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Home / IAS Preparation / Mechanical Engineering as Optional for UPSC Strategy

Strategy for Mechanical Engineering Optional: Tips for UPSC Mains

Last Updated on Jun 24, 2024
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Choosing Mechanical Engineering for the UPSC Mains optional is a planned move for engineering graduate students. This subject has a technical nature and a more evaluation nature that needs a focused study plan and constant practice. Candidates with an engineering background can score well in this optional subject for UPSC Civil Services. This article is also based on the Strategy for Mechanical Engineering Optional to help candidates improve preparation and score well in the examination.

Popularity of Mechanical Engineering Optional Among Candidates

The table below shows the popularity of Mechanical Engineering optional for UPSC among candidates in the past 6 years. Let’s take a look and get data about the number of candidates who appeared and recommended Mechanical Engineering for UPSC Optional.

Year

No. of Candidates Appeared

No. of Candidates Recommended

Success Rate (%)

2011

318

25

7.86

2012

326

30

9.20

2013

388

35

9.02

2014

450

40

8.89

2015

506

45

8.89

2016

531

30

9.41

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Top Scoring Mechanical Engineering Optional Candidates

Here is the information about the top-scoring candidates in Mechanical Engineering optional subject for UPSC Mains, along with their year and rank.

Name

Year

Rank

Gaurav Anand

2013

1

Gopal Krishna Ronaki

2016

3

Durishetty Anudeep

2017

1

Ashish Kumar

2014

1

Ravi Anand

2015

79

Strategy for Mechanical Engineering Optional

Here are some in-depth strategies to perform well in the Mechanical Engineering examination. Candidates are highly advised to follow these strategies and get better Mechanical Engineering UPSC optional results.

Understand the Mechanical Engineering Syllabus

This is the first step to making Mechanical Engineering Optional for UPSC Strategy, start by understanding the syllabus provided by UPSC. Divide the syllabus into sections and prioritize topics according to mark weightage and relevance.

Choose Proper Study Materials

Candidates preparing for Mechanical Engineering optional must refer to the recommended books. Also, enhance your preparation with the additional study materials and online lectures that cover topics important to the exam.

Practice and Revision

Students must solve the UPSC Mechanical Engineering previous year papers to understand the exam pattern, the types of questions asked in the examination, and their difficulty level. This will help you improve your time management during the actual examination.

Focus Areas for Mechanical Engineering Paper I

In Paper I, candidates should focus on the fundamental concepts of statistics, dynamics, and material mechanics. Along with that, emphasis is placed on mastering the laws of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics principles, and properties of fluids. Students should also practice solving heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamic cycles.

Focus Areas for Mechanical Engineering Paper II

In Paper II, candidates should focus on concepts like production planning, work-study, inventory control, and research operation techniques. You should also learn about automation, robotics, and their applications in industries. 

Stay Updated with Current Affairs and Contemporary Applications

Candidates must keep themselves updated with the latest developments in technological advancements and innovations in the mechanical engineering field. Also, use current affairs and case studies to apply theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios.

Practice Answer Writing

Students must practice writing answers in proper structure with clear introductions, logical explanations, and necessary diagrams if needed. Try to add bullet points and flow charts to improve clarity and visual appearance. Besides that, candidates also try to practice time management and answer all questions within the allotted time.

Pros and Cons of Choosing Mechanical Engineering Optional

Choosing Mechanical Engineering as an optional subject is beneficial for engineering background students. But apart from that, there are pros and cons to taking Mechanical Engineering optional subject for the UPSC Civil Services exam.

Advantages of Choosing Mechanical Engineering Optional

Here are some pros of Mechanical Engineering as an optional subject for the UPSC Civil Services exam.

  • Mechanical engineering is a technical and objective subject that requires clear-cut answers and less uncertainty compared to other humanities subjects.
  • Candidates can score high by solving questions logically and accurately because of their technical nature.
  • The subject overlaps with General Studies topics such as thermodynamics, environment, and energy in areas related to science and technology.
  • Engineering students, especially those with mechanical engineering, need less time to prepare for the exam.
  • There has been no evolution in the syllabus for a long time, which helps candidates plan mechanical engineering as optional for UPSC strategy.

Disadvantages of Choosing Mechanical Engineering Optional

Apart from the benefits, the drawbacks of choosing Mechanical Engineering optional are also there.

  • The syllabus for the Mechanical Engineering optional subject is quite lengthy and might be time-consuming.
  • There are very limited study materials available for this optional subject.
  • Candidates require more time to understand numerical problems and difficult topics, especially those with a non-engineering background.
  • The competition for this subject among engineering students is quite high. Many candidates choose this subject because of their academic background.

Mechanical Engineering Syllabus for UPSC Optional

The syllabus for Mechanical Engineering UPSC optional is divided into Paper I and Paper II. In Paper I, there are Mechanics, Engineering Materials, Theory of Mechanics, and Manufacturing Science topics. On the other hand, Paper II consists of Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, Engines, Steam Engineering, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning. These papers were created for the students to make it easy for them to learn every aspect of the Mechanical Engineering syllabus.

Recommended Books for Strategy for Mechanical Engineering Optional

Choosing relevant books for the Mechanical Engineering subject is quite a tough task. Candidates should always go for the highly recommended books for the subjects to get authentic knowledge. The recommended books for Mechanical Engineering optional for UPSC are as follows.

  • Theory of Machines by SS Rattan
  • A Text Book on Production Engineering by Swadesh Kumar Singh
  • Operations Research by Hira and Gupta
  • Fundamentals of Compressible Flow by SM Yaha
  • Strength of Materials by Sadhu Singh

These are some of the best books recommended by experts and toppers to enhance Mechanical Engineering as an optional UPSC strategy. 

This is all about the strategy for Mechanical Engineering Optional. We hope this article will be helpful for the candidates to create strategies to pass the Mechanical Engineering exam with better marks. Moreover, you can download the Testbook App to get more UPSC optional exam preparation strategies and enhance your preparations.

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Strategy for Mechanical Engineering Optional FAQs

Mechanical Engineering is a popular choice for UPSC optional among engineering graduates because of its technical nature, high scoring potential, and overlap with the General Studies syllabus.

No, it is not necessary to have an engineering background. But yes, candidates with a basic understanding will have to put in less effort as compared to non-engineering background candidates.

Candidates can regularly practice and build proficiency and speed to solve numerical problems in Mechanical Engineering which is optional for UPSC.

Yes, practicing answer writing is a crucial strategy for Mechanical Engineering Optional to express your understanding clearly to the examiner.

Paper I covers fundamental concepts like mechanics, thermodynamics, and fluid machines. Whereas in Paper II, there are topics like industrial engineering, operations research, and control systems.
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