If you are a Government exam or Bank exam aspirant then you are probably trying to figure out how to get an edge over the lakhs of other aspirants vying for the same job on offer. It is understandable since the competition is ruthless and dedicated preparation and effort are required to crack the exam.
In this article, we will go over some of the best study material and reference books that can help you crack the exam effortlessly.
The major sections or subjects that are tested in any Government exam or bank exam are quantitative aptitude or numerical ability, logical reasoning ability, English language or verbal reasoning, general knowledge (both static & dynamic GK) or general awareness, banking awareness and computer awareness.
The syllabus for most government exams and bank exams is the same although the difficulty level of the questions asked across topics may vary based on the exam or the role you are applying for.
For instance, the SSC conducts both the SSC CGL and SSC CHSL to onboard candidates for various roles. Even though the SSC CGL syllabus is almost identical to that of the SSC CHSL, the SSC CGL is a much more difficult exam compared to the SSC CHSL. The level of conceptual understanding tested is slightly higher for the SSC CGL but the concepts and topics are broadly the same. This holds good for multiple exams conducted by other recruiting bodies such as the IBPS (IBPS PO & IBPS clerk) or SBI (SBI PO & SBI clerk).
Here are some of our recommendations for study material/reference books:
*Please try to stick to one reference book or a maximum of 2 books per subject. Choose books based on your style of preparation. Exam-specific books are always better for practicing questions.
| Section/Subject | Name of the Book | Author’s name (Publication) | Remarks |
| English Language or Verbal Reasoning
English Language or Verbal Reasoning |
Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis (Goyal Publication) | Best book for building your vocabulary. It will come in handy for solving vocabulary based questions such as antonyms, synonyms and analogy. |
| High School Grammar & Composition | Wren and Martin | This is the holy bible for English Grammar. It is ideal for understanding the nuances of grammar but you will have to refer to other books for solving exam specific questions. | |
| Mirror of Common Errors | Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh | Concepts are explained in an elaborate manner. The higher level difficulty questions given in this book are much needed with the changing trends of the bank exams and Government exams. | |
| Objective General English | S.P. Bakshi (Arihant Publication) | – | |
| How to prepare for verbal ability & reading comprehension | Arun Sharma | This book has a lot of advanced level questions for practise but they may not be relevant for some exams of lower difficulty. | |
| From Plinth to Paramount | Neetu Singh (KD Publications) | Any aspirant preparing for SSC exams should at least go through the concise grammar section of this book. | |
| Quantitative aptitude or numerical ability | NCERT maths (grades 6 to 11) | ||
| Fast Track Objective Arithmetic | Rajesh Verma | ||
| Quantitative aptitude for competitive examinations | RS Agarwal (S Chand Publications) | This book is ideal for gaining conceptual clarity but the problems provided are very basic in nature. | |
| Elementary and advanced mathematics | Kiran Publications | It doesn’t have any concept explanations and should be used only after you are clear with the concepts. | |
| Magical book on quicker maths | M Tyra (BSC publications) | It has a lot of shortcuts and will help you improve your problem solving speed. | |
| Quantum CAT | Sarvesh K verma (Arihant Publications) | It has a lot of advanced questions. | |
| SSC Mathematics | Rakesh Yadav (Rakesh Yadav Reader Publication) | Ideal for competitive exams conducted by the SSC (SSC CGL & SSC CHSL) | |
| Logical Ability or Logical Reasoning | Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning | Gajendra Kumar (Disha Publications) | This book includes a lot of higher level questions and solving problems from this book will boost your confidence. |
| A modern approach to verbal and non-verbal reasoning | R. S Agarwal (S Chanda and Sons Publication) | Ideal for SSC exams | |
| Analytical Reasoning | M.K. Pandey | ||
| How to prepare for logical reasoning | Arun Sharma | ||
| Logical & Analytical Reasoning | A.K Gupta | ||
| GK or General Awareness | Manorama Yearbook | ||
| Monthly Magazines & Newspapers for Dynamic GK or Current Affairs | |||
| General Knowledge | Lucent Publication | ||
| NCERT textbooks for History, Geography, Biology, Science, And Economics | |||
| Banking Awareness | Banking Awareness | RPH Editorial Board | |
| Computer Awareness | Objective Question Bank of Computer Awareness for General Competitions | Arihant Publications | |
| NCERT textbook |
Now that you know the best resources to prepare from it’s time to start gearing up for the exams.
Good luck!
Read More on KulFiy: Examination Preparation Strategies