Prelims

Booklist for Prelims

Note: My book, Fundamentals of Essay and Answer Writing is available now. It’s a comprehensive guide that helps you write better Essays and Answers in the UPSC Mains Exam. You can know about the book here.

In this article, we will go through my booklist for Civil Services Exam (Prelims). I’ve written this post keeping in mind an absolute beginner aspirant who is starting from level zero.

As you start your Prelims preparation and read these books, please keep the following points in mind:

  1. Along with these books, get a printout of the syllabus and read it carefully.
  2. And when you start, I recommend that you begin with NCERT books. Read and revise them methodically to gain absolute conceptual clarity. They form the foundation of your knowledge which will help you immensely through all stages of the exam.
  3. Do not be scared at the long list of books. For a beginner, one year is more than enough to cover the complete syllabus of GS (prelims and mains) and optional.
  4. In the book list, wherever I had mentioned selective reading, it means there’s no need to read the book cover to cover. Go through the past five years’ question papers to understand the kind of questions UPSC usually asks. It’ll give you a good perspective of what’s important and what’s not.
  5. For the same topic, do not refer to more than one material. For example, take India’s freedom struggle (1857-1947). If you read that portion from the Spectrum publications, there’s no need to do the same again from Bipan Chandra’s book. Read the latter to cover those parts not covered in the former.
  6. Use internet extensively. Let me give a few examples. Youtube’s PMFIAS channel is an excellent resource for understanding complex Geography topics. Similarly, for Art & Culture, I used to watch videos of classical dances, folk dances, puppetry shows on Youtube so that I could memorise their features better. In Science & Tech, if you come across a term, say, Blockchain Technology, go to Youtube and see explainer videos. Even for Environment, suppose you read about endangered species such as the Red Panda and Malabar Hornbill, Google them and see how they look. Visuals stick in your mind far longer. Your target must be to gain knowledge, be it through books or through internet.
  7. If you are taking coaching, by all means read their notes. But please keep in mind that you cannot just read those coaching notes and neglect these standard books. For example, take Polity topic. A coaching institute’s notes will never cover the complete subject, only Laxmikanth does. So even if you refer to your coaching notes, you still have to read Laxmikanth and know it like the back of your hand. This principle applies for all subjects.
  8. For all subjects, you have to superimpose current affairs over it. To illustrate, in Polity topic, apart from reading the static theory portion, you need to keep an eye on current happenings. For example, if the Govt brings in Constitutional amendment for GST, you must read both about the major provisions of the amendment and the Constitutional amendment procedure itself. Do this for all subjects.
  9. To perform well in Prelims, revision is crucial. Without it, you will not be able to recollect whatever you may have read. So please dedicate adequate time for revision before the actual exam.
  10. Just because I am AIR-1, it does not mean that this book list is the last word. If you have been studying some other material, that’s fine, too. To succeed in this exam, the source of material is not important. What’s important is you to understand the concepts, memorise the facts well and have a firm grip over the entire syllabus.

The Complete Booklist for UPSC Civil Services – Prelims Exam (Paper I)

Polity

  1. Indian Polity by Laxmikanth

Economy

  1. Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
  2. Mrunal.org articles
  3. Macroeconomics – NCERT Class XII
  4. Indian Economic Development – NCERT Class XI
  5. Economic Survey (Selective reading from Prelims perspective)
  6. The Hindu
  7. Internet for understanding concepts (Arthapedia, Google, Youtube)

Ancient History of India

  1. Old NCERT by RS Sharma

Medieval History of India

  1. Old NCERT by Satish Chandra (Selective Reading)

Modern History

  1. A Brief history of Modern India- Spectrum Publications
  2. India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra (Selective Reading)
  3. NCERT by Bipan Chandra (For the period 1700s to 1857)


Indian Art and Culture

  1. An Introduction to Indian Art – Class XI NCERT
  2. Chapters related to culture in Ancient and Medieval India NCERTs
  3. Centre for Cultural Resource and Training (CCRT) material
  4. Heritage Crafts: Living Craft Traditions of India -NCERT


Environment and Biodiversity

  1. Shankar IAS book

General Science

  1. General Science books – IX and X standard
  2. The Hindu (Note down and read about the latest scientific terms, discoveries and inventions frequently mentioned in news)
  3. Google and YouTube


