In this article, we have covered the best books for competitive exam preparations in India. Aspirants who will appear for the upcoming competitive exam, including Govt. exams, should know about these best resources.
Books are the primary resources for exam aspirants who want to improve their performance and score well. Studying the right books plays a significant role in quick success in the field of competitive examinations. We have listed here the top books for exams including; SSC, banks, Railway, Insurance, Defense and other examinations.
Exam wise Best Books for Competitive Exams 2024
Each competitive examination has a different format, syllabus, and question type. That’s why aspirants need to choose the right book for a particular exam to easily crack it. Here, we have covered the best books for UPSC, SSC, Bank, Railways and other competitive exams.
Best Books for SSC Exams
Preparing for SSC exams can be a challenge for new aspirants, but with the right study materials, it can be possible to crack the exam. One of the most crucial aspects of SSC exam preparation is choosing the right books. Here, we have picked the best books available for SSC exams.
| Subject | Books | |
| General Knowledge | 1. GENERAL STUDIES Manual 2024 |GS Paper 1 | UPSC | Civil Services Prelim | Other State Examinations 2. Lucent’s General Knowledge with General Science 3. Concise General Knowledge Manual 2023 | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 1. Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations 2. Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT 3. Fast Track Objective Arithmetic | |
| Reasoning | 1. A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning 2. How to Prepare for DATA INTERPRETATION AND Logical Reasoning for CAT 3. Analytical Reasoning by M. K. Pandey | |
| English Language | 1. Key to Wren & Martin’s Regular & Multicolour Edition of High School English Grammar & Composition 2. Word Power Made Easy 3. Objective English by Hari Mohan Prasad, Uma Rani Sinha | |
Best SSC CGL Books
Are you searching for the best books for SSC CGL preparation? Check the specially designed Best Books for SSC CGL Exams covering Tier 1 and Tier 2 Examination.
| SSC CGL Book Lists | |
| Book | Author |
| SSC Complete Course Books Kit (Set of 5 books in English) by Adda247 Publications | SSC CGL | CHSL | CPO | Adda247 Publications |
| Ultimate Guide to SSC Combined Graduate Level – CGL Tier I & Tier II (New pattern) Exam with 5 Online Practice Sets 8th Edition [Paperback] | Disha Experts |
| Kiran SSC CGL Tier I Online CBE 25 Practice Sets Including 2021 Solved Papers (English Medium)(3518) | Think Tank of Kiran Institute of Career Excellence Pvt Ltd (Author) |
| Mahendras SSC Kit English Latest Material 2021 (Combo of 5) [SSC BOOK | SSC CGL Tier I & Tier II | CPO | CHSL | GD CONSTABLE | STENOGRAPHER | SSC (10+2) ] Paperback | Mahendras (Author) |
| Study Package for SSC CGL/ CHSL/ MTS/ Stenographer/ SI/ GD & other State SSC Exams with Previous Year Questions 2nd Edition | Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, English Language, General Science & Awareness | Staff Selection Commission | Disha Experts (Author) |
| SSC Topic-wise 48 Solved Papers (2010-2019) – Mathematics, English, Reasoning & General Awareness – set of 4 Books | Disha Experts (Author) |
| SSC CGL Tier 1 2022 33 Fully Solved Year wise Previous Year Papers 2013 – 2022 6 Practice Papers (Solved) General Intelligence & Reasoning Quantitative Aptitude English GA – Revised & Updated Edition | Edurise Publication |
| SSC CGL Tier I Books Kit (Set of 5 books in English Printed Edition) by Adda247 Publications Paperback | Adda247 Publications (Author) |
| CGL Practice King 3000+ TCS MCQ | Chapter Wise | Gagan Pratap Sir | Champion Publication | Gagan Pratap (Author) |
| SSC Exam Preparation Books | English, General Knowledge, Quantitative, Reasoning with 100+ Topic-wise Tests (3000+ Solved Questions) – For All SSC Exams | EduGorilla Prep Experts (Author) |
Books for Bank Exams (RBI & SBI)
If you are preparing for bank exams, having the right study materials is crucial to your success. While there are numerous resources available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right books that cover all the necessary topics. To help you prepare, here are some recommended books for bank exams.
| Subject | Books |
| General Knowledge | 1. Lucent’s General Knowledge 2. Consice General Knowledge Manual |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 1. Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams 2. How to Prepare for QUANTITATIVE APTITUDE for CAT |
| Reasoning | 1. A Modern Approach To Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning 2. How to Prepare for DATA INTERPRETATION AND Logical Reasoning for CAT |
| English Language | 1. Key to Wren & Martin’s Regular & Multicolour Edition of High School English Grammar & Composition 2. Word Power Made Easy |
Also Read – Best Books for Bank Exams (IBPS, SBI, RBI) Preparation
Subject wise Best Books for Competitive Exams
Best Quantitative Aptitude Books for Competitive Exams
Quantitative Aptitude or Mathematics section is one of the most important parts of every competitive exam. Solving aptitude problems efficiently within a time limit requires knowledge, short-cut tricks, and expertise. Getting the right aptitude books will not only help you learn how to solve problems but will also keep you ahead of the competition.
