The school textbooks published by the NCERT are extremely important to prepare for exams conducted by the State Public Service Commissions and the Union Public Service Commission. Many government exams quiz candidates on Indian and World History, Indian Polity, Geography of India and the World, Indian economy, etc. It is, therefore, crucial to master the fundamentals of these subjects to prepare for competitive exams. NCERT textbooks are the best resource available for assisting aspirants in understanding the fundamentals of politics, economics, geography, science, and history.
The NCERT textbooks are crucial for anyone preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam and other government exams conducted by the Public Service Commissions of various states, such as the Rajasthan Administrative Service or RAS exam, Kerala Administrative Service (KAS) exams, etc.
NCERT Textbooks for Government Exams
Aspirants should ideally read books from classes 6 to 12 to understand the fundamentals of various subjects. In the table below, a list of NCERT books is provided for candidates preparing for exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission and other State Public Service Commissions.
| List of Important NCERT Textbooks for Competitive Exams | ||
| S.No. | Subject | Name of Books |
| 1 | History and Art and Culture | NCERT Class VI – Our Past – INCERT Class VII – Our Past – IINCERT Class VIII – Our Past IIINCERT Class IX – India and the Contemporary World – INCERT Class X – India and the Contemporary World – IINCERT Class XI – Themes in World HistoryNCERT Class XI – An Introduction to Indian ArtNCERT Class XI – Living Craft Traditions of IndiaNCERT Class XII – Themes in Indian History – INCERT Class XII – Themes in Indian History – IINCERT Class XII – Themes in Indian History – III |
| 2 | Geography | NCERT Class VI – The Earth Our HabitatNCERT Class VII – Our EnvironmentNCERT Class VIII – Resource and DevelopmentNCERT Class IX – Contemporary India – INCERT Class X – Contemporary India – IINCERT Class XI – Fundamentals of Physical GeographyNCERT Class XI – India – Physical EnvironmentNCERT Class XII – Fundamentals of Human GeographyNCERT Class XII – India – People and Economy |
| 3 | Social Science and Sociology | NCERT Class VI – Social Science: Social & Political Life INCERT Class VII – Social Science: Social & Political Life IINCERT Class VIII – Social Science: Social & Political Life IIINCERT Class XI – Sociology: Introducing SociologyNCERT Class XI – Sociology: Understanding SocietyNCERT Class XII – Indian SocietyNCERT Class XII – Social Change and Development in India |
| 4 | Economics | NCERT Class IX – EconomicsNCERT Class X – Understanding Economic DevelopmentNCERT Class XI – Indian Economic DevelopmentNCERT Class XII – Introductory MicroeconomicsNCERT Class XII – Introductory Macroeconomics |
| 5 | Polity | NCERT Class IX – Political Science: Democratic Politics Part – INCERT Class X – Political Science: Democratic Politics Part – IINCERT Class XI – Political Science: Indian Constitution at WorkNCERT Class XI – Political Science: Political TheoryNCERT Class XII – Political Science I: Contemporary World PoliticsNCERT Class XII – Political Science II: Politics in India since Independence |
| 6 | Science | NCERT Class VINCERT Class VIINCERT Class VIIINCERT Class IXNCERT Class XNCERT Class XI – Chemistry NCERT Class XI – BiologyNCERT Class XII – Chemistry Part INCERT Class XII – Chemistry Part II NCERT Class XII – BiologyNCERT Class XI – PhysicsNCERT Class XII – Physics |
After going through the aforementioned books, aspirants should also read some of the standard textbooks that are essential to ace these exams. They should also make short notes to revise effectively. Revision is the key to cracking any competitive exam.
Every competitive examination is different, even though it may have the same or similar components; therefore, aspiring candidates should go through the previous years’ question papers and syllabus to understand the requirements of the examination. For example, if a candidate wants to apply for the Rajasthan Administrative Service, they must first go through the ras syllabus and past question papers. Once a candidate is fully informed of the exam format and the kind of questions that will be asked, they should develop an effective strategy and study schedule.
To succeed in competitive exams, candidates should start early, go over study material several times, and take practice tests. It is imperative that they have a study plan that helps them meet their deadlines and targets.