Optional subject for JKAS Mains examination: How to Choose?

Choose your optional subject: 

Mains examination is a second stage of JKAS examination conducted by JKPSC. About 25 candidates qualifying Preliminary test, are allowed to appear in mains examination against one post that means appearance in mains examination has a ratio of 25:1.

As we know that in previsous pattern of KAS examination there was an optional subject for Preliminary test besides General Study Paper. But in new pattern there is no optional subject for Preliminary Test. There are two papers, one is GS and other is CSAT.

In old Pattern Mains examination there were two GS papers and two Optional subjects each having two papers. In new pattern of KAS examination, the Mains examination has four papers belonging to GS and one optional subject having two papers.

Since four GS papers are common to all and only optional subject is different for different candidates.

So what should we choose as an optional aubject ? We will make it clear that who can choose which subject for mains examination.

There is a list of subjects mentioned in the SRO 103 (brochure of JKAS examination) from which a candidate may choose one optional subject for mains examination. A total of 34 subjects are present in the following list.

1. Agriculture
2. Animal husbandary and veterinary sciences
3. Anthropology
4. Botany
5. Chemistry
6. Civil engineering
7. Commerce and accountancy
8. Economics
9. Electrical engineering
10. Geography
11. Geology
12. History
13. Law
14. Management
15. Mathematics
16. Mechanical engineering
17. Medical science
18. Philosophy
19. Physics
20. Political science and international relations
21. Psychology
22. Public administration
23. Sociology
24. Statistics
25. Zoology
26. Literature of any one of the following languages:
Arabic, Dogri, English, Hindi,
Kashmiri, Persian, Punjabi,
Sanskrit, Urdu.


Choosing an optional subject depends on the following conditions.

• What is your backgroud Graduation course ?
• What is your area of interest?
• What subject you have commond over?
• What time is avaiable with you for JKAS preparation.
• What subject you have done master degree in ?
• How easy the subject is ?
• What subject can yeild maximum score seeing different previsous year pattern of selection.

Firstly it is well understood that many candidates begin their optional subject preparation when they are still studying at college level provided they are well awared about the JKAS examination and they pick up their optional subject from their own graduation course. For example a candidate X is graduating in the subjects like General English, History, Geography, Education. He can easily choose Either History or Geography for his mains optional paper because he or she is well aquinted with the subject and during graduation course he or she can prepare for JKAS examination also.
So you may choose a subject from your graduation course and that will be easy for you to prepare already known subject.

Secondly it is the matter of your interest in a particular subject. Many people do not take subjects from their graduation course but choose the one in which they are interested to know. It is good but it will have one disadventage that you will need an extra time for its preparation.

For example the same person X has subjects like history and Geography in graduation course but X is interested to know about anthropology. X will have only problem of starting the prepration of subject freshly as X has not studied the subject during graduation course. Rest is ok.

Choosing your interested and a new subject require litle more energy for preparation. Although it will be easy to prepare because afterall you are interested in the particualr subject.

Thirdly you may choose a subject you have enough command over it. For example person X has history and geography in graduation course and you have more command over History but little command over geography, you should choose history. You can know this during the last year of your graduation.

Fourthly it also matter that how much time you have avaialable for preparation for JKAS examination. If there is less time
You should choose a familiar subject which you are well aquinted with as optional subject because it will be easy for you. If you have enough time and you are interested in new subject you may go for that one.

Fifthly it also matters if you possess a master degree in a particular subject. So choosing a master degree subject as an optional subject is also a good option. This is because you have acquired enough knowledge regarding your subject and preparation of that subject as optional subject for JKAS mains examination will be easy. Many candidates do the same.

Sixtly it is also important to note that how easy the subject is for you. For example if you are a biology student, you may have the options of ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY. it has been seen that botany has a vast syllabus as conoared to zoology. So zoology will be easy to tackle with. Choosing conoaratively easy subject is better than ochoosing a tough subject.

Seventhly it is also important that how much score a particualar subject can yield in examination. This can be known from previsous results and qualified candidates. Anthrolopogy, Urdu, Zoology are some of the subjects in which people have got lot of score in mains examination. So choosing such subject also matters.

Rest depend on your own knowldge and experiance as many candidates keep chamging their optional subject every time they qualify for mains examination. This habbit is not a good one as changing your optional subject menas you are not confident over your subject. Morevever it is a time wastage excercise as you may involve lot of time to cover and understand the new subject every time. So its the suggestion that do not change your optional if you did not get well in that. Yes you may change if it is a odd one and you are not able to study and prepare with the subject.

Choosing a totaly different subject which other do not choose as an optional subject. It has also been seen that few candidates choose some differnt kinds of subject like Sanskrit and Dogri. Previosusly in 2016 batch there are two persons who have qualified the JKAS examination with Dogri as an optional subject. So choosing such subject which most people avoid is a risky process untill you have a good command over it.


So choosing an optional subject depends on your own choice and above given conditions.

Hope this article will be helpful to you in choosing your optional subject.


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