Prelims Book list and Important Links.

Prelims is the first and most important step for UPSC exam,most people are eliminated in this stage,this is very tough exam and it needs lot of hard work.Many people repeatedly fail in prelims not due to lack of knowledge or hard work but due to other factors.

Right frame of mind is the most important thing for this exam and if possible read this post by Prince Dhawan daily till you get in to that frame of mind. I assume that you know the syllabus and exam pattern.

Subscribe and never miss a post Subscribe to Free Email Updates now

Still for benefit of all I am posting the syllabus based on 2016 notification.

Table of Contents

Syllabus :

CSAT Paper I – (200 marks) 2 hours this is General Studies Paper

  • Current events of national and international importance.
  • History of India and Indian National Movement.
  • Indian and World Geography -Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
  • Indian Polity and Governance -Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
  • Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
  • General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation
  • General Science.
Update: Prelims paper 2 is qualifying at fixed 33%  and total qualifying marks of General Studies Paper-I of Civil Services (Preliminary) will be taken in to account for cutoff.

CSAT Paper II- (200 marks) 2 hours CSAT Paper. 

  • Comprehension Interpersonal skills including communication skills;
  • Logical reasoning and analytically ability
  • Decision-making and problem solving
  • General mental ability
  • Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. -Class X level)
  • English Language Comprehension skills (Class X level).

in informal sense you can divided this entire prelims syllabus both papers.below is very crude classification of syllabus but these are the only things that will help you clear the exam,I am not good at expressing Ideas or in formal writing,so I intend to write this post as if I am writing mail to a Close friend on how to prepare for prelims.

How to Prepare For Prelims:

Golden Rules According to us

  1. Read one book 10 times than reading 10 diff books.
  2. Keep the book list short and trust it.
  3. The more you practice the better.
  4. Prepare for mains prelims is covered automatically. (most part at least)
  5. What everyone can attempt you must attempt, Extra questions is your edge.
  6. CSAT is king maker, everything is dependent on CSAT(Paper 2)
  7. Prepare daily and slowly you cannot read everything in one month even if you are a genius.
  8. Have the Right Mind set.
  9. Surround yourself with Doers and Serious people.
  10. Finally don’t leave any subject or topic. Leave no stone unturned.
General studies paper 1 is the key . As per the new notification.

I sincerely hope this helps you at-least by 1% , I have failed and cleared prelims so please listen to me don’t waste time and do the same mistakes I did  , learn from others mistakes too. Take a leap of faith ,even if you fail you will fall in the correct path … which brings you a step closer to your goal !

  • Polity
  • Economy
  • History
  • Geography
  • Science
  • Environment and Biodiversity.
  • Maths
  • Reasoning
  • Passages.
  • Current Affairs
Parivarthan participates in the Amazon and Flipkart,affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions by linking to Amazon/Flipkart. In more human terms, this means that whenever you buy a book on Amazon/Flipkart from a link on here, I get a small percentage of its price. That helps support Parivarthan by offsetting a fraction of what it takes to maintain the site, and is very much appreciated

Books list

Update : 25th Jan 2017

UPSC prelims have become lot tougher and demanding than the time this post was originally written, UPSC is unsettling the set pattern of preparation 2016 Prelims was the proof with lot questions from Current affairs and less questions from conventional static part. But one cannot and in my humble opinion should not guess the paper rather than change his strategy and approach which in any kind of paper will help to clear the prelims.

So every aspirant has to be strong in both static part and current affairs part, and above all equal importance should be given to writing prelims test series ,  so choose one book per subject and read it thoroughly, revise as much as possible, Read News papers + 1 year of Vision current affairs and write every prelims test you can get your hands on .

One more important thing is we usually postpone writing tests to the end , convincing ourselves that we need little more preparation to write tests, but trust me its not a good strategy, start writing, think it as a feedback mechanism and learning process, gently nudging you to the important topic which you know or dont know, even if you get 2/100 questions still its ok , you get a chance to learn and improve up on those 98 questions, so its also in a way learning only, so start writing tests. DONT POSTPONE .

personally I will say Insight/Vision/Gk today /Forum IAS tests are good online availability is also a factor, its also important to revise the answers and learn from our mistakes, before the exam.So Join only reputed test series, now a days it has become a fashion for every one to start a blog, and start a test series. It’s a responsibility , a life altering choice, to guide or misguide some one is huge thing, so be careful not to write a test by every website out there.

Finally nothing is more beautiful than seeing your hall ticket number in UPSC list and seeing that happiness in your parents eyes, so be careful not to waste your time following every site out there and download every material you can. read selectively, revise,write, revise.

* end of update.

If you are in to online reading Buy a Kindle, not a tablet as it offers no distractions but just simple reading. (Kindle is good Only for articles and books, very very bad for PDF’s all kinds)

Update : for prelims 2017 buy latest edition only ! 

India year book 2016 (English|Hindi) is out so do read selective chapters, specially for beginners.Also Economic survey is going to come out soon will update the links.

Polity:

15-20 questions are expected from this section,yearly it might change but this is a must read most important subject. Laxmikanth is the only book you will ever need, read it at-least 2-3 times before prelims line by line. Check and buy latest 5th edition only. 

Economy:

Sri Ram Economy Xerox books is the best place to start and you can answer most of the questions from this book alone, If you don’t have it Ramesh Singh economy book is more than enough. Check and buy latest edition only.

Read Economic survey 1st and 2nd chapters and chapters on HDI and Environment, for summary you can read Mrunal if he provides it on other chapters.

History:

Ancient-Medieval-Modern-Culture.

Focus on Modern and Culture,you can even ignore Ancient and Medieval to large extent.the out put ratio is very low so focus on these two.

Geography:

This will be another section where lot of confusion is there so just read 11th and 12th NCERT books(links in the end) and A good atlas to cover the map pointing.If you read name of any city refer atlas reading like this reduce burden in long run.

Science:

7-12 NCERT. Mrunal Bhai has kindly created a table to read chapter wise.

ClassPHYSICSChemistryBiology
74, 13, 14 & 155 & 61,2,10; 11 & 12
811 to 163 to 62, 8, 9 & 10
98 to 121 to 45,6,7 & 13
1010, 12 & 131 to 56 to 11
111,5,81,142 to 5
121514,164,5 then 7 to 16

Environment and Biodiversity:

Shankar IAS academy  notes and MoEF for laws and acts will cover every thing. Also refer Mrunal Bhai’s PPT and videos on this section very useful for revision. + vision IAS for current affairs of Environment.

Maths:

I used to have mortal fear of maths,but slowly with practice you can over come this fear,I did not knew even the basics and it used to be a huge problem,but thanks to Narendra(my friend) and Mruanl Bhai’s posts on maths I started with NCERTS for basics then I moved on to other books.

Rajesh Verma book is perfect for those who are like me,who hate maths. Trust me he explains in very easy way,you can do most of the problems.

