How to read NCERT for UPSC Civil Services Examination

Civil services aspirants are generally advised to start with NCERT for the UPSC preparation. These books should be read before other standard reference books. The reason is very simple and clear - because they help in building a strong foundation. Even, the previous years' question papers analysis underscores the importance of NCERT for UPSC. It is clearly mentioned in the analysis that questions are consistently asked directly or indirectly from NCERT books.

Moreover, NCERT books offer concise coverage of most of the topics which are mentioned in the UPSC Civil Services Syllabus. If you're on a time crunch, simply download our NCERT compilations for UPSC and kickstart your UPSC preparation!

How to read NCERT for UPSC?

There is no one way to read NCERTs for UPSC. You can adopt any of the approaches that you deem fit and start with your UPSC preparation.

• You can choose any subject first and then, start from class 6 to 12 for that particular subject book. However, according to the weightage and simplicity of the syllabus, it is best to start with Indian Polity NCERT books for UPSC.
• In your first reading, try to understand the basic concepts, and then in the second reading, you can make your own notes.
• You can also skip the note-making process of NCERT books for UPSC. Just supplement your NCERT reading with the CL-NCERT compilations and make necessary notes right there. In that case, you’ll have succinct NCERT revision notes ready with you for multiple revisions!
• Generally, for history, the old NCERT books are recommended and, for geography, new ones. However, our NCERT compilations are in tune with the UPSC preparation needs. So, even if you are not able to get the NCERT books for UPSC, you can rely on these.
• Once you’ve curated the list of books, then prepare a time schedule to finish your NCERTs reading in about 2-months time. It is imperative to understand the NCERTs are the basic foundational books that are a must-read. However, make sure to finish at least two readings of NCERT books for UPSC in 2 months’ time

If you want to avoid the confusion of old and new NCERTs, then you can go with the Career launcher's NCERTs Compilation. We are providing you with a compilation of OLD and NEW NCERTs; it will help you and provide a clear pathway for your preparation.

Must-Read List of NCERT for UPSC

Here is a subject-wise list of NCERT for UPSC that you must refer to while starting your preparation. You can download the NCERTs from the official website for free.

History

• Class 6: Our Past I
• Class 7: Our past II
• Class 8: Our past III (Part 1 and 2)
• Class 9: India and the Contemporary world - I and II
• Class 10: Themes in World History, India and the contemporary world II
• Class 11: Themes in World History (Industrial revolution)
• Class 12: Themes in Indian History I, II and III

Indian Society

• Class 11: Sociology: Understanding Society
• Class 12: Indian society

Art & Culture

• Class 11: An Introduction to Indian Art
• Class 11: Living Craft Traditions of India (Chapters 9 & 10)
• Class 12: Craft Traditions of India

Geography

• Class 6: The Earth: Our Habitat
• Class 7: Our Environment
• Class 8: Resources and Development
• Class 9: Contemporary India - I
• Class 10: Contemporary India - II
• Class 11: Fundamentals of Physical Geography
• Class 11: India - Physical Environment
• Class 12: Fundamentals of Human Geography
• Class 12: India - People and Economy

Economics

• Class 9 - 12
• Class 9: Economics
• Class 10: Understanding Economic Development
• Class 11: Indian Economic Development
• Class 12: Introductory Microeconomics
• Class 12: Introductory Macroeconomics

Polity

• Class 9 - 12
• Class 9: Democratic Politics I
• Class 10: Democratic Politics II
• Class 11: Indian Constitution at work
• Class 11: Political Theory
• Class 12: Contemporary World Politics
• Class 12: Politics in India since Independence

Sociology

• Class 12: Social change & development in India

Science and Technology

• Class 7 - 10 (All the books);
• Class 11 and 12 (Selective)
• Class 12: Ecology (Unit 10)
• Chapter 13: Organisms & Population
• Chapter 14: Ecosystem
• Chapter 15: Biodiversity & Conservation
• Chapter 16: Environmental Issues
• Class 11: Chemistry (Unit 14) Biology (Units 4 & 5)
• class 12: Chemistry (Unit 16) Biology (Units 8,9 and 10)
• Environment and Ecology
• Class 12: Biology: Last four chapters (13 to 16)
• Chapters on Biotechnology

Once you’ve read all the NCERT for UPSC, you can write NCERT-centered mock tests to assess your performance. Make sure to analyze each mock test in-depth to gain insights into your preparation.

We hope that this exclusive list of NCERTs will help you in shaping your preparation. If you’re on a time crunch, you can also rely on our foundational NCERT program that will help you kickstart your preparation for this prestigious exam.