UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam has Sociology as one of the Optional Subjects with 2 papers (Optional Paper I and Paper II). The mains examination is a part of IAS Exam which has 3 stages – Prelims, Mains and Interview.
UPSC Sociology Syllabus (Sociology Syllabus 2024)
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This article provides you with the UPSC Sociology syllabus for Optionals.
For details on similar optional subjects syllabus, check the linked article.
Sociology subject matter overlaps with General Studies Paper 1 in UPSC Mains (Indian Society part) and it is also helpful for GS 2, GS 3 and Essay paper. The nature of the Sociology UPSC Syllabus focuses on contemporary issues in society.
Sociology Optional Syllabus for UPSC
IAS optional paper is of 250 marks with a total of 500 marks. Sociology as an optional subject in UPSC Mains is a popular choice among aspirants as an IAS officer has to deal with many facets of the society and knowledge of sociology is helpful in their work.
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| UPSC CSE Notification | IAS Online Application |
| Civil Services Posts | UPSC 2024 Calendar |
| Modern History Notes | UPSC Books |
| How to study for IAS at home | UPSC 2024 |
| Eligibility Criteria for UPSC | UPSC Notes |
Below we have given the Sociology Syllabus UPSC as given by the Commission in the official notification.
UPSC Sociology Optional Syllabus for Paper I
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UPSC Sociology Optional Syllabus for Paper II
IAS aspirants would notice that Sociology for UPSC has a significant overlap with topics from General Studies, so they should prepare for the papers simultaneously. Also, candidates should solve more questions from previous years’ UPSC question papers as well as from mock tests to be able to crack the UPSC Sociology exam.
Frequently Asked Questions on Sociology Syllabus UPSC
Q 1. What is the Sociology optional syllabus for UPSC?
Q 2. Is Sociology a good optional for UPSC?
Q 3. How do I approach sociology optional for UPSC?
Q 4. Which book is best for sociology optional in UPSC?
Ans. Some important books for Sociology optionals books for UPSC are :
- Introduction to Sociology by Anthony Giddens.
- Sociological Theory by George Ritzer.
- Sociology Themes and Perspectives by Haralambos & Holborn.
- A Dictionary of Sociology by John Scott.
- Sociological Thought by Francis Abraham and John Henry Morgan
This article talked about the UPSC Sociology optional syllabus. IAS aspirants who have opted for Sociology as their optional subject may also check UPSC Sociology Strategy in the linked article.
Aspirants must review the previous years’ trends for the sociology optional in the UPSC exam to review the success rate of this subject.
You can also check the articles relevant to the UPSC Sociology Syllabus and IAS exam preparation in the table below:
| Political Science vs Sociology | IAS Medical Science Optional Syllabus |
| PSIR Optional Syllabus | Important Books for Sociology |
| IAS Subjects for Science Students | Important PDFs for IAS Preparation |
I want to prepare for this exam , so I want to the latest sallybus
Hi
You can get the latest UPSC Syllabus 2020 in the linked article.
Can u plz give us study material or refrence text books for sociology ??
Hi Manasa
Please refer to Sociology Optional Booklist article linked here.
Hi,
This is the first time I’m preparing for civils exam, so could you please let me know what are the books i need collect for all the papers to start preparation.
Hi
Refer to the UPSC Books Post and filter out the books as per your need.
Sir I am confused of choosing my optional what would be the best optional geography or sociology
There are several factors to consider while choosing the right optional. You may refer to the post – Which subject to choose as UPSC Mains Optional.
Dear Mentor,
I have been graduated taking economics, but after my job in primary school I have left practicing economics , so is it possible to be perfect in economics or I should go for sociology
Hi
It all depends on your comfort with a subject. Having said that, you may go for Sociology as well, as the subject is scoring and the study material is easily available.
Dear mentor
How can I download previous year question paper for UPSC prelims and mains.
Hi
Download it from here.
I’m confused while choosing my optional subject I am interested in improvement of society as well in social problems . What should I choose as my optional? Please help. Thankyou.
Hi,
The smart choices are:
1. Sociology
2. Public Administration
3. Polity IR
4. History
These are non-technical subjects. You can choose from them given your interest. Go through their syllabus and find out the booklist for each. Then decide if you will be able to complete the syllabus on time along with GS preparation. Ultimately, you will get a chance to serve the nation when you get selected. Hence, take the right decision. All the best.
Can you please suggest some best reference books for sociology.
UPSC Sociology Books
Super