Reasoning:

The standard in CSAT is not complicated or tough but time taking,so Practice is the only solution to manage time. If you are like me again who never did any reasoning or dont know how to solve basic problems, Arihanth CSAT guide is a good place to start.

Passages:

Luckily for me I have the habit of reading books and blogs, this helped me immensely in this section,Reading is the only practice,read editorials of various news papers daily . Arihanth CSAT will help.

practice practice Practice … the only mantra for CSAT .

Current Affairs

This year many questions came from Current affairs so best sources

Final advise : 

  • If you are in a town or city where Career launcher test series is available please do join,I don’t have affiliate with them but their test series are very helpful,so please write with all seriousness.
  • Start with NCERT books if possible,or else jump in to these books read them at-least 2-3 times before prelims.
  • I also presume that You are reading newspaper daily as a ritual.
  • Practice maths and reasoning daily no excuse.
  • practice as many MCQ’s as possible, don’t leave scoring subjects like polity,eco,geo and history.
  • Put more emphasis on conceptual clarity .
  • GS every mark counts. so Practice a lot.

I am deeply indebted to many people who taught me so many things and helped me in my journey. I take this opportunity to thank my friends and guides Suresh,Krishna,Mrunal Bhai,Narendra,Chaitanya,Ranjan and many others. Lastly remember

No Effort is too big,No detail is too small.

Disclaimer: This post is more like a guidelines/suggestions than any science or theory,We shall not be responsible for anything,so please use your own discretion, any errors or mistakes are purely unintentional. If you have any problem with this post, regarding links or any other matter please mail me kalyan [at] iksa.in.

I pour tremendous time, thought, resources, and love into bringing you Parivarthan. If you find it useful, please consider supporting us.

257 thoughts on “Prelims Book list and Important Links.”

  1. thanx alot sir but i live in a village and no source for coaching and other things i am hindi medium student plz help me for this exam

    Reply
      • i have subscribed to your website
        so kindly mail me the updates and some important points which i should remember while prep.
        well i thank you for taking such a noble step to guide people.
        as i am one of them who is prep for UPSE by self study so kindly guide me what to read other than NCERT as i have already done with them.
        cheers

        Reply
      • Hello sir
        I m CA final student (cleared 2nd grp)
        I want to prepare UPSC 2016… So sir pls tell is there enough time if I start from today? Guide me regarding scoring subjects, books & coaching( in Rajasthan)….

        Reply
        • I think You should keep commerce as optional, will save a lot of time for you. As this post suggests, you need to start with NCERT and move to the standard books mentioned in the list.

          Reply
          • Sir..I have completed my engineering in EC in 2015. Can u pls guide me for the ias prelims exam?

            Kindly specify few n imp books which are useful for clearing ias Pls sir

            Reply

      • Meri baat suno Tum logo ka mazaak ku bana rahe ho Aur Ek dum se big book ko jump kar Diya saalo aisa Bolo 6 to 12 all ncert read Karo mat Karo aisa oki

        Reply
    • Sir,i am a 3rd year B.COM(H) student.I will graduate this year…so how do i go about and prepare for UPSC Exams from now on?any books which i start reading/learning from now on….

      Reply
      • This post contains all the books and basic you need to start with, please go through it again. Start with NCERT books, build basics, then read the standard text books mentioned in this post.This will help you gain basic knowledge, Also go through old papers both prelims and mains, Logically you can keep commerce as optional, will save a lot of time for you.

        Find some mentor, that will help a lot 🙂 hope this helps 🙂

        Reply
    • Sir im in b.tech 2nd sem.So plz provide me right path for preparation of upsc exam.So that i will get taste the IAS post in very early age…………

      Reply
  2. sir,
    your details are too useful for us. i would like to say thanks for this info. please say if i am starting my preparation today onwards for a upcoming upsc exam, is it enough time clear this exam. if is it enough time, then say how many hours/ day need to this preparation. because i am already in another work. so, please give me a suggession to me

    Reply
      • thank you sir,
        your reply mail was too useful and i am going to attend 2015 upsc exam. i have a confidence and hard work to clear this this upcoming upsc. and you mentioned that, if i am strong in mathematics and reasoning, i should clear this prelims. that was the beat one for me. because i am too poor in english, economics and polity ( not for understanding, only for replying) not in maths, reasoning, history, etc….
        And once again thanks for your valuable reply… ☺

        Reply
    • sir,

      can you reply me same as you reply mr Chidambaram for below issue

      your details are too useful for us. i would like to say thanks for this info. please say if i am starting my preparation today onwards for a upcoming upsc exam, is it enough time clear this exam. if is it enough time, then say how many hours/ day need to this preparation. because i am already in another work. so, please give me a suggession to me.

      Regards,
      Rajkumar.c

      Reply
    • Hi, Yes these books cover most, the more times you read them the better, notes I have no suggestion , as I never made notes. For example Laxmikanth and Spectrum history book they are notes by themselves every line is imp for prelims 🙂

      Reply
  3. hello,
    First of all,thank you very much for the effort you are putting in to benefit many of us.I am a B.Tech comp graduate(it’s been 10years :)),homemaker,mother of a 6 year old.My problem is more like the inability to channelize my resources for optimum benefit.Of course, iksa,mrunal ji,roman saini’s videos are of immense help and you people give me a confidence that coaching is not that necessary as we all think .Every morning when i look at your mail suggesting articles for that day,that itself is a huge inspiration to me to stay dedicated. As i said, my problem is, i am not able to organize or stick to schedule but i don’t want to give up..Any help in this regard is much appreciated.Thank you once again..

    Reply
  4. Hi, your dedication is wonderful, to start preparation from January is very good. For prelims focus on CSAT paper 2 it is the decider ,if you score exceptionally well in paper 2 you will clear prelims, given that you have limited time read selective books and gists, and news papers. try to revise more than reading more new books. If you have any other quires mail to us [email protected]

    Reply
  5. with regards sir,I am an corporate employee I am trying for IAS 2015 I have books for economy and polity but I don’t get what to study for social development and demographics and moreover is it possible to crack to crack CSAT being in a job and without coaching??
    sir please guide me,
    Thank You

    Reply
  6. Hello Sir,

    I’m working guy and preparing for IAS 2016. I’ve started with Indian Polity by laxmikanth and looking for CSAT-2 guidance..Do you have any idea which coaching classes is best in nominal fee as I’m very economic. Kindly also guide how can do better self study and proper study plan with good book lists.

    Looking forward to your reply soon. Help me out sir

    Reply
    • Hi Nishant,

      For CSAT I suggest that first you test your self with previous papers that will give you an idea, if you are comfortable with the papers then all you in need is practice, but if you have problem with maths or reasoning Career launcher or TIME institute is good place to start but they too can help to a limited extent.

      Coming to GS part , again you can solve old papers and understand what kind of question will come from a certain subject, you can buy 14000 mcq book (link in sidebar) after reading any chapter in laxmikanth you can solve that specific chapter in that mcq books, by testing your self immediately you will know how well you read and what points you ignored which can be useful for exam, this can be repeated with all GS subjects.

