I am going to provide some useful information which is helpful for both types of candidates Prelims and Mains Candidates. I am also going to provide important books for UPSC (IAS) Prelims and Mains preparation. Every book I mention was recommended by IAS toppers (based on the interviews and other legitimate research that I have conducted).

UPSC exam toppers have referred to multiple books for various subjects. The best way is to buy them second hand on websites like Used books factory, which have a separate book section for UPSC/ civil services exam preparation

The UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) will conduct the CSE (civil services examination) to select individuals for appointments to various administrative posts under the Government of India. This exam is known to be one of the most difficult exams in India and over the years, a large number of students have found this examination a tough nut to crack The CSE is a three-stage selection process involving a preliminary examination, main examination, and personality test (interview stage).

There is a lack of proper understanding of the nature of examination among the masses. One must start preparing well before the completion of his or her graduation. This will give an immense advantage to that candidate over the others in the final competition. These are the type of candidates who qualify for the civil services examination in the very first attempt.

Monthwise plan for UPSC preparation

Mid-May to June-end: Finish the first reading of recommended NCERTs from classes 6 to 12 in one-and-a-half-months. After reading the NCERTs, you should look at the previous year's questions of each subject from which they realize that questions come beyond the NCERTs. This will help in understanding the trend of prelims questions being asked in the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exam.

June to December: These months involve a three-pronged strategy - revision with the help of the NCERT test series, studying advanced concepts by joining an online GS Foundation course, and completing an optional for UPSC Main examination.

January & February: By now, every aspirant appearing in the IAS exam must be done with an optional course and have finished 80 percent of GS courses. Now after this, an aspirant must utilize these 2 months for optional revision at least a time and completion of the GS Course.

March & April: During February the application forms are released. Therefore, candidates usually get nearly two-three months to start preparation. It involves revision of standard books at least by 2 times, revision of year-long current affairs, and start practicing full mock tests.

Every student must have practiced around 8000+ MCQs by the end of April. But practicing MCQs is not enough. The student must also undertake the revision of these MCQs very quickly in the month of April.

May: Last month before the prelim exam is the most crucial month as this will decide the fate of most of the students. Every student must ensure at least 2 times a quick revision of their complete course and around 5 full mock tests to be attempted.

Important books for UPSC (IAS) Preparation: Prelims

Book Name	Book Author/Publication
History	1. India's Struggle for Independence - Bipan Chandra 2. Facets of Indian Culture - Spectrum 3. NCERT XI (Ancient & Medieval) 4. NCERT XII (Modern Indian History
Geography	1. Certificate Physical Geography - G C Leong 2. NCERT VI - X (Old Syllabus) 3. NCERT XI, XII (New Syllabus) 4. World Atlas
Indian Polity	1. Indian Polity - M Laxmikanth 2. NCERT IX-XII
Economics	1. Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh 2. Economic Development & Policies in India - Jain & Ohri 3. NCERT XI
International Relations	1. NCERT XII (Contemporary World Politics) 2. Current Affairs
CSAT	1. Tata McGraw Hill CSAT Manual 2. CSAT II - Arihant 3. Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning - R S Aggarwal

UPSC Books - Best Books For IAS Mains

Book Name	Book Author/Publication
History, Indian Heritage & Culture [GS Paper 1]	1. An Introduction to Indian Art Part 1: Textbook in Fine Arts for Class XI 2. India's Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra 3. India after Independence by Bipan Chandra 4. History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra 5. Ancient India by R.S Sharma
Geography [GS Paper 1]	1. Geography of India by Majid Husain 2. World Geography by Majid Husain 3. World Atlas 4. Certificate Physical and Human Geography - G C Leong 5. Fundamentals of Physical Geography NCERT Class 11
Polity & International Relations [GS Paper 2]	1. Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth 2. Introduction to the Constitution of India by DD Basu 3. India's Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri
Economy [GS Paper 3]	1. Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
Ethics [GS Paper 4]	1. Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude for Civil Services Main Examination by Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary

Apart from the books mentioned above, the essential UPSC Study Material includes:

• 2nd ARC Report
• Economic Survey (Latest)
• Budget (Latest)
• Finance Commission Report (Latest)
• Annual reports by central ministries
• Current Affairs
  • The Hindu Newspaper
  • Yojana Magazine
  • Press Information Bureau Releases
• Niti Aayog Action Agenda

 

With this huge list of books comes another big problem, purchasing all of them requires a lot of money and it is not easy to manage them all this is where Used books factory comes in, Instead of wasting time searching for these books online and paying ridiculous amounts used books factory provides second hand used books at a fraction of the price and thus encourage students to follow "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle", thereby making this world a better place and greener. After visiting www.usedbooksfactory.com you can find various sections Popular categories Books, High Demand Books, etc. Moreover, you can also easily search for the books that you require and you can also request any book that you require and they will notify you once it's available.

Would recommend checking them out for cheap books and Arm yourself with the can-do spirit and you shall pass this examination in grand style. I am absolutely certain of that! Good luck.