Some of the optionals are “paying” at the preliminary examination and not “paying at the Main Examination. Therefore, is it better change optionals at the Main Examination?

As mentioned earlier there is nothing like “paying” and “non-paying” optional. This myth has been in circulation as some students who have done well at the prelims with an option have failed to score high marks in the mains. This can be attributed to two reasons.

Having thoroughly prepared for the optionals at the preliminary level, the aspirant becomes complacent as he feels he knows the subject “too well” and tackle the mains with ease.

The aspirant may lacks the required writing skills. The preliminary examination  being a multiple choice type, requires the familiarity with the subject. Language & Writing skills not required at this stage . But in the Main examination , especially in the social sciences, adequate writing skills ( which are based on one”s command over the language) along with knowledge of the subject is essential. If an aspirant does not have the writing skills will obviously not score well”.