The Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination (UPSC CSE) is one of the toughest entrance exams to crack. Many aspirants apply for this exam, but only a select few get to join the government as high-ranking officers.

The respect and pride that comes along with the duty of serving the nation is unmatched. Your grooming for this exam starts after your 10th board exam. The first step is deciding your stream or subjects for your 11th and 12th. Let’s start with the basics of this exam before we answer your question.

Exam Structure

The UPSC CSE is conducted in three phases. You have to clear each phase to clear UPSC CSE. The three phases are listed below.

• Preliminary Examination:

  This examination consists of two papers: GS Paper 1 and CSAT or GS Paper 2. The GS Paper 1 assesses the aspirant’s understanding of topics like History, Economics, and others. The GS Paper 2 or Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT) assesses the analytical and logical skills of the aspirant. The aim of this phase of examination is to filter the number of applicants for the next round.

• Mains Examination:

  The Mains Paper consists of four compulsory subject papers and one optional subject paper. The aim of this test is to understand the candidate’s grasp of the subjects. It also aims to understand their overall ability to express their ideas and thoughts.

• Personal Interview:

  This is the final phase of the examination. Here, the personality is evaluated along with logical thinking, alertness, decision-making abilities, etc.

The Best Choice of Stream

After the 10th board exams, the Humanities and Arts is the most preferred option amongst aspirants. They choose humanities and arts since these subjects dive deep into general studies papers of UPSC Prelims and Mains. These subjects include History, Geography, Political Science, Economics, Psychology, Sociology, etc. This is how an aspirant starts their prep early.

Now, there might still be some confusion regarding your choice of stream in 11th and 12th grade. Let us help you clear your mind, as time is of the essence.

Why Should You Opt for Humanities?

The reasons for choosing humanities after the 10th are mentioned below.

• Early Start:When you choose humanities and arts after 10th, you have to take two years to gain an in-depth understanding of the topics that are very important for your UPSC CSE. Henceforth, you only revise these subjects when you sit to prepare for the exam. However, others might have to start from scratch.
• An Edge Over Other Aspirants:Aspirants with humanities in 11th and 12th grade get to strengthen their basics earlier than most aspirants. Since the topics in humanities overlap with the subjects of UPSC CSE, they also cover a substantial part of the portion. Humanities students also get to study subjects like Psychology, Sociology, Disaster Management, Public Administration, etc., which are optional in the main paper or the second phase of the examination.
• Captivating Subject Matter:Since you require deep knowledge about the topics in general studies, having humanities is beneficial as these subjects are interesting. These subjects thoroughly discuss various events/incidents, processes, and fundamental discoveries. The captivating nature of these subjects will persuade you to increase your knowledge base. Thus, the subjects will not be a burden, but you will develop intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills that are crucial and sought-after personality traits in a UPSC candidate.
• Self-Study Mantra:All the toppers and candidates or experienced IAS/IPS/IFS officers always promote self-study over anything regarding UPSC. If you study humanities after the 10th, your self-study becomes easy for the content of general studies, and you can focus that time on topics you feel need more practice or solve previous year’s question papers. You get to develop your subject strength, unlike candidates with backgrounds in other streams.

UPSC Preparation After 12th

There are multiple avenues to stay exam-ready. Your choices after your 12th also shape you and your chances of clearing the exam. A few tips to stay ahead of the curve after the 12th are as follows:

Things to Keep in Mind While Reading

Here are a few tips to better retain the information while reading NCERT books for your UPSC syllabus. Make sure you follow these tips during your prep for better results.

• Avenues After Humanities:After your 12th board exams, you need to get an undergraduate degree, which is the eligibility criteria for the UPSC CSE. Choosing humanities in 11th and 12th is not only helpful for your UPSC prelims and mains exams but also opens up many avenues like law, management courses, opportunities in psychology, journalism and media, teaching, hotel management, etc. Thus, unlike the popular narrative, there are multiple intriguing career options open for aspirants. These are different from traditional engineering and medicine, but splendid and essential professions to pursue a career in.
• Degree Course Options: You should opt for courses like Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, etc., to stay ahead of the curve. These papers will help you prepare well for one of the toughest entrance exams in the country. From the UPSC CSE perspective, doing a graduation course in any of the above-mentioned subjects will give you an edge since you can opt for them in your optional paper in your mains. This is another benefit since you would have studied the subject in-depth for your undergraduate degree course.

Remember that you have a lot of options open after choosing humanities in 11th and 12th. Giving the exam stress-free should be your goal, so do not be under the impression that humanities does not have career paths like engineering and medicine.

Conclusion:

The UPSC syllabus covers the general studies subjects in depth. You need to be well versed with these topics as they have significant contributions in the prelims and mains. Choosing humanities after 10th grade will help you prepare more easily and thoroughly. Yet, you should not forget that choosing humanities does not mean you have cleared your exam. It only helps you prepare more easily compared to other candidates. Your success in the exam depends on the subjects you choose and on the level of your preparations as well. All the best for your preparations!