CGPSC Books 2025: Check Complete List of Recommended Books for Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission Prelims and Mains Exam

The first and the foremost step while preparing for the CGPSC CSE is to understand and be thoroughly clear with the CGPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus. The CGPSC Exam is conducted in three stages- Prelims, Mains, and Interview.

The aspirants are often in a state of confusion regarding the books and the reference material they should refer to. The candidates can refer to the detailed list of the recommended books for both the CGPSC Prelims and Mains exams as elaborated below.

Every year, approximately 1 lakhs+ candidates appear for the CGPSC CSE exam leading to fierce competition among the candidates. The aspiring candidates are recruited for various posts such as Civil Services, Police Services, Assistant Director, Deputy Collector, Tehsildar, and others.

CGPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2025

The CGPSC written exam is conducted in two phases: Preliminary and Mains. While the Preliminary exam consists of objective questions, the Mains exam comprises of subjective questions. The whole paper is divided into different sections and topics based on the subjects.

The CGPSC State services exam is divided into three distinctive stages:

  1. Prelims exam
  2. Main exam
  3. Personal Interview

CGPSC Prelims Exam 2025

The CGPSC Prelims exam is objective type in nature and comprises of Multiple Choice Questions having only one correct answer. The total marks allotted to the Prelims exam are 400.

The Prelims exam consists of two compulsory papers and the allotted duration of time for each paper is 2 hours. The two papers basically check the general knowledge and aptitude ability of the candidate.

Prelims Exam Paper Name Number of Questions Total Marks Exam Duration Negative Marking
Paper I General Studies 100 200 2 hours YES- 1/3 marks
Paper-II Aptitude Test 100 200 2 hours YES- 1/3 marks

NOTE

  • The minimum qualifying marks for the unreserved category are 33% whereas, for the reserved category and physically handicapped candidates, it is 23%.
  • Only the scores obtained in Paper I is used for preparing the merit list, Paper II is only qualifying in nature.
Prelims exam Syllabus

Syllabus for CGPSC Prelims exam 2025

As stated above, the Prelims exam is divided into Paper I and Paper-II.

The Paper I further consists of two parts:

  • Part I: Static General knowledge- History, Polity, Geography, and Current Affairs.
  • Part II: General knowledge of Chhattisgarh.

Prelims Paper II

This paper evaluates the logical and analytical ability of a candidate and comprises of topics like Logical Reasoning, Math, Attitude in comprehension, etc.

CGPSC Main Exam 2025

The CGPSC main exam consists of 7 papers on different subjects. All the papers consist of subjective type questions. The mains exam is an important factor in deciding whether a candidate would qualify for the next round of interviews or not.

As this stage consists of papers from different subjects, it evaluates a candidate’s comprehensive, analytical ability as well as his knowledge and intellectual skills to present the same in answers.

The division of papers and their allotted marks is given in the table below:

Prelims Exam Paper Name Total Marks Exam Duration Negative Marking
Paper I Language paper 200 3 hours NIL
Paper-II Essay paper 200 3 hours NIL
Paper III History, Constitution and Public Administration 200 3 hours NIL
Paper IV Science, Environment, and Technology 200 3 hours NIL
Paper V Geography and Economics 200 3 hours NIL
Paper VI Mathematics and Logical Ability 200 3 hours NIL
Paper VII Sociology and Philosophy 200 3 hours NIL
Total Marks 1400

Syllabus for CGPSC Mains 2025

Paper-I Language Paper

Syllabus:

  • Chhattisgarhi Language (Regional language of the state)
  • General English
  • General Hindi
  • General Sanskrit

Paper-II Essay Paper

Syllabus: Writing Essays on the following:

  • Problems/issues faced by India (National level)
  • Problems/issues faced by Chhattisgarh (State level)

Paper-III History, Constitution and Public Administration

Syllabus: Questions can be on the following topics:

  • Indian History
  • Indian National Movement
  • History of Chhattisgarh
  • Role of Chhattisgarh in the Indian National Movement
  • Indian Constitution
  • Public Administration

Paper-IV Science, Environment and Technology

Syllabus: Questions can be on the following topics:

  • Technology
  • Environment
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Biology

Paper-V Geography and Economics

Syllabus: Questions can be on the following topics:

  • Geography of the state of Chhattisgarh
  • Forest, Agriculture, Industry and Natural resources of Chhattisgarh
  • Economics of state of Chhattisgarh
  • Indian Economics
  • Planning in India