| Books | Author | Exams |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | R. S Aggarwal | Bank, SSC |
| Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT | Sarvesh K Verma | Bank, SSC, Insurance |
Best Reasoning Books for Competitive Exams
Reasoning is an important section for competitive exams which test candidates’ decision making and problem solving abilities. This section also helps to improve the overall score of the candidate. Learning problem-solving skills and regularly practicing with good reasoning books can help aspirants to secure good marks in the reasoning section. Here are some of the top reasoning books written by exam experts.
| Books | Author | Exams |
| A Modern Approach To Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | Dr. R.S. Aggarwal | Bank, SSC, Railway, Insurance |
| How to Prepare for DATA INTERPRETATION AND Logical Reasoning for CAT | ARUN SHARMA | Bank, SSC, Insurance, RBI, SBI |
Best English Language Books for Competitive Exams
English Language is one of the common sections included in most of the competitive exams. Questions are asked on English Grammar, Error Detection, Fill in the blanks, Statement and Conclusion and other topics. A good quality English book will help to boost your English language skills and knowledge on these topics. The table below shows the best English books for competitive exams.
| Books | Author | Exams |
| Key to Wren & Martin’s Regular & Multicolour Edition of High School English Grammar & Composition | Rao N,D,V,Prasada (Author), N.D.V. Prasada Rao (Editor) | Bank, SSC, PSC |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis | Bank, SSC |
Best General Knowledge Books for Competitive Exams
General Knowledge (GK) is one of the highest scoring parts in competitive exams, which takes less time to complete. Studying Static GK on a regular basis will broaden your general awareness and help you to attempt any questions in the exam. Here are the best General knowledge books for all types of government exams.
| Books | Author | Exams |
| Lucent’s General Knowledge | Dr. Binay Karna (Author), Manawendra Mukul (Author), R. P. Suman (Author), Renu Sinha (Author) | Bank, SSC, PSC |
| Consice General Knowledge Manual | Edgar Thorpe and Showick Thorpe | Bank, SSC, Insurance |
Frequently Asked Questions on Books for Competitive Exams
Q1. What are the best books for UPSC preparation?
NCERT books are the best UPSC preparation books for beginners. Besides NCERT books, aspirants can follow these important books;
- Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
- Certificate Physical And Human Geography by G C Leong
- Indian Polity – For Civil Services and Other State Examinations by M.Laxmikanth
- Indian Economy for Civil Services, Universities and Other Examinations by Ramesh Singh
- Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude for IAS General Studies by Niraj Kumar
- Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe
- Others
Q2. What are the best GK books for government exams?
General knowledge (GK) is one of the most scoring section in competitive exams. Here are some of the popular GK books to follow.
- GENERAL STUDIES Manual by McGraw Hill
- Lucent’s General Knowledge
- Concise General Knowledge Manual by Pearson
- Others
Q3. Which are the best books for NDA preparation?
For NDA preparation NCERT books are the best. Beside NCERT you can read Mathematics for NDA (R.S.Aggarwal), Wren & Martin’s English Grammar, Objective GK, Pratoyogita Darpan (Current Affairs) and others.
Q4. Which are the best English Grammar books for competitive exams?
Wren & Martin’s High School English Grammar & Composition, Word Power Made Easy (Norman Lewis) are the best English grammar books for competitive exams.
Q5. What are the best current affairs books for competitive exams?
Pratoyogita Darpan, Competition Success Review are the best current affairs books to follow for competitive exams.
Q6. Which are the best books for SSC CGL preparation?
In this article, the “Subject wise best Books” Recommendations are the best SSC CGL preparation books for all aspirants. Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by R. S Aggarwal is one of the advanced math books for SSC CGL. For specially designed SSC CGL books, you can check the “Best SSC CGL Books” section above in this article.
Q7. What are the best books for CTET preparation?
You can follow the Arihant Publication’s Child Development, English, Hindi Bhasa, Social Studies and other CTET books. Other important CTET books are;
- Quantitative Aptitude (R S Aggarwal)
- Child Development & Pedagogy (Disha Publication)
- Mathematics Exam Goalpost (Wiley Publication)
- Mathematics & Pedagogy (Disha Publication)
- Environmental Studies (Wiley Publication)
- English Language (Pearson / Geeta Sahni)
- Social Studies (Pearson Publication)
Q8. Which are the best books for bank PO preparation?
All R S Aggarwal books are good for bank PO preparation. Besides RS Aggarwal, you can follow these books;
- Lucent’s GK
- Quantitative Aptitude for CAT (ARUN SHARMA)
- DATA INTERPRETATION AND Logical Reasoning for CAT (ARUN SHARMA)
- Wren & Martin’s High School English Grammar & Composition
- Word Power Made Easy
Q9. Which are the best aptitude books for GATE preparation?
The best aptitude books for GAET exams are;
- How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude (Arun Sharma)
- Quantitative Aptitude for All Competitive Examinations (Abhijit Guha)
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning (R.S. Aggarwal)
- Others
Final Thoughts on Competitive Exams Books
We have listed the best books exam-wise and subject-wise. You should start reading the books and practice sets included in the books to score better in the exam. We wish you the best of luck for your upcoming exam preparation.