      This book list is my suggestion and personally used one and I think this will be enough,each aspirant has his own list each subject have alternative books, but as I mentioned else where read one book 10 times that reading 10 diff books. Coming to your study plan read you optional daily along with News papers, slowly complete the syllabus and GS. All the best, if you have any quires do mail us to [email protected] we are here to help 🙂

      Reply
  7. Hello sir…
    Sincere thanks for the valueable posts..
    Sir I m working in a s/w firm. Although I am studying on a regular basis and have finishes reading all ncert books n indian polity but unable to understand indian economy by Ramesh Singh..
    Sir I have applied for leave from 25th may..please please please sir..give me a schedule for cracking exam and I was much more dependent on Paper 2 but since now we just have to qualify it so please help me in my preparation now on. I will be highly obliged..will wait for your reply….

    Reply
  8. Hi sir,
    Please let me no books for ias prelims and I have very less time of 2 months m so confused please help me out.

    Kindly specify few n imp books which are useful for clearing ias prelims in 2 months.

    Thanks inadvance….

    Regards,
    Swapna

    Reply
  9. Sir,
    Is it possible that one can clear preliminary in 3 months study? If yes ,how, can I crack IAS preliminary by this short time as I have only 3 months for prep..with a hope for your reply..

    Reply
    • Hi, Assurance no one can be sure this time till they see the GS paper, but If you put lot of effort in these remaining 96 (approx days), you have a good chance.The IMP subjects will be polity,history/culture,environment,geography and economics. read one book for each subjects as many times as possible and read Hindu daily. all the best 🙂

      Reply
  10. Sir,
    Please update this article as GS has become the game changer after scrapping CSAT (making it qualifying means scrapping)…How should one now prepare GS as every single mark will be imp for qualifying prelims?

    Reply
    • Thanks , I updated the post. The list stays the same ,only more revisions and lot of practice from GS papers of various institutes. All the best.

      Reply
  11. kindly update me
    confusion is on:
    why confuse:—just tell me now csat2 paper will be just for qualifying.so now getting only 33% is enough and no additional score will be added of paper.
    if suppose someone had scored 70% in CSAT 2 then only 33% marks will be added on the pre.or whole 70% marks will be included while making/cutoff
    kindly reply ASAP

    Reply
    • Hi,

      Its simple lets say csat paper 2 is for 200 marks you need to get 33% which is 66 marks, it makes no difference how many marks you get above that. all that matter is 33%. they don’t take even that 66 marks in to the cutoff. Just qualifying with no weight-age.

      The cutoff will completely depends on GS paper 1 .

      Reply
  12. hello sir
    i want to know about current affairs as i am covering from july2014 to july 2015 .listing of issues as per their importance becomes difficult for me..can you please suggest as to how shud i make it easier and better .
    i have seen number of articles
    pib(which article to pick and from when in features section
    )PRS what all bills passed process should we look upon can you please help in identifying these areas

    Reply
    • hi, July to July will be waste of time , I mean though you will gain knowledge it wont be fully useful for this years exam, Dec 2014 to nov 2015 will be perfect for this years exam , for prelims focus on dec to aug 1st week.

      Listing the topics is always hard, but to simplify the current affairs part you can follow, Vision IAS current affairs material, they arrange it in topic/area wise format it will lessen your burden.

      PRS monthly policy review will summarize all the events of the month giving the summary of each bill, having an idea about most imp ones will be enough . To have the braod classification of most useful topics, follow spotlight news analysis daily also Rajya sabha Big picture.

      Reply
      • thanks alot sir. regarding current affairs again sir dec to aug is enough as per your recommendation.please throw some light on pib features article…whether we should do it..or if we do it we should do it month wise or issue/policies etc wise

        Reply
        • There is no end to the prelims prep, Some people suggest PIB some dont, I personally dont refer it for the prelims part, If you feel like May- Aug of PIB will help, that too topic wise will save time. But again Any institute material and news papers will cover almost all imp news.

          Coming to science and tech part, vision IAS material and Hindu will be enough, for Mains Sriram’s IAS material is good. Hope this helps 🙂

          Reply
  13. Sir,
    I have applied for civils prelims this year recently. however , I’m still unable to figure out the best plan to study and prepare. I’m an employee in a private organization where almost 10-15 hrs daily time is sucked upon. Also,I cannot afford to spend big amounts for buying books and I have very limited time except weekends. I request you to guide me through this exam and help me qualify. I want to appear in this exam for a better life and for the sake of knowledge the preparation provides at the same time.

    Thanx & Regards,
    Chaitanya

    Reply
  14. Sir,
    First of all many thanks for the suggestions and useful links given. I’v already started preparing. I would like to clear a few things with regard to the prelims. 1) To clear paper 1 of Prelims how many marks one should score. Regarding the second one I got idea from your explanation. Also send me some study tips.

    God Bless!

    Sincerely,
    Abin

    Reply
  15. Sir ,how can I select Optional paper sub.(I mean on what basis?) and how I preapre optional side by side regular GS studies..
    need help..

    Reply
  16. Sir,
    Please provide me the details of marks evaluation for both the paper in preliminary. And how will be the exam like writing or ticking the correct option? Please help me.

    Reply
    • Hi, the Morning paper GS paper is for 200 marks and with .33 negative marks that is 100 questions 2 marks for each question.
      The afternoon paper CSAT paper is for 200 marks, but 80 questions only this year the paper 2 qualifying score is decided as 33%.
      It will be OMR sheet you need to round/fill the omr marks sheet. Prelims is objective paper. you can find previous paper of both GS and CSAT in upsc site also you can find model OMR here

      Reply
  17. First of all thanks a lot for your such an enlightening guidance and preparation strategy. I wanted to know that what to read for Environment and Ecology portion I am confused between whether to read only ncerts and Wikipedia or nios notes or Shankar IAS academy notes as you referred. please help me out. again thanks a lot

    Reply
  18. Dear sir,

    Many thanx.. Actually I am good in CSAt 2 but almost 0 in CSAt I , Please guide me to clear paper I as I am going to appear in prelims 2015.. Please reply as sooon as possible.

    With warm Regards,

    Reply
  19. plz help .

    How to do selective reading of spectrum geography [ which / hw many chapters ] ?

    which/ hw many chapters we need to study frm bipin chandra along wid spectrum by rajiv ahir n ncert ‘s of xi,xii [ tamilnadu state board]?

    After reading ncert’s n particul books of each subject in GS , do i really need to read any Manual too like TMH Arihant , pearson etc.

    cud u plz provide d link t no itin singhania notes? I’d b so much thankful to u .

    Geography / zoology which one wud take longer time n which one is more scoring . I’m comfortable wid both of them n i was a science student[ zoology , botany , ] during my school days .

