic eligibility condition for the IAS exam is graduation or any other similar degree, hence there is no straightforward answer to this question. Furthermore, there are multiple alternative subjects from a number of streams, making the IAS examination a level playing field for candidates from all backgrounds, whether technical or humanities.

We’ll aim to clarify this question by pointing out the benefits and drawbacks of each subject in terms of passing the IAS exam:

Humanities

Humanities have long been considered the pinnacle of civil service examinations. Humanities disciplines have a greater success rate than other subjects, according to data given by the UPSC in their yearly reports. Regardless of this tendency, the overall participation and success rate of students with a humanities background has decreased in recent years. Despite these characteristics, candidates with a humanities background continue to make up a sizable portion of those who pass the IAS exam.

Engineering

Under the current circumstances, it is apparent that engineering has been the prevailing mentality and method for passing the IAS examination. If we look at the past few years’ IAS toppers, it is clear that applicants with an engineering background have dominated the exam. While the success rate of candidates who choose engineering as an optional subject in the IAS examination is still low, we can see that toppers have done well in technical disciplines. However, engineering is unquestionably the best course of study if you wish to not only pass the civil services exam but also rank among the top contenders for IAS positions.

Science

A modest but significant proportion of scientific graduates enter the civil service and are successful on a regular basis. However, their numbers were insufficient to make a significant difference in the final total. But, considering the growing clout of scientific thinking and the rising need of technocrats in the bureaucratic setup, it is surely seeing a slow and steady rise.

Medical Science

Medical science is another such field that has been written off when it comes to the IAS Exam. This is primarily due to the fact that few candidates seek employment in the bureaucracy after earning a professional degree. However, much as with physical science, the number of applicants and successful candidates with a medical scientific background is increasing.

Commerce, Economics, and Accountancy

All of these degrees are considered professional in character, and so attract a small number of applicants in the grand scheme of things. However, in the previous several years, we have seen an increase in the number of individuals with a B.Com or MBA degree. Candidates from B.Com and MBA have begun to look more seriously at the civil services test with the advent of CSAT, which emphasizes reasoning, mathematics, data interpretation, and decision-making. In the following days, we should witness a big increase in their number, both in terms of participation and success rate.

Basic Strategies for IAS Preparation During Graduation

Clarity of thought 

There are a few things you should be clear on from the start. Determine what drives you to pursue a career as a civil servant. If you’re blindly following the rat race or if money or ‘power’ appeals to you, reconsider your selection because that’s a pretty shortsighted view. And if you’re driven by a desire to help others, why not pursue a career in social services?

Once you are convinced, narrow down on the service you want– Police services, Foreign services, Revenue services, Forest services, Administrative services. Above all, keep in mind that the competition is fierce: over 10 lakh candidates compete for 700 to 800 slots.

Making the right start 

Make a slow start if you’re starting your preparations during graduation. To gain insight and see the shifting pattern of the exam, speak with CSE trainers and toppers. Recognize the level of competition and the seriousness required to succeed. Simultaneously, start studying NCERT books for grades 6 to 12 to lay a solid foundation.

Start reading newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express on a regular basis. Focus on issues rather than current events. Issues have a longer-term impact on the country’s governing landscape and are important for CSE planning, whereas news is fleeting and unimportant.

There are four GS papers and two optional papers in the civil service exam. GS demands a broad comprehension of the entire syllabus, therefore try to cover as much of the material as possible while maintaining a high level of depth.

Choose Optional Subject Wisely

Also, because optional subjects contribute to 500 of the 1,750 possible points, choose prudently. You can choose your graduation subject if you are comfortable with it, but if you are not, choose a subject that actually interests you because you will have to study it for two years or more – and that too at the postgraduate level.

Also, double-check that the optional paper you’ve chosen has instructions. Choose a subject that overlaps the most with the GS subjects to save time and effort. As a result, political science and international relations (PSIR) is seen as a safe bet. There is a lot of information on the subject available, and it covers over 90% of the GS 2 curriculum, essay paper, and GS 4 paper. So, despite the fact that PSIR is only worth 500 points, its overlap value is between 900 and 950!

Final Thoughts

Regardless of what the previous and present trends imply, the candidate’s passion and interest are the most important factors in passing the IAS exam. Even if you choose the “perfect” stream or subject, it won’t matter until and until you are truly passionate about it. Along with your enthusiasm, the stream you choose should motivate you to study properly and hard, as there is no substitute for hard work when it comes to the civil services exam.