Paper-VI Mathematics and Logical Ability

Syllabus: Questions can be on the following topics:

  • Logical reasoning
  • Data analysis- Basic numeric mathematical operations
  • Rational numbers
  • Coordinate geometry
  • Algorithm method, A binary digital system, change in binary number to decimal number and vice versa

Paper-VII Sociology and Philosophy

Syllabus: Questions can be on the following topics:

  • Tribes of Chhattisgarh
  • Sociology
  • Indian Philosophy and Yoga
  • Art & Culture of Chhattisgarh

NOTE: All the papers can be attempted and answered either in English or Hindi. Candidates can choose any language between the two. However, this does not apply to language papers.

Personal Interview

The candidates, who qualify in the preliminary, as well as mains exam, are selected for the personal interview. The candidate here is judged on the basis of his mental alertness, clear and logical expression, critical thinking, leadership, intellectual and moral integrity, etc. The personality test is of 150 marks. The final list of recommended candidates for the CGPSC Civil services examination is based on the total marks obtained in the Mains examination and the personality test.

CGPSC 2022 result will be released on the official website. Candidates must start with their exam preparations in advance to get a good score.

CGPSC Books 2025 – Prelims Exam

Applicants preparing for the exam are worried about the Study Materials and Books required to clear the CGPSC Exam. There is no room for any kind of tension if your preparation is effective and also you have proper planning then it is not difficult to clear the cut-off.

All you need is these Best Books for CGPSC 2022 (By Expert & Previous Year Toppers). Plan your study schedule with these highly recommended books for CGPSC for sure success in the written exam.

One of the finest ways to prepare for CGPSC SSE is to split into fundamental parts and make a proper preparation plan. Refer to the important Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission Books for Prelims.

CGPSC Books – General Studies 

  • Chhatisgarh GS Part-1 by Dr.Manoj Agrawal
  • Chhatisgarh Rajya Seva Pariksha by Arihant
  • NCERT New Economics and polity syllabus 6th to 10th.

CGPSC Books – Aptitude Test

  • General Aptitude for CGPSC Paper-II, Publication is Arihant
  • Chhatisgarh GS Part-2 Dr.Manoj Agrawal
  • General Aptitude by Rk Agrawal.
Book Author/Publisher
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations RS Aggarwal
A New Approach to Reasoning BS Sijwali & Indu Sijwali (Arihant Publication)
Fast Track Objective Arithmetic Rajesh Verma

CGPSC Books – Mains

When it comes to the Mains Exam there are a lot of things to cover. We have prescribed the books for all the topics under Mains. Go through these books and include a proper study plan to clear the exam. Start your preparation right away and make the most out of these handy books.

The best and the most effective way to study for the mains and give the best performance is by compartmentalizing the syllabus. With over seven papers to study for, planning the study sessions and the revision sessions can be quite challenging. To ensure no time is wasted in incompetent reading, candidates are advised to choose the right study material according to their comfort.

This ensures that the candidates understand all concepts clearly and are able to give their best in the exams. Therefore, in order to ensure the candidates do not lose out much time in choosing the right material, we have compiled here a list of the best books for CGPSC Mains 2022 that the candidates can refer to for effective preparation.

CGPSC Books 2022 –Language( English, Chhattisgarhi)

  • General English by Pratiyogita Saransh
  • Chhattisgarhi Bhasha Avam Vyakaran by Hariram Patel.
  •  Essays For CGPSC civil Services Examinations by Ramesh Singh
  • Book Name: Compulsory English by Author: A P Bhardwaj

CGPSC Books 2025 – History

  • Chhattisgarh Ka Itihas by Yuvachar Publication
  • Ancient and Medieval History by Competition Community
  • History of Modern India by Bipan Chandra
  • Indian Art & Culture by Nitin Singhania
  • India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra
  • History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra
  • India’s Ancient Past by RS Sharma
  • The Wonder That Was India by A.L. Basham
  • History of Modern World by Jain and Mathur
  • Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe
  • India After Gandhi by Ramchandra Guha
  • Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe
  • Age of Revolution 1789-1848 by Eric Hobsbawm
  • Europe Since Napoleon by David Thompson
  • The social basis of Democracy & Dictatorship by B.J. Moore

CGPSC Books 2025 – Science, Technology and Environment Books 

  • Environment by Competition Community
  • Encyclopedia of General Science by Arihant
  • Technology by Competition Community
  • Physics, Chemistry, and Biology by NCERT books from 6th to 12th standard

