APSC Booklist

Complete APSC  Booklist Recommended by Toppers

In this article, we provide a comprehensive booklist for APSC  Prelims and Mains, carefully curated based on recommendations from toppers.

Choosing the Right Books for APSC Preparation

• Many aspirants often struggle to decide which books to follow for APSC preparation, primarily due to multiple suggestions from toppers across various platforms like YouTube.
• One key lesson reiterated in every topper’s strategy is:
  Minimum resources + Maximum revision = Success in APSC
• However, a common doubt arises—What does “minimum resources” actually mean?
  It simply refers to using a single, reliable source for each topic rather than overwhelming oneself with excessive materials.
• Given the vast availability of study resources, both online and offline, selecting the right books and consistently sticking to them is essential.
• Toppers recommend beginning APSC preparation with NCERT books, followed by standard reference books for in-depth understanding.
• The ideal booklist may vary for each candidate depending on their academic background. However, based on expert recommendations, we have compiled a subject-wise booklist for APSC aspirants.

Booklist for APSC Prelims

1. NCERT Books (Basic Foundation)

• NCERT History Books
• NCERT Geography Books
• NCERT Political Science Books
• NCERT Economics Books

2. Standard Reference Books

• Geography: Certificate of Physical & Human Geography – G.C. Leong
• Environment: Environment – Shankar IAS
• History: A Brief History of Modern India – Spectrum
• Art & Culture: Indian Art and Culture – Nitin Singhania
• Polity: Indian Polity – M. Laxmikanth
• Economy: Indian Economy – Ramesh Singh
• Science & Technology: Science and Technology – Ravi P. Agrahari
• Atlas: Oxford Student Atlas for India

Booklist for APSC Mains

(Note: The books listed for Prelims are also relevant for Mains.)

General Studies – 1 (History, Society & Geography)

• India’s Struggle for Independence – Bipan Chandra
• History of Medieval India – Satish Chandra
• Ancient India – R.S. Sharma / or Ancient & Early Medieval India – Upinder Singh
• India After Independence – Bipan Chandra 
• Modern World History – Norman Lowe 
• Indian Geography – D.R. Khullar
• Indian Society – NCERT Class 12 

General Studies – 2 (Polity, Governance & International Relations)

• Governance in India – M. Laxmikanth
• International Relations – Pavneet Singh
• Social Justice 

General Studies – 3 (Economy, Security & Technology)

• Challenges to Internal Security of India – Ashok Kumar

General Studies – 4 (Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude)

• Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude / or A Practical Approach to Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude – D.K. Balaji IAS
• Decode Ethics – Mudit Jain

APSC Previous Year Papers (Essential for Practice)

• APSC Prelims Question Papers
• APSC Mains Question Papers

This curated booklist ensures structured and effective preparation for APSC while avoiding unnecessary study material overload. Stick to minimum resources and focus on multiple revisions to optimize your success!