    Reply
  20. sir,now i am continuing M.Sc in physics.I want to take an attempt on civil service exam in this year and i want to prepare for it from today.how can i prepare myself for it.please relpy me on my mail

    Reply
    • hi,

      I will suggest you that, if you are a complete beginner and have no preparation till now , please dont give the attempt this year, and plan properly for 2016. Having said that Prelims this year is all about GS as paper 2 is made qualifying.

      1.See the prelims papers from 2011 onwards.
      2.This is the suggested prelims books list,
      3.read the NCERT books for basic idea, or Jump directly to main books like laxmikanth due to lack of time.
      4.Try to collect various institute papers of this year and try and solve them .

      It makes no diff how many mistakes we do before the prelims, learn from every mistake and make the most out of it in prelims hall, hope this helps you to an extent .. all the best 🙂

      Reply
  21. hello sir
    i am in such a confused state please please tell me hw shud i do current affairs..what shud be the duration which we shud cover. and how shud i prepare it..which and how(newspaper,magazine,site(jagranjosh ,gktoday…mrunal.))please…sir help me please tell me in detail

    Reply
    • Hi, News paper is the best source for current affairs as it will help you in mains too, I also suggest Vision IAS current affairs material , the duration is JAN 2015 to July ending. Economic survey is another good source for lot of useful info.

      Reply
      • ok….not from aug 2014 to july….and vision material one which are available online is it.
        please also comment on current affairs by jagranjosh and gktoday .in MOnthwise.

        Reply
        • Yeah from Jan to July for prelims will be enough , Vision IAS Material ,I think is available on net,no need for other material from any other source, you wont be able to revise ,that will be too much effort, also If possible get Vajiram+insights+Career launcher prelims papers of this year, they cover a lot of current affairs questions too, at least we will get an idea how a question might come for the latest current affairs.

          UPSC dont asks a lot of current affairs, the ask the concept behind the thing, so try focus more on static part, the concepts.

          Reply
    • I personally don’t Endorse any Institute, both are equally good. They both have good faculty and almost similar in every aspect. Generally people prefer V over S just saying, both of them are much better than any other Institute.

      Reply
  22. Hi sir
    I’m not so good in eng written for mains please suggest me some sources or book which boost my English language

    Pl rply as soon as possible
    With warm regards

    Reply
    • hi,
      The best practice is reading Hindu paper daily and writing test series.Only by writing regularly we can improve writing skill, I also suggest you write one answer daily. and an essay every sunday. Not only for UPSC in general also the more we read and write , the better our skills will be.

      Reply
  23. Hlo, sir I want to prepare my self for 2016 upsc exam ,but I m little bit confuse from where I start .plz help me and provide a way .

    Reply
    • Hi,

      First get the basics from NCERT books, read most of the books from 6-10th .

      Next get your optional done along with daily news papers. For clarity always refer to previous papers both for prelims and mains. Dont seperate GS prep as mains and prelims.

      Hope this helps all the best 🙂

      Reply
      • just want to ask if it will be sufficient to read current affairs from Hindu Jan 2015 To July 2015 science reporter jan 2015 to July 2015 economy survey,india 2015(selected topics),budget speech.
        along with NCERT 6-10.
        For Pre and Mains

        Reply
  24. Hi sir,
    I am pursuing ENG (HONS) from SOL Delhi university session 2013-2016 . Is I’m eligible for given UPSC Exam in 2017 or not….I’m so confused about my degree…pl reply as soon as possible

    With warm regard

    Reply
  25. thanks alot ur help indeed on time i was very confused about s and t and current affairs but you help me in sorting look at the things i am following for s&t and i was earlier covering current affair from aug to july..from hindu we archives thanks fr suggestions

    http://mrunal.org/2014/03/yearbook-india-2014-science-tech-biotech-space-tech-defence-tech-prepare-iyb-12th-five-year-plan-sample-mcqs.html
    http://currentaffairs.gktoday.in/category/current-affairs-2015/science-and-technology/page/67

    Step1: NCERTs topicwise
    Preparation must begin with NCERTs
    Class PHYSICS Chemistry Biology
    7 4, 13, 14 & 15 5 & 6 1,2,10; 11 & 12
    8 11 to 16 3 to 6 2, 8, 9 & 10
    9 8 to 12 1 to 4 5,6,7 & 13
    10 10, 12 & 13 1 to 5 6 to 11
    11 1,5,8 1,14 2 to 5
    12 15 14,16 4,5 then 7 to 16
    • NCERT alone not sufficient for UPSC prelims because:
    o Biology: they don’t cover all diseases, nutrient deficiencies etc.
    o physics and chemistry: they don’t cover all real-life examples of various physics principles
    • Therefore, after NCERT, you should augment preparation with help of following
    • Mrunal’s public health compilation
    • Mrunal’s Space tech compilation
    • any “competitive book”
    o Lucent GK OR
    o General studies manual
    o Or similar book on science-tech.
    • India Yearbook Chapter on science technology- although co
    science reporter
    1. NCERT Books for Science Class VIII, IX, X and also XI & XII for selected topics
    2. The Hindu
    3. Science Reporter and Vigyan Pragati
    4. Yojana and Kurukshetra (for selected topics only)
    5. India year Book (for selected topics only)
    6. The Frontline (selected articles or issues)
    7. All India Radio (Current Affairs Programmes)
    http://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs-science-technology-1286444078-1

    Reply
  26. I am pharmacy final year student ,I would like prepare civils entrance exams,but I don’t have any idea about civils,plz give me suggestions,how to prepare the exam,syllabus,exam pattern, books &author s name

    Reply
  27. dear sir,
    my strategy for ias 2016
    for csat paper-1
    history -(old ncert)
    geography(ncert+ gc leong)
    economic(sriram booklet)
    environment(shankar booklet)
    science (ncert+vajiram booklet)
    polity(laxmikant)
    art and culture(specturm)
    modern history(specturm)
    and tmh manual
    for csat paper 2 (tmh manual)

    mains strategy :-
    for gs paper 1,2,3 above books
    for paper 4 (please tell me best notes or books if any )

    my optional- anthropology
    please also tell me a good book or noted for this
    for current affairs ( hindu -reading+ writing notes from it)
    mrunal.org
    gktoday material
    vajiram notes also for c.affairs

    dear sir
    please tell me how much is good my startegy and from above list of books please tell me which book should be remove or change for better understanding as easy reading for me for any change please tell me 🙂

    Reply
    • For ethics, there is xerox notes of synergy available its very good, I have not read any other book, my score is 98 in that paper. not bad I guess 🙂

      I also suggest to read editorial pages of Indian express daily, they are very good. dont read too much material for Current affairs, just papers and Yojana will do.

      I have no Idea about anthropology, sorry about that. Also read Ramesh Singh for economy, will be useful in mains. The list seems good, as time passes some adjustments can be made, for starters its nice, all the best 🙂

      Reply
  28. Hi Sir,

    I want to Clear Civils 2016.I have heard many people saying the preparation should be common for both prelims and Mains.As prelims is objective,we can study the concepts and select the alternatives in the exam.What is the way to prepare for Mains.Do we need to prepare notes ourselves for mains.Kindly Guide me.