Geography

  1. Fundamentals of Physical Geography XI NCERT
  2. India: Physical Environment XI NCERT
  3. Fundamentals of Human Geography XII NCERT
  4. India: People and Economy XII NCERT
  5. Certificate Physical and Human Geography: GC Leong
  6. PMFIAS (Excellent resource for understanding complex topics)
  7. Google and YouTube


Govt Schemes  

  1. Govt schemes compilation by the website Civils Daily

General Trivia (Eg: Global groupings, Reports, Institutions, Rankings etc)

  1. Any coaching material
  2. Google

Current Affairs

  1. The Hindu
  2. Civils Daily
  3. ForumIAS

Mindset to tackle the UPSC Prelims Exam

Ten days before the Prelims is usually the time when your mind is rather restless and clouded in self-doubt. Even though you must have prepared thoroughly for the exam, covering all the sources, Some of you are worried that you haven’t yet finished a particular topic, some others are stressed whether they will make the final cut for Mains. Remember that it’s okay to be a little nervous at this point and that it happens to everyone. I was no different, too.

From my experience, I have distilled a few suggestions to help you perform well in the exam.

  1. In the final days preceding the exam, if you start reading entirely new material which you haven’t read before, you’ll only stress yourself out. Just refer to whatever you had already read. Revision is the absolute key. How effectively you perform in the actual exam depends on the quality of revision you do in these 10 days.
  2. Stay calm. While revising, do not get bogged down in one subject. Your target should be to revise all the topics methodically before the final day.
  3. Questions are going to be balanced and will be asked from across the syllabus. So if you are poor in one topic, that’s alright. You can offset it through performing well in your stronger areas. For example, if you are worried about Indian Art and Culture, do not freak out. You might lose out on some questions, but you will still have many others to solve.
  4. Just the day before the exam, ensure that you get 7-8 hours of quality sleep. A good night’s rest will rejuvenate your senses and ensures that your brain is alert and memory is on point.
  5. Many aspirants (especially engineering grads) tend to be careless about CSAT Paper 2. I’ve seen people who solve only 60 questions and think that’s enough to qualify them. Some are even more impulsive—  they leave the hall 30 minutes before time. Don’t be that reckless brat. Your qualification for Mains will be based on your marks, not your audacity. Remember that just because the paper is qualifying, UPSC is not going to hand it you on a platter. This is why they have been constantly pushing up the difficulty level over the past few years. So solve CSAT with all the seriousness and intensity of Paper-1.
  6. While solving the paper, in the first iteration, go through all 100 questions sequentially and do three things: mark those answers you are confident about, round those questions that you are unsure or vaguely aware of (for guesswork later), and cross those questions which you have absolutely no idea about. In the second iteration, you come back again and try to answer those questions you are vaguely aware of through educated guesswork or elimination method.
  7. Don’t get mired in one question and waste your time. If you are unable to recall, make a side mark on the question paper and move on. Once you come back after solving remaining questions, chances are you’ll recollect.
  8. If we assume a moderately difficult paper, then you will confidently know answers to around 50-60 questions. But you must aim to attempt around 85-90 questions. That’s why educated guesswork is necessary and important.
  9. As you enter the exam hall, it doesn’t matter what books you may have read, or how many times you may have revised. What matters are those 100 questions. Put your emotions aside and solve those 100 questions with a laser like focus. Erase your fears, doubts and insecurities and stay positive and confident.
  10. Always believe and keep telling yourself that you have worked hard and prepared well so far and that you’ll do well. On the final day, summon your best self and you will absolutely ace the test.

For further reading,

A. You can check out my article on UPSC GS Mains Preparation

B. Article on how to make educated guess work in UPSC Prelims

So that was my Booklist for UPSC Prelims. Hope it’ll be useful to you.

– Anudeep

Note: My book, Fundamentals of Essay and Answer Writing is an Amazon bestseller. Since its release, the book helped countless candidates master the art of crafting exceptional essays and answers and elevate their performance in the UPSC Mains Exam. You can know about the book here.

Anudeep Durishetty

View Comments

  • Hi Sir, What difference do you find between The Hindu and Indian Express and why is TH preferred here by you?

    • The Hindu covers policy issues well. I found it especially relevant from Mains perspective. Also, IE does not have circulation in Hyderabad. So I had to opt for The Hindu.

      But IE is good too. If you have been following IE diligently so far, no need to switch it now.

