Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of books and online resources flooding the market? There is an abundant number of sources for essential subjects like General Awareness, Mathematics, Reasoning, and English. Many aspirants are conflicting on how to choose the right books and follow them to ace various government exams at once.
Here are the top sources that you can refer to for each of the asked sections in the examinations.
Right Sources for Government Exams
1. Quantitative Aptitude
Knowledge of each and every concept, trick, and calculation skills are the primary testing areas in quantitative aptitude. In exams like SSC, arithmetic and advanced maths are asked to test the numerical abilities of the aspirants.
Some of the Critical Topics in This Section Include:
- Number system
- Decimals, fractions, and relationships between numbers
- Percentage
- Ratio & Proportion
- Square roots
- Averages
- Simple Interest and Compound Interest
- Profit and Loss, Discount, and Partnership
- Mixture and Alligation
- Time and distance
- Time & Work
- Basic algebraic identities
- Geometry
- Trigonometry
The Top Sources for Quantitative Aptitude Are:
- NCERT Maths from Grade 6 to Grade 11
- Quantitative Aptitude by Dr. R.S Agarwal
- Advance Maths by Rakesh Yadav
- Arithmetic Maths by Rakesh Yadav
- Previous year compilations like Rakesh Yadav, Kiran, or other trusted sources.
2. English language
The candidates are tested on their English comprehension and grammar skills. The questions are asked in the form of fill in the blanks, reading comprehension, puzzles, cloze tests, etc.
Some of the Essential Topics in This Section Include:
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Fill in the blanks
- Idioms and phrases
- Cloze test
- Jumbled/ shuffling of the sentences
- Direct and indirect speech
- One word substitutions
- Vocabulary
- Active and passive voice
- Spotting the error
Top Sources for the English Language Are:
- Objective General English by SP Bakshi
- Wren & Martin – High School English Grammar and Composition
- From Plinth to Paramount- Neetu Singh
- A Mirror of Common Errors- Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh
3. General Intelligence and Reasoning
In this section, the questions are asked from verbal and non-verbal reasoning sections. The reasoning is a scoring section for government examinations, thus the students must devote adequate time to grasp the crucial topics. It is a section where students can gain utmost benefits from mocks and previous year's papers.
Some of the Decisive Topics in This Section Include:
- Data sufficiency
- Blood relation
- Analogy and similarities
- Statement and conclusion
- Coding-decoding
- Puzzle
- Non-verbal reasoning
- Seating arrangement
- Ranking
- Syllogism
- Mathematical operations
The Top Sources for General Intelligence and Reasoning Are:
- Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by Dr. R.S. Aggarwal
- Analytical Reasoning by M.K. Pandey
- Previous year's solved papers
4. General Awareness
It includes the knowledge of important sections in history, art and culture, economics, general science, Indian polity, geography, and current affairs. With the changing trends, the weightage of current affairs has increased in recent years.
Some of the Crucial Topics in This Section Include:
- Current affairs: Nominations, awards, honours, books, authors, etc.
- Geography: Latitudes, longitudes, continents and oceans, solar system, the transport system in India, important boundary lines, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, water resources, soil resources, etc.
- History: Ancient- Gupta period, Indus and Harappan civilisation; Medieval- Rajput period, Chola & others, Bhakti movement; Modern India- Expansion of British Power, Freedom struggle, and the Gandhian Era; Miscellaneous- Important dates, foreign travellers, places.
- Economics: Highlights of Indian Economy, Indian Financial System, Banking in India.
- Indian Politics: Evolution of Indian Constitution, Union and its territories, Preamble, Citizenship.
The Top Sources for General Awareness Are:
- Manorama Yearbook
- NCERT Books of Class X and XII- History, Geography, Economics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics
- General Knowledge books
- Newspapers like the Indian Express, The Hindu, etc. for current affairs.
Conclusion
Use these sources to start your preparation journey. Combine these sources with daily revision, regular mocks, and previous year's papers to practice qualifying for the exams. Perseverance combined with discipline is the key to qualifying for the toughest of the government exams.
