NCERT Books For UPSC Preparation are one of the best sources for every UPSC Aspirant. The reason behind this is that these IAS NCERT Books explain the basic concepts in very simple terms. Another key factor why aspirants refer to these books is their validity, as the information is provided by Government institutions. So, NCERT Books for UPSC should be referred by the IAS Aspirants.
The 2023 notification is out on 1st February 2023. Candidates have lots of time at their disposal to complete their IAS exam preparations. If you are searching for the Best NCERT Books for IAS, you have stumbled upon the right place. In this article, our UPSC CSE Coaching team have provided the list of NCERT books for UPSC Prelims and Mains exams.
You can also check out the Old NCERT Books For UPSC on this attached link.
NCERT Books For UPSC – IAS Prelims Exam 2023
This exam is conducted to screen candidates for the main exam. The total weightage in this exam will be 400 marks divided equally between paper I & paper II. You should start your preparations now if you want to qualify for the IAS Mains exam. Have a look at the below-mentioned NCERT book list to understand which NCERT books to read for UPSC exam!
NCERT Books For UPSC – IAS Mains Exam 2023
Candidates qualifying the prelims exam will have to appear for the UPSC IAS mains. This exam will have a weightage of 1750 marks in total. In this exam, there will be both descriptive and objective-type papers. Therefore, you have to study a vast syllabus to cover these papers. Here is the UPSC NCERT Book List for the mains exam that will help you to clear the cut-off in this exam.
Top UPSC NCERT Books For Paper I
- Ancient History by R.S Sharma
- Politics in India since Independence (NCERT)
- Fundamentals of Physical Geography (NCERT)
- India: Physical Environment (NCERT)
- India People and Economy (NCERT)
- Social Change and Development in India (NCERT)
- Indian Society (NCERT)
Top UPSC NCERT Books For Paper II
- Indian Constitution at Work (NCERT)
- Contemporary World Politics (NCERT)
Top UPSC NCERT Books For Paper III
- India People and Economy (NCERT)
- NCERT Class XII – Introductory Microeconomics
- NCERT Class XII – Introductory Macroeconomics
Top UPSC NCERT Books For Paper IV
- Psychology NCERT class 12th book
Know How to read NCERT for UPSC here!
UPSC NCERT Books – Classwise List Of NCERT
Below is the table, we have mentioned the must-read NCERT Books for UPSC.
| Must Read Classwise NCERT Books For UPSC |
| Class |
Textbooks |
| 6th |
- History: Our Past
- Geography: The Earth Our Habitat
- Social Science: Social & Political Life I
- Science: Science: Class VI
|
| 7th |
- History: Our Past – II
- Geography: Our Environment
- Social Science: Social & Political Life II
- Science: Science – Class VII
|
| 8th |
- History: Our Past III – Part I & II
- Geography: Resource and Development
- Social Science: Social & Political Life III
- Science: Science – Class VIII
|
| 9th |
- History: India and the Contemporary World-I
- Geography: Contemporary India – I
- Political Science: Democratic Politics Part – I
- Science: Class IX
- Economics: Economics
|
| 10th |
- History: India and the Contemporary World – II
- Geography: Contemporary India – II
- Political Science: Democratic Politics Part – II
- Science: Class X
- Economics: Understanding Economic Development
|
| 11th |
- History: Themes in World History
- Geography:
- Fundamentals Of Physical Geography
- India- Physical Environment
- Science:
- Chemistry: Unit 14
- Biology: Unit 4 & 5
- Economics: Indian Economic Development
- Sociology: Understanding Society
- Political Science: Indian Constitution at Work
- Indian Culture:
- An Introduction to Indian Art
- Living Craft Traditions of India (Chapters 9 & 10)
|
| 12th |
- History: Themes in Indian History
- Geography:
- Fundamentals Of Human Geography
- India – People & Economy
- Science:
- Chemistry: Unit 16
- Biology: Unit 8, 9 & 10
- Economics: Introductory Macroeconomics
- Sociology:
- Indian Society
- Social Change and Development in India
- Political Science: Contemporary World Politics
|
Hindi medium candidates can check the UPSC NCERT Book List in Hindi on the linked article.
We hope this NCERT Book List for UPSC will help you prepare for the IAS prelims and mains exam. You can also read our NCERT Notes for UPSC on the linked article. You can also join our NCERT Foundation Course to access mock tests, and live classes or install any mobile app for the latest updates.
NCERT Books for UPSC: FAQs
Which are the best IAS NCERT books for UPSC CSE 2023?
We have listed the top UPSC NCERT Books for both IAS Prelims and Main Exam in this article. Please refer to the article above to know more.
Which is the best NCERT Book for UPSC IAS Geography?
You can refer to class 6th to 12th NCERT Books and prepare for the geography section.
Which are the top NCERT books for UPSC IAS History?
You can refer to various NCERT books of class 6th to 12th.
Which are the top IAS NCERT books for UPSC CSE Mains Paper I?
Ancient History by R.S. Sharma, Politics in India since Independence (NCERT), Fundamentals of Physical Geography (NCERT), etc.
Which are the best NCERT books for UPSC IAS Mains Paper II?
Indian Constitution at Work (NCERT) and Contemporary World Politics (NCERT) and the best NCERT books for IAS Mains Paper II preparation.
Are NCERT Books must for UPSC Preparation?
Yes, the NCERT books have concise information in straightforward language, making it easy to understand. Moreover, they are essential from both UPSC Prelims and Mains exam perspectives.
Are NCERT Books enough for IAS Exam?
NCERT books are a must for the IAS exam. However, candidates should also refer to subject-specific books (e.g. Indian Polity by Laxmikant) and keep tabs on current affairs.
Does UPSC ask questions from NCERT?
From its inception itself, UPSC has asked many questions directly from the NCERT books. If we analyze it in detail, UPSC has asked some questions directly from NCERT books.
Is NCERT sufficient to pass the UPSC Prelims examination?
NCERT Books cannot be ignored for UPSC Exams and a huge portion of UPSC Prelims can be covered from these. However, you still need a few reference books and a newspaper to cover the UPSC Syllabus.
Which years ncert books are to be referred for UPSC CSE Examination?
You can refer to either old or new NCERT books for your UPSC preparation. Check the NCERT Notes for UPSC in the linked article.
