Hi,

There are certain advantages and disadvantages of both science and arts as optionals in UPSC. Optional paper has a major role in UPSC exam as it carries 500 marks. If you choose arts as an optional, the added advantage is that , the syllabus has an overlap with your GS papers. Generally, there are many questions in which we have to give our view point and our view point can vary from the examiner. So, it may cost you some marks. While science is a factual subject and has concepts, so, if you clearly write the facts and concepts, then there is less chance for cutting of marks. However, you need to see your area of interest. If you are good enough in science, you can continue it. But, if you have some kind of uncertainty then you can surely change your stream to Arts. You should see your interest rather than seeing the list of optional subjects. Because if you start even preparing from your first-year, you will have a lot more time to complete the syllabus for UPSC CSE. So, choose the optional subjects wisely. You can shorten the list like you can cut off the subjects in which you do not have interest and mark the list short and read subjects of those books and then, you can decide the optional.