      • thank you anudeep durishetty for sharing your strategw and materials used that make you success

        • Hello Anudeep sir, I think whatever you have mentioned in the above list is perfect. I just wanted to know which book or books can be referred for ethics. Also, memorising everything becomes difficult. However, can you suggest some good strategy for remembering so much and also about current affairs, how to make notes.
          Thanks and regards.

      • Hello sir, many congratulations on ur success...sir pls help me with current affairs..am reading the hindu and insights daily but found this civils daily very nice but the content is little bit more so how to approach daily current and whether to make notes of all topic or not ?? Pls reply ...

        • It just depends how you enculcate these points in your answers length doesn't matter

          • sir which book you suggest for previos year chapterwise question paper ?
            please guide me

      • Sir what is suggestion for the upsc aspirants to clear the upsc civils examination in first attempt
        It could cleared in first time with the time period of one year sir

      • Sir I read stuff. But see no way of revising it. Especially the Current Affairs Magazine. I am focusing on Maine right now. And answer writing. A B Tech graduate. It would be really helpful to have your insights on this. What was your revision strategy.? Especially for Preliems.
        Thank you.

      • Haiii sir....Sir I want ncert book names for basics...I can't understand which ncert books needed for civils....can u suggest me sir...which class ncert books needed for civils....

        • Social Subject NCERT TEXT BOOKS from 6 th class to 12 th class

        • I hope by now u must be preparing for civil service exams... If u got any clarity on how to read ncerts nd which books one has to read. Could u plz suggest.. Im a begginer

      • Hii Annayya .fistly my heart full congratulations annayya.im studying be-tech 1st Mechanical. I want to became an IAS officer .I saw all your interviews and I am inspired so much annayya.what can I do for to became an IAS officer please tell me the strategy annayya.please reply me Annayya.

        • As a aspirant and also I am a mechanical engineering 2nd year student, who are starting to prepare for civil services ,first need to know the basics properly with the help of the NCERT text books (social) from 6 the class to 12 th class.And also thorough with daily news paper ( THE HINDU).note down the terms I mean splendid words in Ur notes ,it is used to write a good essay... Maintain few notes that should be prepare by Ur own after studying the NCERT BOOKS to revise Ur self faster..thank you
          My motivator : P.NARAHARI IAS

      • Sir If I want to give exam next year dn when I used to start writing,After preparing the sllybus.

      • sir , actually iam little bit confused do we have to just read the news paper or we need to learn the outcomes and effects of the news too
        And what about the site INSIGHTS . do we just have to readout the current affairs or need to learn that all
        Is is all relevent when we know that only one year current affair based question would be asked pls answer all my confusions

      • hello sir can you please suggest best test series for upcoming prelims exam (2nd,june,2019)
        and also if possible please advice a strategy for last 4 months of prelims preparation so that many of us can be benefited. thank you sir.

      • Thank you so much Anudeep sir. sir I don't understand which page we read the Hindu newspapers for IAS preparation. Plz sir help me.????

      • Sir, you’re advise are really helpful..but sir i very confused on answer writing ✍️, sir I request to you please make an article on answer writing..

        Thank you

      • ANUDEEP SIR IAM SO HAPPY TO SAY THAT YOU ARE THE TOPPER
        MANY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU SIR

      • Modern History

        A Brief history of Modern India- Spectrum Publications
        India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra (Selective Reading)
        NCERT by Bipan Chandra (For the period 1700s to 1857)

        For eg : you given this book list I should buy all the books or only one i want to buy for modern history kindly ack me.

      • I am having very much interest in economics,choosing economics as optional is a good decision or not,and also guide me for the edition sir.

      • Sir, what if take a gap after 12th ? Will it be a bad effect on my UPSC result ?

      • Thnku soo much sir ur books ur guidance r amazing heartly respect sir nd ur new book easy writing is vry vry helpful for me

      • Sir i started my preparation now & one question continually stuck in my mind and that is how to make notes from NCERT & STANDARD BOOKS. If i starting now so first i read NCERT properly & thn standard books so when i read them second so make notes from that time or When...?
        Please help sir , i’m very confused??????

      • Sir, Can please tell, how to qualify in regional language qualifying paper (Telugu paper 1 and
        paper 2).
        Books to refer and how to prepare. I'm not that good at telugu writing, but i have no other choice. It is the only regional language that i'm well versed with.
        Pls help with booklist for regional language, telugu (qualifying paper) and also english.