    Reply
  29. hello sir
    i have online vision current affairs material from aug 2014 to july 2015 .please tell me if i refer only this for aug- dec followed by hindu from jan to july …is it the right strategy.
    and what to refer for science and technology section as i dont have any vision and vaji material with me,please guide in detail sir.

    Reply
    • If you are referring to prelims,Jan 2015 – aug Current affairs will do, focus more on static area for prelims, though current affairs is imp too, along with newspapers, vision material is a good supplement.

      For Prelims S&T Ncert will do, for mains Sri ram IAS materials is very good.

      Reply
      • Firstly I say thanks for this kind of effort for the future aspirants….. Sir For 2016, I m preparing by myself , thus can u plz tell me after completing all ncert books and polity laxmikanth and modern spectrum, what should my next step? Secondly also suggest me how can I manage my study routine bcz there is lots of stuff including newspaper and optional HV to be complete. Plzz suggest me sir I m very confused how can I manage my schedule. 8 hope u reply my problem.

        Sir I had mailed u regarding the 2nd stage preparation strategy after ncert,polity laxmlkant and modern spectrum, what should I next do? And Aldo about managing of study in a day including newspaper reading as well as optional. Kindly help me sir what is the right way of managing study including daily current affairs and all articles reading. Plz sir reply me this is necessary in my case bcz I don’t take any coaching guidance. I will wait for our reply☺

        Reply
        • Hi,

          Dont separate the preparation process, its all included, Optional is most important ,so stat preparing optional. An ideal strategy for 2016 is to complete your Optional and write a optional test series by dec this year, this should be done along with reading both Hindu and Indian express daily not more than 3 hours for paper.

          You should know syllabus by heart, if you are reading an article you should know where it belongs exactly.

          More time on optional + Papers till dec. If possible read GS paper static part of all 4 papers.

          From jan till april complete all 4 GS papers static/current part along with revising optional daily and daily news paper.

          from write mains GS test series(may+june)+ july-aug just revise for prelims.

          Hope this helps 🙂 all the best 🙂

          Reply
          • Thanks a lot sir, for such a nice information . including with this I also want to know the delatiled information regarding step by step preparation methodology for crack the 2016 prelims at any cost, for the beginners what u suggest, kindly show me in a consequetive manner .

  30. Dear sir mera selection capf(ac) 2013 m ho gya Hi ihv got crpf .bfor 5 months I actually start my Ias prep. Now I m living in my village .some one hs told me that after joining I will not get time for prep so I’m confuse what to do?I want to become Ias
    Plz guide me sir.waiting for ur advice

    Reply
  31. for prelims
    geo ncerts+ india year book and map
    history ncerts..spectrum..crackias
    polity laxmikant
    science as suggested
    current jan to july vision and monthly policies reviews and govt policies and schemes
    enviorment shankar ias

    loaded test series..mrunal.insight..vaji…vision

    please tell me am i on right track for prelims

    Reply
  32. hello sir,
    sir i just started my preparations for upsc prelims 2016 but i m very confuse that one year is sufficient or not ???
    or i should prepare myself for upsc 2017.
    plzz sir give me some suggestions.

    Reply
  33. n sir, i had forget to mention in my previous comment that…. i just completed my b tech n i m not going for a job or any coaching classes so right i don’t have anything to do except studies i.e. self studies, so plzz sir suggest me should i prepare myself for upsc 2016 or upsc 2017.

    Reply
    • hi,

      Please call me kalyan, I am an aspirant like you , so no need for sir and all 🙂

      Coming to your SELF STUDY doubt, I have read both your comments, as I have been in UPSC for few years now(not a good achievement) I can safely say that If you read 8 hours a day every day from today till next year exam day, you will surely be in a position to attend interview in the first attempt it self, but there are many IF’s and But’s involved.

      Humanly it is possible, but ordinarily we waste time also.

      Technically speaking you will have more than an year, from Today till August 6th -2016 will have time for Prelims+ mains
      after that till December 2016 3 more months .just for mains
      after that 3 more months to prepare for Interview.
      If you keep your focus and determination you can give a real good attempt in 2016 it self, postponement in mind will reflect in you preparation (which will be half hearted.)
      So stop thinking and go will full force for 2016. Treat it as any other exam ,and see it just like any other one, forget the hype and Hungama surrounding this exam. You will do fine .

      Hope this reply helps you to an extent 🙂 all the best 🙂

      Reply
  34. sir can u guide me which coaching institute is good for all Gs paper ? like vajii vs vision ias… which is good for me . or kindly suggest from ur side for a begginer. at that time i only competed 2 subjects ncerts and lucent history portion . can u give me a detailed mail for the extensive preperation for mains as well as pre for 2016 exam subject /topic wise list for the first attempter. including wth this ialso guide me, if i want to collect aug – july current affairs as well as selective article what should i do? preparing notes or collecting yojana magzines for future rivision or the vajii s current affairs. kindly give me a detailed answer of all my queries , at this time i planning for join the coaching so, it,s too late. reply me soon sir.

    Reply
    • NCERT books are always useful , even for mains, For art&culture,World history,Post independence consolidation, Polity basic topics , Geography all these topics can be read from ncert books.

      Reply
  35. Hi Kalyan,

    I am targeting CSE in 2016 with job. Can you please share strategy of GS mains exam and book resources? I am planning with integrated approach.

    Reply
  36. hello sir
    I am from a very small village and I want to become a civil servant pls guide me through the basics sir. it will be more helpful for me and I need support from someone who know abt these things

    Reply
  37. Hello sir,

    Thanks alot … this list really helped me and clear my various doubts.
    I want to attempt upsc in 2016 and opting anthropolgy as optional, pls guide me for that as to how to prepare and books.
    as i am a it graduate , i m really week in history and culture , can you pls guide me through that as well.

    Thanks alot.
    Nikki

    Reply
    • Hi,

      Glad that the post helped you, Please look up for anthropology strategy in the toppers section, which will help you. Coming to History & culture, its pure static , so start with NCERT books for them.It will help you easily get an overall Idea.

      Reply
  38. sir, i am studying in class 10th and i am good in geo,eco,his, and civics and i don’t like maths and science should i can participate in upsc without science and maths. And also name the basic book for upsc.

    Reply
    • hey buddy,

      it’s nice to see you planning for UPSC at such young age, but Maths and science do play a role in UPSC, so I suggest you learn them too. Focus on your basic studies till 12th grade, try to get very good score in all subjects. Apart from that if possible read Hindu paper, develop an awareness of the world we live in, the things that are happening in India, etc . In the long run it will help you. Be curious, develop the habit of asking why,who,what,when .

