Treat selection as a portfolio decision: balance interest, background, overlap, syllabus size, guidance and past-paper fit.
Score your shortlist
Rate each subject on comprehension, writing comfort, resource quality, overlap and time required.
Test before committing
Read the full syllabus and attempt outlines for three recent questions before finalizing a subject.
Avoid trend chasing
Scoring patterns change. A subject you understand and can express analytically is safer than a fashionable shortcut.
Browse the resource index
Frequently asked questions
Candidates select a valid 600-mark combination across seven optional groups; the exact number of subjects depends on whether each choice carries 100 or 200 marks, not a fixed subject count.
Use scoring trends as one input, not the deciding factor — scoring patterns shift between cycles, while comprehension, writing comfort and genuine interest stay stable through months of preparation.
Read its complete syllabus and attempt outlines for three recent past-paper questions; a subject that looks appealing on paper can still feel unworkable once you test it directly.