        Thanking you sir.

      • Sir, Can you please tell, how to qualify in regional language qualifying paper (Telugu paper 1 and
        paper 2).
        Books to refer and how to prepare. I’m not that good at telugu writing, but i have no other choice. It is the only regional language that i’m well versed with.
        Pls help with booklist for regional language, telugu (qualifying paper) and also english.

        Thanking you sir.

        • Sir, Can please tell, how to qualify in regional language qualifying paper (Telugu paper for 300 marks).
          Books to refer and how to prepare. I’m not that good at telugu writing, but i have no other choice. It is the only regional language that i’m well versed with.
          Pls help with booklist for regional language, telugu (qualifying paper) and also english.

          Thanking you sir.

      • Hello sir. !!
        How many months of current affairs to be covered for exam? Both for Prelims and Mains!!

      • Hai sir , Give a Tips for Beginner's Who are Start Civil Preparation 🙂In Degree Standard.

    • Sir... Can you please suggest a online source for prelims test series.. And also for mains test series?
      Please do reply sir... Thank you..!!

    • Thank you Sir for the effort you are giving in to guide the UPSC aspirants??

    • Sir plz refer a book for optional sub mathematics....and some more websites related to mathematics

    • Sir,what is the difference between old and new ncerts for history's please reply sir

    • Sir having problems in understanding geography economics science ncerts ....what to do ....and in which reading to make notes ..can u help ..just started my. Preparation ..and never read newspaper.. Don't know how to go for it ..just have my dream with me ..nothing else ..what to do sir ...

    • Thank you Sir
      I am a beginner, I didn't know any sites from 2 to 5 days I was just scrolling everywhere and seeing the materials but I find it your materials relevant......
      Thank you Sir
      Now I can start my prep :)

    • Sir can I refer your notes for upsc preparation without using any standard books.

  • Thanku so much sir..
    Please tell me about Nitin Singhania's art & culture book??

    • I did not follow that book. But I've heard it's exhaustive and written very well. As I said, it does not matter from which book we cover the syllabus as long as we do it.

      • sir i m in my 2nd year of BA ,, i m preparing from 12 ,,only with reading newspaper ,ncerts ,
        but now i come on standard books ,,
        i know i will manage gs ,, mains ,,
        but sir i m tooo weak in csat portion ,, should i go for coaching or not ,,
        this is my weakest point ,,i will give xam in 2022
        my writing part is good ,, but csat is great headache for me ,,plz reply sir

    • Congratulations sir,now I am studying B.Tech 3rd year in ECE department.I want to start my preparation from now onwards.can you suggest me what are the basic books I want to follow now sir and answer writing from now onwards is good or not and my last doubt is that first I want to study for optional subject or for general studies.I want to give my first attempt on 2021.

  • Thank you so much anudeep.. Is there any source where we can get all pdf soft copies for these books..I am beginner with zero knowledge as you mentioned..would like to go through all these books but i wont be able afford to buy all these books so in case If there is any site to download please help me ! Thanks again

    • Freeupscmaterial - visit the website . Could be of much help.

    • Check the NCERT website. Their books are available for free download. For the remaining books, you may not find free pdf copies online and have to buy them.

      • Sure, I will follow that ! Thank you very much. Please share your inputs for taking notes and revision methodology for prelims.

      • sir,please can you tell me where we get 5 years old UPSC question paper.

      • sir iam from a small village near karimnagar and i have a zeal to crack civils and i am just completed 10th and iam intrested in the subject science.please give me some tips and be touch with me so another ias will be made from an ias. iam a telugu speaker.my number 63017730077

        • Heyy Ur in 10th class... Bro enjoy the life ... Still there is time for u! Even some aspirants had cracked upsc in 6-7 months ... Buddy stay cool have patience .. yes if u are really interested to give a start ... Then everyone will suggest you to complete ncerts and make Ur basic more stronger than others .. and when u r in graduation's final year u can start the serious preparation..
          Good luck

      • Thank You Sir for Valuable Information. Kindly Advise where to get the syllabus for 2019 CSE.

      • Congrats sir . Can u say online websites for civils classes.