      I am sure there is lot of time, so not suggesting you any basic books as of now.Sorry to sound like every other grownup but focus on your studies for now.

      Keep in touch 🙂 all the best 🙂

      Reply
  39. hello sir I want to start preparation for civil service. cn u please guide wht I read . which books are relevant for mains, also reports etc….. how I make my schedule and timetable . please help me out. I m so confused……….

    Reply
  40. After searching alot i finally come to this. First of all I thanks you for your support for beginers. As i also a beginer for upsc preparation n not able to go for coaching. I want to prepare at home. After discussing with many n got confused. I want to know the books for prelims n mains also the ncerts whichone I read or which one not. Wanna go with Geography as optional. Please kindly mail me the full book list including prelims mains current affairs n what ever required. Please mail me. Thanks alot in advance.

    Reply
  41. Thank u very much sir for ur valuable information regarding the upsc prelim examination . I want to buy this books today so I prepare to upsc 2016 prelim examination . so I request to u please tell me how much money required to buy all prelim books.?
    please reply me as soon as possible
    thank u

    Reply
  42. Good morning kalyan sir
    My self shaziya
    Sir I am preparing for prelims
    Sir I have one doubt regarding science is it enough to refer only ncert books from 6 to 10 th standard for prelims or have to refer also 11 and 12th standard also?
    I am in confusion sir plz help me

    Reply
  43. Gud morning sir.
    M doing government job class 2..
    But want to crack upsc..
    M in confusion that… I left dis job and give full time for upsc preparation.. Or do both job n preparation??
    Your suggestions will help me…

    Reply
  44. sir plzz send prelims exam syllabus.i am so confused,and what are books was followed of the prelims exam sir don’ t forget it sir pizz

    Reply
  45. hi,
    sir please suggest how to study paper 2.
    paper 1 i confident sir but paper 2 quantitative aptitude its difficult to me..so please tell me any short cuts use to study paper 2 CSAT

    Reply
  46. thanks a lot for guiding us .

    sir i am living in delhi ,pursuing b.a programe final year from du. apart from studying i have to do job in a bpo for my livelihood beacuse parrents are unable to support me financely. doing job in a bpo hurts me because they give me too much pressure and it finishes my entire day of time nearly 10 hours .
    i want to appear in cse 2016 and honestly dedicated to get a rank this year so looking for a part time job for 6 to 7 hours and which could pay me at least 6000 a month.
    it will be great help if you would give few minute to think for me and give some idea to earn money .
    once again i would be giving a lot blessing for your life and family because you are showing a clear path for our destiny.
    please keep continiue .

    thankyou.

    Reply
    • Hi Virendra, Thank you for your kind words and appreciation,

      First of all my honest suggestion is dont leave your present job till you find a new one or any job for preparation.

      I am an aspirant like you , but I can suggest you to visit all old rajendar nagar institutes/libraries for job, they might need a help or staff that is a good option. Other than that, nothing comes to my mind.

      if you can spend 6 hours every day, seriously with focus, that will help a lot 🙂 Sorry for not being any more help , all the very best to you.

      Reply
  47. you post, old and General things, can
    you tell shriram notes and Ramesh Singh economy how many questions solve 2013, 2014 and 2015 ias pre questions.

    geography mi???
    history mi????
    i’m happy you are not told D.d Bashu. book for politely every one told .

    Reply
    • As you might have already know, this is aspirants run site, so we are not in to material creation as of now. Coming to your economy question, almost all static part questions can be answered just by reading sri ram and current question from that year eco survey.

      Geo 11-12 ncerts , majority questions can be solved.

      History – modern India spectrum .

      Reply
  48. Anyone interested to buy all upsc recommended books at discount.optional handwritten and printed notes Geography-alokranjan and Psychology- mukhul patak notes
    contact: 8527575218(watsapp only)
    Bangalore

    Reply
  49. Sir,

    I have completed my MCA Last Year and currently working in an IT Firm. Is it enough for me to prepare for CSAT 2016 prelms exams if I start today?

    Reply
  50. Fazal
    Class PHYSICS Chemistry Biology
    7 4, 13, 14 & 15 5 & 6 1,2,10; 11 & 12
    8 11 to 16 3 to 6 2, 8, 9 & 10
    9 8 to 12 1 to 4 5,6,7 & 13
    10 10, 12 & 13 1 to 5 6 to 11
    11 1,5,8 1,14 2 to 5
    12 15 14,16 4,5 then 7 to 16

    What are these? chapters?

    Reply
  51. Sir i don’t know any thing about upsc exxam what should be read in preliminary and mains
    So sir as u describe science subject in chapter wise in same manner plz provide me book name and topic which is necessary for prilims exam.
    Plz plz plz plz reply me
    I am new in this upsc exam

    My email is [email protected]

    Reply
  52. Sir,
    Thanks for the parivartan you hve already brought.
    Sir I am newly subscribed to your site.appeared twice but could not clear prelims even.books and material part you covered nicely.
    I do need your guidance regarding pre mains both.
    Pre apart whenever I tries to write a sentence,I can’t write more than two sentences.how to develop a quality to develope writing skill and start analysing a topic with limited resource.how to aggregate pre and mains preparation??I am reading the Hindu since last 2years,a up board Hindi medium student I am.my exam medium is English.

    Reply
    • hi Amit, Just focus on sentence formation, go back to basics, take some ones help. You have to read more to write better, so start reading some good books also, apart from that, see essays of fellow aspirants on Insights on India sight, see how they are writing. Honestly its like going back to school to correct your problem, you need to work extra hard than others . Hope this helps 🙂

      Reply
      • Sir,
        Thanks for the prompt response.
        And sorry for the wrong information by me…..
        Sir actual problem is that I am a gov employee working in a hectic scheduled job.usually I use to get 3-4 hrs almost.and some Sundays..
        So would you guide me regarding how within this time limit preparation can be done for pre and mains…???am I on the right track or is possible to crack upsc…
        I will be obliged if you can mail me ……it will be of immense help….plz if feasible

        Reply
  53. Sir, I am unable to manage my time in a day for the various to-do’s needed for civils preparation and as the time for exam is approaching, i have realized that i am lacking behind. Studies are getting piled up everyday and it has started to become a burden to recover the leftovers. Can you please give a guide how to study systematically and complete the syllabus?

    Reply
    • hi,

      Its quite natural to procrastinate, and pile up things, First thing we all need it Determination and desperate desire.

      My personal experience is, fix a rock solid timetable , and avoid all distractions, mobile and net being top on list.

      If you can , please join a library. It will avoid external distractions.

      Focus on 10 most important books and repeat them ,dont try to do too many things at once.

      Reply
  54. Hi,
    I was wondering if you would even consider helping someone like me…
    I am an English (H) graduate from Delhi university and am 28 years of age. I have been working for past 7 years and always wanted to appear for the IAS. But as it has been quite some time since I completed my studies and started working, getting back to studies for IAS and also managing my job is proving to be quite a challenging task for me.
    I would really appreciate your guidance to a person like me, who would truly benefit with a sought out action plan so as to how to approach towards studying for the UPSC Exams.
    Looking forward to hearing from you.

