Top Entrance Exam Books in India – 2026 (Exam-Wise Guide)

Choosing the right books is one of the most important steps in preparing for competitive and entrance exams in India. Beyond online classes, quality books help build strong concepts, extensive practice, and exam-oriented problem solving. Below is a trusted list of top books recommended for preparations in 2026.

1. JEE Main & Advanced (Engineering Entrance)

Fundamentals & Theory

NCERT Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics – Base syllabus clarity.

Concepts of Physics – H.C. Verma (Vol. 1 & 2) – Great for conceptual understanding.

Objective Mathematics – R.D. Sharma (Class 11 & 12) – Strong foundation before advanced problem books.

Advanced Practice

Problems in General Physics – I.E. Irodov – Best for deep, advanced level questions.

Physical Chemistry – P. Bahadur – Numerical practice for chemistry concepts.

Organic Chemistry – Morrison & Boyd and O.P. Tandon – Mechanisms and reactions explained.

Cengage / Arihant Series – Topic-wise structured practice sets.

Tip: Start with NCERT → conceptual books → advanced problem books → PYQs & mock tests.

2. NEET (Medical Entrance)

Core Books

NCERT Biology 11 & 12 – Most important books for NEET.

Trueman’s Biology Vol. 1 & 2 – Extra explanation & practice.

Physics

Concepts of Physics by H.C. Verma – Clear understanding for NEET physics.

DC Pandey Series (Physics) – Focused practice questions.

Chemistry

O.P. Tandon (All Three Sections) – Strong reference for Physical/Organic/Inorganic.

MS Chauhan Organic Practice – Extra practice MCQs.

3. UPSC Civil Services Examination

UPSC requires preparation across General Studies + CSAT:

 

General Studies Core Books

Indian Polity – M. Laxmikanth – Must-have for polity.

Old NCERTs (History & Geography) – Foundation for prelims.

Spectrum: A Brief History of Modern India – Excellent for modern history.

Indian Art & Culture – Nitin Singhania – Art & culture syllabus.

Indian Economy – Ramesh Singh – Economy concepts and policies.

CSAT / Aptitude

CSAT Paper-I standard books – Basic reasoning and math practice for the aptitude test.

Current Affairs

Daily newspapers (The Hindu / Indian Express) + monthly magazines.

4. CAT (MBA Entrance)

Core Preparation Books

How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude – Arun Sharma / Nishit Sinha

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension – Meenakshi Upadhyay / Arun Sharma

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation – RS Aggarwal / Arun Sharma

These focus on concepts, shortcuts and regular CAT patterns.

 

5. NDA / Defence Exams

Recommended Guides

NDA Entrance Exam Guide – NDA Solved Papers + Practice Sets

SSB Guide & OIR Practice Books – Covers Officer Intelligence Rating tests.

Reasoning & Maths standard books – For aptitude and maths sections.

6. SSC, Banking & Other Competitive Exams

Lucent’s General Knowledge – Quick GK revision for SSC / banking.

Arihant Logical Reasoning & Quant Practice – Aptitude & reasoning focus.

Solved Papers Book (Year-wise) – Learn from past patterns and questions.

7. PYQs & Solved Papers (All Exams)

One of the most effective preparation tools is Previous Years’ Questions (PYQs) — now even for JEE, NEET, CAT, UPSC, CLAT, NDA, SSC & more. Solving PYQs helps you understand trends and high-yield topics.

Exam-specific solved papers are available from trusted publishers like Oswaal Books and others updated for 2026 patterns.