      • Sir iam doning bsc1 i want to beacom ias can you plz guid me how to do the prepration plz reply me fast

      • I m going to give 12 boards 2019 and I want to an IAS for that I have searched a bit and i found an app UPSC MISSION which have all PDF of the all books u have mentioned above I.e. good for us
        ....?

      • Sir pls tell us how to make notes from The hindu ..is it mandatory to make nites or we can cover them or revise them from other sources too

      • Hii sir! Whether we have to study all lessons in NCERT.Sir,please say me how to study NCERT books.Because whenever I start studying I really get confusion on how to study NCERT.Sir pls give suggestion regarding NCERT preparation...

  • Sir, you made it easy for a beginner to start the prep for UPSC prelims without coaching. Now if a desire is there in heart, success is not so far?. In 21st century it is greatest gift we have.

      • Hello sir, I am IAS aspirant.I am totally confused as how to prepare current affairs and editorials, like can you suggest any tips which are to be followed?How to prepare notes?How to prepare current affairs or editorials for prelims?

  • Most of the aspirants study for mains before prelim. And then 3-4 months before go for prelim study. So my question is, when to use this booklist? At time of aspirant start studying for UPSC or at time of study for prelim (i.e. after done with mains study)?

    • These books are the absolute basic. You cannot read for Mains before understanding basic concepts from these standard books. Mains is analytical, prelims is more fundamental. So read and understand these books first.

      And for your optional, you can start preparing from now itself.

      • Sir I have nothing to do with UPSC ...Just reading ur blog because of crush at first site ?

          • Interested in UPSC and very much interested in you .
            Whataa cutayy

          • Hello sir.
            For history prelims
            Which set is good?

            Themes in indian histry(1-2-3) or ancient , medeival, modern by rs sharma , satish , bipin respectivly ?

          • hello sir!! there's a doubt about note-making of current affairs from newspaper. i'm started my preparation for upsc cse 2022 from now....so should i start making notes from newspaper or should i start it later i.e in june 2021

        • Why to exhaust yourself by reading all this
          Just woo any officer and get everything.
          Ha ha

        • this is an professional website where we can learn valuable things to crack UPSC. Anudeep sir is helping us.
          Sorry if i did wrong comments.its my opinion.

      • sir, please answer these queries....
        1)apart from these absolute basic books do we really need to focus on other books like dutt and sundaram, uma kapila etc.
        2) do we need to refer to multiple online sources because i always have a fear in my mind that maybe reading from one source of current affairs can compromise my preparation.
        3) also, do i need to even visit the websites of multiple other news papers (except the hindu or IE)
        4) do i need to cover CA from PIB on a daily basis?
        5) to what extent can we use internet?
        6) the focus needs to be on expanding knowledge base or gaining conceptual clarity.

        • 1. Not needed.
          2. You must read from multiple sources if you think for an issue the content given in one website is not sufficient. Once covered in enough depth, no need to run after multiple sources for that particular topic.
          3. No
          4. No
          5. A lot. Whenever in doubt, google!
          6. They are not mutually exclusive. Both go hand in hand.

          • Sir, what if I take a year gap between 12th and graduation , will it have a bad effect on my UPSC exam

      • Hari om! Sir am from Karnataka from a poor and rural area..my life time dream and desire is to become an IAS and serve my country in a better way!! I know I want to struggle hard for it ,am ready to face all challenges because all that circumstances make me proud and happy one day..when I feel let's quit ...u people are my inspiration.. Thank u so Much for being so kind for upcoming aspirants ..thanks a lot sir???

      • Sir plz suggest books for prelims csat paper .
        How you prepared for this paper

      • 1.Sir when to make notes as in reading the books for the first time or second?
        2. In the beginning of prep when done with basic book say Lakshmikant immediately after that should I do the mentioned list for mains ?
        3. When to start writing test ?
        4. Haven't started my optional yet should I pick it up after completing gs once ?

      • Hi Anna,first of all congratulations on well deserved success?
        As u said the YouTube PMF IAS channel helped me a lot to understand the topics wider...can u plz suggest any particular website or channel like this for polity to understand the topics very much clear from the basics!
        I hope u reply as soon as possible.

  • Thankyou so much sir
    I am actually at a point called level zero

  • Reblogged this. Very Useful booklist for all UPSC aspirants..thanku anudeep sir..

  • Thanks a lot sir.....you have cleared all my doubts regarding prelims as a beginner.....thanks once again.

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Published by
Anudeep Durishetty
9 months ago

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