    Reply
    • HI, I started this blog to share what I know, for every one who is interested. SO yes I do read every mail and comment, its very tough in the starting really. You need to spend 6-8 hours every day at least…

      For prelims I have written a detailed post in this you will find all the books to be read, to start with current affairs listen to all India radio spotlight and big picture in RSTV, they will help you understand faster.

      Reply
  55. iam besically telugumediumstudent in wichmedium iwouldliketoprepareforcivilservice please sendmebookslist and some suggitions to get success if istart todayonwords for 2016 can i get success please send some smartwork tips kalyan thanks

    Reply
    • The book list remains the same. It will be hard to cover all mains and Gs with in limited time, but still one can start preparing from now onwards.

      Reply
  56. Hello sir !
    I wanted to purchase a reference book for prelims. Can you please guide which one should I choose between Pearson and tmh ?

    Reply
  57. Dear kalyan,

    It gives me an immense pleasure to be a part of this blog.
    First of all thanks a ton for providing us a medium to get all our queries clarified.

    I am a s/w professional and have decided to appear for UPSCin coming years. I have noted all the book list which you have mentioned here in this blog and need to start on those.
    But my question is , i am confused in when to give an attempt for UPSC ?. As this would be my first attempt and with not much knowledge on prescribed syllabus , am sure that, i will not be able to complete the basics itself before the Prelims – 2016. So, should i give an attempt this year to get to know the paper pattern. etc., (or), should i go for 2017 ?.

    Kindly suggest on this .

    Thanks in advance,
    pranay kumar ji
    [email protected]

    Reply
    • As you said yourself, you are not sure ,I suggest you not to write, if you have age and attempts. You can get an idea about the exam even by writing mock test series. you will get an idea about where you stand.

      Reply
  58. Hi.. Sir
    Thank you for the information.
    Actually, I am planning to appear the prelims exam in this year. And I have started preparing since last 2 days. Is my decision right to appear in this year. Can I pass

    Reply
    • I have seen people clear people prelims by studying 3 months, but most of them failed to clear mains, In my view, writing just out of curiosity or with out complete mains preparation is sin. If you have age, time and dedication, prepare for long term and write some mains test series for optional and GS and then give the attempt.

      Hope this helps 🙂

      Reply
  59. Dear Kalyan, I appreciate the effort you put in to simplify the approach towards the toughest exam. Thanks for everything. Btw, have you given the exam last time? How did it go.

    -Mohan

    Reply
  60. hi sir i am studying degree final year i want to prepare in online for civils please tell me how to prepare in online which websites gives coaching plzzz help me sir

    Reply
  61. sir am preparing for upsc and its mah intial stage..need help and guide from you that how could i crack the exam and is the sufficient time for 2016…any coaching is mendatory or i can do without any coaching…books that i should prefer..syllabus for pre,mains….

    Reply
  62. Hi sir,
    Your article is cool, but as I left my job to prepare for upsc exams I’m having some financial problems so i cant afford for any of books. So please suggest me soft materials like NCERT pdf books. Is everything to study and pass UPSC available in pdf or or in any format? i have access to free internet and have laptop. CSAT paper 2 i have no problem, i hope but i need complete pin to pin syllabus of both the papers. Pls help me

    Reply
  63. Hi Sir, I will be beginning my preparation today on-wards. Is it doable?
    It will be my first attempt, no coaching etc too as very little time is left.

    Pls advise. Looking for your guidance

    Reply
    • Doable , we can never know until we try , yes paucity of time is there but you can try. Focus on major subjects like polity,history,eco,environment and geography. Watch mrunal videos to quickly cover geo and eco . read NCERTs selectively and above all try to do as many previous questions as possible and lastly cover gs some where , preferably vision.

      In the best case scenario you will cover a lot in short time and clear, if you fail you still have learnt a lot and failed in the right direction and that will help you some day. Be positive and think you will clear only then your preparation will be positive or else you will start thinking negatively and some where down the line give up and start planning for 2017, Dont do that.

      Reply
  64. sir the toppers textbook that u provide by vision IAS they are mains exam copies or vision institute copies i mean the same ques is asked in exam . Sorry if i had asked something wrong bt actually i am new here and i want to start my preparation for upsc bt i hav no idea. can we crack ias without coaching also. i m also confused b/w optional geo or political science plz guide so that i can start my preparation for upsc 2017

    Reply
    • Hi, they are questions from tests conducted by vision and not upsc, they are similar to what upsc asks. They will just give you ideas on how to write, simplicity etc. It’s quite normal to have doubts in initial stages. Watch mrunal videos on you tube regarding preparation with out coaching. Also read gaurav agarwals blog on how to choose optional because you have to decide based on previous papers and syllabus and your interest in that subject. Hope this helps

      Reply
  65. hello sir im a pg student of advanced construction management…how i have to prepare plz help me with thes…thanks in adavance

    Reply
  66. hlllo sir i’m a degree 1st year student BA [ECONOMICS] …… I am preparing for upsc examinations sir and I’m confused about from where I should start my preparation soo kindly help me sir
    thank u sir once again

    Reply
  67. Hello Sir,
    I am confused. I want to start my UPSC preparation by Ncerts. But , from where should I buy all the Ncerts textbooks and after that please provide me all prelims & mains booklist (name). Please reply me Soon .

    Reply
  68. Hello Sir,
    I am 19 years old and want to give UPSC exams. What subject should I start with and how to go about it.

    Reply
  69. hello sir,
    Iam already working women as Assistant Engineer since 10 years in a electricity department, Iam 34 years old now.I want to prepare for civils.Can u plz suggest me the wright procedure for preperation and main subject to be elected and books plz.

    Reply
  70. Hellp sir I am very pleased with the links and sources you have provided for upsc prelims through your website. I request you to please provide sources for mains as well because I am finding difficulties in choosing sources for mains as it is confusing and vast. Please help

    Reply
  71. Sir I want to start preparation for Upsc 2017 but I don’t know the Which class from NCERT start?.I want detail information about the every subject and from which standard NCERT start. I am from rural background please reply sir. Today just I sir information and got useful information. Thank you.

    Reply
  72. Sir, I just wanted your help in how to choose optional subject. I have done masters in Political science and have interest in history.

    Thanks
    Rajni

    Reply
    • Hi Gaurav Agrawal sir, wrote it perfectly

      “Choosing an Optional

      People often have many criteria to choose the optional.. some of them are…
      – ‘Scoring’ optional: People think some optionals are more scoring than others.. Don’t know what to say on this. Every year UPSC changes the optionals it favors / punishes, so u never know whether the ‘scoring’ optional u took may end up in the ‘butchering’ list of UPSC next year..

