UPSC Geology Optional Strategy: Tips for Geology UPSC Mains Optional

Choosing an optional subject for UPSC Civil Services is one of the most daunting tasks for the candidates. Geology optional is not as popular as other subjects but can be beneficial for students with an earth science background. Students must have UPSC optional subject preparation strategy for Geology. In this article, candidates will get all the information about UPSC Geology optional strategy, its popularity and top scoring candidates. Along with that, students will also get to know about the pros and cons, books, and syllabus for the UPSC optional subject preparation strategy.

Popularity of Geology Optional Among Candidates

The popularity data for the Geology optional will help students know how many candidates were recommended and who appeared for the exam, along with their success rates.

Top Scoring Geology Optional Candidates

The below table shows the top scoring candidates for Geology optional subject along with the year and rank.

UPSC Geology Optional Strategy

Candidates must follow a Geology strategy for UPSC to outshine and secure good marks. Here are some in-depth strategies to achieve better UPSC Geology results.

Understand the Syllabus

Start your preparation by understanding the Geology syllabus for UPSC. The syllabus includes physical geology, structural geology, planetology, and other essential topics.

Find Right Study Materials

Always use the standard study materials like textbooks and reference materials for studying. Also, make concise notes for quick revision before exams.

Solve Previous Year Papers

Students must practice UPSC Geology previous year papers before appearing for the exam and understand the exam pattern. This will help you to know the types of questions asked in the examination and practice time management.

Practice Answer Writing

Candidates must hone their answer writing skills by practicing daily to improve the speed and accuracy. You must focus on diagrams and graphs to score extra marks, and also understand the examiner point of view to score better.

Regular Revision

Students must assign enough time for multiple revisions to improve your knowledge and memorize the concepts.

Pros and Cons of Choosing Geology Optional

There are some pros and cons of choosing Geology optional subject for the UPSC Civil Services exam.

Advantages of Geology Optional

• Geology has high scoring potential with specified concepts and less subjective answers as compared to other optional subjects for UPSC optional.
• Students can overlap some topics of Geology to General Studies that helps in GS exam preparation.
• The syllabus of Geology does not change quickly, so you can prepare from past year papers easily.
• Candidates without a geology background can also score well by studying through right online resources and standard textbooks.

Disadvantages of Geology Optional

• There are very few coaching centers, and study materials are available for Geology UPSC optional.
• Geology includes technical terms and concepts that can be complex for some students.
• This subject is not as popular as other subjects, so there are fewer groups and peer discussions available.
• Sometimes the questions need in-depth understanding and might be dynamic.

Geology Syllabus for UPSC Optional

Geology UPSC optional syllabus is divided into two sections. Paper I includes General Geology, Geomorphology, Structural Geology, Planetology, and Stratigraphy. Paper II focuses on Crystallography, Mineralogy, Petrology, Economic Geology, and Applied Geology. This is a division of the overall syllabus of Geology for better understanding and easy learning. For more details, candidates can check our detailed page for Geology syllabus for UPSC optional and get in-depth information about it.

Recommended Books for UPSC Geology Optional Strategy

Books are a very important resource in Geology optional UPSC strategy. Students must choose the latest books edition updated as per the latest syllabus along with model test papers. Here are some of the most recommended books for Geology optional for UPSC.

• Geological Transformations and Developments: A Tribute to M.S. Krishnan by A P Subramaniam & S. Balakrishnan
• Ananda K. Coomaraswamy's Contributions to Geology and Mineralogy: Scientific Papers and Observations by Ranganathan, A. & Rao, K. Srinivasa (Eds.)
• Brief Glossary of Geology by Mathur, S.M.
• Deccan Travels: The Formation of Bangalore's Landscape by Mathur, Anuradha & Cunha, Dilip Da
• Delta Sedimentation: A Study of India's East Coast by Singh, I.B. & Swamy, A.S.R.
• Himalayan Geology Dimensions by Biyani A.K.

These are a few books for UPSC Geology optional strategy for better preparation and securing good marks. Apart from that, you can also check out more study materials on our Geology UPSC optional books page.

That’s all about the UPSC Geology optional strategy that every aspirant must follow to secure good marks. Moreover, you can download the Testbook App to get more details about UPSC Civil services and other exams for better preparation. You can download this app from the Play Store for free.