Preparing for the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) exam can be a challenging task, but with the right study material and preparation strategy, you can increase your chances of success. Also, remember that just reading the study material and books once will do no good. You need to do thorough revisions, at least 3 times to remember effectively.
Therefore, focus on reading less material a greater number of times instead of reading more material one time. Having said, that, here are some of the best study materials that you can use to prepare for the IAS exam, both prelims and mains.
Study Material for IAS Exam – Prelims and Mains
CSAT Books: CSAT books help the students to prepare for the Civil Services Aptitude Test or GS Paper 2 in the UPSC Prelims examination. While there are several books available in the market, there is nothing better than the CSAT book by Arihant. It not only covers all the syllabus but also provides last 10 years question papers for practice. If you don’t want to take any chances, go for the books that several successful IAS/IPS/IFS candidates read – Cracking the Civil Services Aptitude Test Paper-II by Arihant.
NCERT Books: The NCERT textbooks are considered as the backbone for the preparation of the IAS exam. The textbooks cover all the fundamental concepts of different subjects that are required for the exam. Every year almost 30% of questions come from the NCERT Books.
The books particularly of interest include Science, History, & Geography NCERT Books 6th to 12th Std, 11th NCERT book for fine arts, 12th std Biology, last 4 chapters for Environment, and NCERT textbooks of 11th to 12th std for Economy.
Coaching Material: There are many coaching institutes that provide comprehensive study material for the IAS exam. However, you should choose a coaching institute carefully and ensure that the material provided is of good quality. If you need help in selecting the Best IAS coaching center in India, then you can read our review here.
Sometimes, students read study material of different coaching centers for different subjects. For example, Vision IAS monthly PT365 is famous for Current Affairs, Shankar IAS notes are famous for environment, and SriRam IAS notes are famous for Economics. You need not necessarily study in these centers to get access to notes. They are easily available in the market, like SriRam’s IAS notes are even available on Amazon here https://amzn.to/3Ik6pRL and https://amzn.to/3xLo0Ny
Newspapers & Magazines: Reading newspapers like The Hindu, and magazines like Yojana, Kurukshetra, or Frontline can help you stay up-to-date with current affairs and help you improve your understanding of the subjects.
Previous Year Question Papers: Solving previous year’s question papers can give you an idea of the exam pattern, the type of questions asked, and the level of difficulty. Enroll in test series of a good IAS coaching center and do analyze the papers after solving.
Online Resources: There are many online resources like blogs, websites, and YouTube channels that provide free study material for the IAS exam. Some of the popular ones include Mrunal (Hindi), and Unacademy (English). You should avoid the YouTube channels that are famous for entertainment rather than content.
UPSC Exam Structure – Prelims
| Name of the Paper | Marks Allotted | Time Allotted |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I: General Studies-I (Objective-type) | 200 | 02 hours |
| Paper-II: General Studies-II (Objective-Type) | 200 | 02 hours |
UPSC Exam Structure – Mains
| Name of the Paper | Marks Allotted | Time Allotted |
|---|---|---|
| Paper A: Compulsory Indian Language | 300 | 03 hours |
| Paper B: English | 300 | 03 hours |
| Paper I: Essay | 250 | 03 hours |
| Paper-II: General Studies I | 250 | 03 hours |
| Paper III: General Studies II | 250 | 03 hours |
| Paper IV: General Studies III | 250 | 03 hours |
| Paper V: General Studies IV | 250 | 03 hours |
| Paper VI: Optional I | 250 | 03 hours |
| Paper VII: Optional II | 250 | 03 hours |
Best Study Material for IAS Exam Prelims
- Arihant CSAT manual
- Previous year solved question paper by wizard
- Polity – Laxmikanth (Single book is enough. Helpful in Mains as well) Make notes and read 2 to 3 times.
- Ancient/Medieval History – NCERT Books 6th to 12th Std, or Old NCERT by R. S. Sharma Ancient) and Satish Chandra (Medieval)
- Modern History – Spectrum, Rajiv Ahir & Class XII book named “Themes in Indian History- Volume III”
- Art & culture history – NIOS notes and 11th NCERT for fine arts
- Geography- NCERT Books 6th to 12th Std / GC Leong / Oxford Atlas
- Environment – Past 5 year’s sectional test answer keys of Vision IAS. NCERT 12th std Biology, last 4 chapters (& Shankar IAS notes if required)
- Economy – SriramIAS economy notes and NCERT textbooks of 11th to 12th std
- General Science and Technology – NCERT books 6th to 12th std.
- Read Economic Survey, Budget Summary, & PIB
- Current Affairs – Vision IAS monthly PT365, Yojana Magazine, The Hindu Newspaper, CCRT website, & PIB (www.pib.gov.in/indexd.aspx)
Best Study Material for IAS Exam Mains
- Art & culture history – NIOS notes and 11th NCERT for fine arts.
- Polity & Governance – Laxmikanth, Yojana Magazine
- Modern History – Spectrum, Rajiv Ahir & Class XII book named “Themes in Indian History- Volume III”
- World History – Old NCERT book authored by Arjun Dev
- Geography – NCERT Books 11th and 12th Std / Certificate Physical and Human Geography – GC Leong / Oxford Atlas
- Economy – Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh, NCERT textbooks of 11th & 12th std
- General Science and Technology – NCERT books 6th to 12th std.
- Environment – Past 5 year’s sectional test answer keys of Vision IAS. NCERT 12th std Biology, last 4 chapters (& Shankar IAS notes if required)
- Society – Rajya Sabha TV debates
- Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude – Lexicon Publication’s Ethics book
- International Relations – Yojana Magazine
- Defense & Security – https://www.idsa.in/
- Current Affairs – Vision IAS monthly PT365, Yojana Magazine, The Hindu Newspaper, CCRT website, & PIB (www.pib.gov.in/indexd.aspx)
- Essay – Get catchy lines from topper’s copies. Practice essay writing.
- Read Economic Survey, Budget Summary, & PIB
- Previous year solved questions papers.
- For Interviews – Give mock interviews at any good IAS academy in your city.
It is important to remember that simply having study material is not enough. You need to have a structured study plan, consistent practice, and self-discipline to prepare effectively for the IAS exam.