      – Overlap with GS: “Pubad le lo, GS ki bhi taiyyari ho jaayegi”… Nothing could be more dangerous than this attitude.. coz if we don’t like pubad, and still take it, then we anyways won’t be able to study it well enough and not only will we screw the pubad portion of GS but also additional 500 marks optional. We only amplify our weakness by this attitude.

      I believe an optional must be chosen out of our strength. When I took economics, many people advised me against it saying economics is technical, not scoring etc. etc. But I knew economics was my strength… doesn’t matter if no one has scored 400/600 in economics so far, I know I would score it (as per the older marking scheme). When UPSC is giving us 500 marks to play by our strength, why should we pick anything else? These are our marks and let us score the maximum out of it. And ofcourse, such a strength can only develop when we have deep interest and luv for the subject.

      Optional preparation requires a great deal of in depth study as well as wide coverage. One has to write like a historian to take history optional, one has to write like an economist to score well in economics. This is only possible when the subject is our strength.”

      Because it’s finally who will face the consequences and know your interests better, no one can choose it for you, hope this helps 🙂

      Reply
  73. Hello sir ,
    Aapka current s related matter is much better ,kya sir aap AIR ki ye total recording Hindi m bhi uplabd kra skte h plz if u can sir , hindi medium students k liye bhi ye bhut important h .sir mujhe english aati h bt itni nahi ki english news sun sake so can u undrstand my reqst sir ,

    Reply
  74. Dear Sir,

    For current affairs except hindu what else I will have to study??Is it necessary to to read CSR for every month or chronical??please help.How can I study current affairs precisely.

    Reply
  75. sir i m in 2nd year of my engineering!
    and i hav 3 yr fr my prep!
    plz suggest how to start!
    cuz i have to concentrate on my semester also

    Reply
  76. Hi sir…
    I’m currently doing my B.E-EEE final year. I have started my upsc preparation. Could you please suggest me what books should I prefer and what to learn for clear for upsc exams?..

    Reply
  77. Dear sir,
    i am studying on 1st year engineering student.
    My aim became a I.A.S. officer.please suggest me how to prepare preliminary exam .
    Then which types of books learned on preliminary exam.

    Reply
  78. Pls clear my doubt Sir
    If we read 1 book 10times then where will be the time for reading other books. I don’t understand this.

    Reply
    • hi, it was way of expression and need not be taken in literal sense, it meant more time revision, coming to literal sense, reading laximikanth many times over, you can revise it in one day. first reading takes lot of time, 3 reading will take max a week, from then on you can revise it very quickly…. it applies for all books, hope it makes some sense now ?

      Reply
  79. Sir, im confused please help im a normal student with no good grades 54% in graduation i just can’t concentrate on preparation because whenever i see anyone who clear CSE had good grades,im am currently reading NCERT’s please help sir.
    Also is it necessary to take coaching were there people who cleare CSE without coaching help.

    Reply
    • hi, Mains and prelims prep overlaps to an extent, but you need to read for prelims in some what diff fashion from how we prepare for mains. Mock tests for prelims is a must and it also helps you gain the perspective.

      Reply
  80. Thankq sir..for this valuable info. My question is it necessary to covers yojna for prelims as i am planning to sit in upsc 2017. Can u tell me how to cover currrent affairs in thes 6 months. ? right now m reading the hindu only.

    Reply
    • Hi, In general it is not suggested to separate preparation for mains and prelims its a continuous process. This year prelims paper gave too much weight to current affairs. So reading Yojana will help a lot in this exam, coming to current affaits Vision ias current affairs from May 2016- to may/June 2017 is must for next year prelims along with Hindu, it helps a lot in mains.

      No other effort regarding CA will be needed , along with practicing lot of Prelims mock tests. Hope this helps 🙂

      Reply
  81. Sir I am starting my preparations now only will I be able to complete my preparations by prelims 2017. If done so, will I be able to clear my mains 2017??
    I already have the books you have suggested.
    Hope you help to do the needful.
    Thanking you.

    Reply
  82. Hello sir,

    Thank you so much sir its really very good information for the beginner like me.I don’t no how i can say you thank you because of above info i give lots of confidence but i have 1 question above book list its only for prelim or mains? whats about main exam book list? If u possible please send me book list on my email id.and also give me tips how i can start preparation ? joint coaching classes are necessary or not ?

    I have confusion about select optional subject. how can i choice this? my maths is good can i select maths for optional i m completed B,Tech in ExTC Dept.

    Actually i have so small small question to clear this how to contact u ?

    Ones again thank you so much sir

    Thanks & Regards
    Kasturi Doshi

    Reply
  83. A. CELIN 24 . 11. 16

    Hello sir iam celin from pondy. I completed B.SC(Nsg) this year , pls guide me to take important subject sir. How can i conduct you sir. Help me to clear upsc exams.

    Reply
  84. Sir i m very much confused….with the books…there r many books…all suggest different books for each subject….i want a names of limited number of books…which ll be of high quality

    Reply
    • Hi, I understand your dilemma you can choose one book for each subject and revise it as much as possible, along with writing every test series you can get.
      Polity – Laxmikanth
      Economy- Ramesh Singh
      History – Spectrum
      Geography – NCERT
      Environment – Shankar IAS
      Culture – Nitin Singhania
      Science – NCERT (Mrunal list as mentioned in the post)
      Current Affairs – Hindu + Vision Material…

      These are must do to get a very good foundation, no can predict the question paper may be lot of current affairs might come or lot of static ones might come, so try to revise a lot and write as many 2017 prelims test series as possible it really helps .

      Reply
  85. Thank you sir for your effort. This is very useful website because all the important points at one place I really appreciate it. Could you please tell me how can I fetch 10 years of Civil Engineering optional solved question papers?.

    Reply
  86. Thank You Sir for the info (veru useful).

    Sir, I am preparing for CSAT & Mains from books published by Arhiant Publication, The Hindu (Newspaper), Yojana (Magazine), India Year Book (MI&B) & Economic Survey (MOF).

    My question is- Are those books sufficient for the preparation (for both i.e., CSAT & Mains) or do I also need to refer other books?

    Your advice will be appreciated & will also be implemented.
    Thank You..
    Harsh Bhardwaj
    (Student- LL.B Hons.)

    Reply
  87. we all are very thankful kalyan sir for your sincere efforts in giving every minute details…sir since very childhood my only aim is to be an. ias officer anyhow, right now i m in b-tech 2nd year… i hve started reading basic ncert’s from class 6-10 m i going in ryt direction

    Reply
    • Thank you for your kind words. Yes NCERT are the very foundation for UPSC, reading them is the first step, as you have lot of time, I will suggest you to read Hindu newspaper daily at your own leisure and also read good non fiction books on India like India after Gandhi etc. Good luck 🙂

      Reply
  88. Sir, please highlight subjects( polity, ecocnomy, sci& tech) from the sources gist of hindu, yojana, economic survey, india year book. and recommend sources what to be covered for prelims and mains.

    Reply

Leave a Reply