CGPSC Books 2025 – Geography

  • Certificate Physical Geography – G C Leong
  • NCERT VI – X (Old Syllabus)
  • NCERT XI, XII (New Syllabus)

CGPSC Books 2025 – Economics

  • Economy by Competition Community
  • Indian Economy by Dr. Manoj Agrawal
  • Indian Geography by Competition Community
  • Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
  • Policies in India and Economic Development – Jain & Ohri
  • NCERT X

CGPSC Books 2022 – Polity and General Science Books

  • Samajshastra by B.K. Nayak
  • Advance Computer Awareness by Youth Competition Times
  • Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
  • India’s Foreign Policy by Rajiv Sikri

Best Books for CGPSC Chhattisgarh State Section

Book Author/ Publisher
Chhattisgarh General Knowledge Hari Ram Patel
Chhattisgarh Complete GK Tuteja Publication
Magazines Pratitogita Darpan (last six months), Samsyamiki Annual (Tuteja Publication), Vikash Parakh (Monthly)
PDFs of ACTS Government websites, Wikipedia, CG State Website
Previous Year Questions Muskan  Publications

The subject-wise books for the CGPSC Mains exam are as follows:

Subject Recommended Books
History
  • Ancient History – Old NCERT + Lucent
  • Medieval History – Old NCERT + Lucent
  • Modern History – Old NCERT + Lucent
Geography
  • New NCERT (Class VI-X)
  • Physical Geography- Class XI NCERT (New)
Polity
  • Indian Polity by M.Laxmikant
  • Governance is a dynamic subject – Newspaper + Internet
Economy
  • NCERT- Class 11th
  • Ramesh Singh’s Indian Economy ( 11th Edition)
  • Indian Economy by Sanjiv Verma
Social Issues
  • Vikaspedia + MP Govt website + Internet (selectively)
Ethics
  • Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
  • TMH Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by M.Karthikeyan
Madhya Pradesh General Knowledge
  • Know Your State- Madhya Pradesh by Arihant
  • Lucent’s Madhya Pradesh Samanya Gyan
Hindi
  • Lucent’s Samanya Hindi
  • Lucent’s Sampurna Hindi Vyakaran Aur Rachna
Hindi Essay
  • Nimband Manjusha by Samiratmaj Mishra
  • 151 Nibandh for IAS/PCS & other Competitive Exam by Disha Expert
  • Hindi magazines – Pratiyogita Darpan/ghanta chakra for contemporary updates

Since the syllabus for the CGPSC exam is extremely lengthy, aspirants should always prepare their notes while going through study materials/ books. This helps in revision during the final days before the exam. The candidates must also practice enough previous year questions to get an idea and feel about the exam.

CGPSC Books 2025: FAQs

Ques. Which newspapers are useful for the preparation of CGPSC?

Ans. Newspapers like The Hindu, Indian Express, Dainik Jagran, Jagran Josh, The Times Of India, The Economic Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Business Standard etc are most useful for the preparation of CGPSC.

Ques. Which magazines are useful for the preparation of CGPSC?

Ans. Magazines like Yojana, Kurukshetra, Vikash Parakh Economic and Political Weekly, Down to Earth, Pratiyogita Nirdeshika, Chronicle etc can also be used for the preparation of current affairs.

Ques. Which is the best reference material for the preparation of the CGPSC Interview?

Ans. The Interview Round assess the personality of the candidate. Candidates are judged on the basis of their knowledge and their aptitude while answering the questions. The candidates can prepare for the interview with the help of the following references- Chhattisgarh PSC Interview A to Z, UPSC IAS/ IPS PCS PSC Pre+ Mains+ Interview by Ashri Mishra, Piyush Tiwari & Others, Newspaper and Internet.

Ques. How are Lucent’s books for CGPSC Preparations?

Ans. For the CGPSC exam, Lucent is quite crucial. The majority of questions are taken directly from the Lucent GK book, according to the prior year’s question papers. The candidate should first understand principles from Lucent’s subjective GK book, and only then should they begin working on targets. It covers a wide range of topics in an easy-to-understand manner.

Ques. How should I start my CGPSC Preparations?

Ans. The right preparation strategy is to be well-aware of the syllabus and finding the right topics according to their weightage that is crucial in cracking the exam. Also one should start with the NCERTs first.

error: Content is protected !!