NCERT books of class 11 and 12 are considered to be the base for UPSC Civil Services Examination. These books are written in simple English language, are full of facts and include all the basic aspects of history of India namely Ancient history, Medieval history and the Modern history. However, the question that comes to the mind of every aspirant is – are they enough?
The short answer is: They are required but not sufficient for the exam.
Why Are NCERT History Books Important for UPSC?
The NCERT books for history UPSC ensure that the civil servants understand timelines, ideas, and the formation of society, politics, and economy in India. They are especially useful for freshers who are entering the UPSC field for the very first time.
Here's how NCERTs contribute to your preparation:
|
NCERT Class |
Focus Area |
Importance in UPSC Exam |
|---|---|---|
|
Class 6–10 |
Basic historical framework |
Helps in understanding chronology and facts |
|
Class 11 |
Ancient & Medieval history |
Crucial for Prelims and GS Paper I (Mains) |
|
Class 12 |
Modern Indian history |
Highly relevant for Prelims & Mains both |
Thus, NCERTs are the first stepping stone in building a solid understanding of Indian history.
Can You Rely Solely on NCERTs for UPSC History?
However, UPSC can ask analytical and interlinked questions while NCERTs form the basic foundation for the preparation. That is why additional sources or reference books are used in this case.
NCERTs help you:
• Have a general knowledge of the events and ideas
• Develop time line and understand the sequence of time
• Some of the objectives of Prelims are to provide short and direct answers to factual questions.
However, they may lack when it comes to:
• More elaboration in the answers given in the Mains.
• Historical themes related to the present events
• In-depth understanding of culture, art, and historiography
Read More: UPSC Preparation Books vs Online Resources – What Works Better?
Do NCERTs Help in Prelims or Mains?
They are quite helpful during the UPSC Prelims examination because the examination mostly involves facts and figures. In mains, they assist in coming up with a good framework for the writing of coherent and well-articulated answers.
As per the advice of many toppers, one should revise NCERTs many times before even opening any other reference history book for UPSC.
How Should One Use NCERT Books for History UPSC?
Here are some guidelines, which will help a student to make the best of them:
• Read them in a sequence: From class 6 up to class 12.
• Take notes with the timelines and the main events
• However, books of class 11 and 12 should be concentrated on as they have been known to cover most of the UPSC syllabus.
• Also, attempt previous years’ questions that were set for Prelims together
Is NCERT the Best Book for History for UPSC?
The answer to this question is quite relative and depends on the preparedness of the respective side. For the first time learners, it can be suggested that NCERTs are one of the best books for history for UPSC. They are informative and more often cited in numerous UPSC books and materials used in coaching.
However, to excel in Mains, the candidate has to go beyond the books like NCERTs in order to gain more understanding.
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Conclusion:
The UPSC aspirants should start their preparation for history subject from the NCERT books of class 11 and class 12. They play the role of assisting students to grasp fundamental concepts, time, and major historical accounts. However, to get a comprehensive preparation, the aspirants should supplement them with practice, previous papers, and higher level of reading. However, there is no preparation without NCERTs.
