Most competitive examinations require the students to be adept in general knowledge. You are supposed to know what is going around in the world, both nationally and internationally.
Since general knowledge is such a broad subject, it can be a challenge to know where to begin. To make your preparations a little bit easier, a list of best general knowledge books have been compiled for you. It is not necessary to buy and follow every book on this list.
You should choose a select few to purchase and then study them. This way your concentration is focused on only a few without too many distractions.
UPSC being one of the most competitive exams in the world and this list will help you in finding Best Gk books for UPSC .
Best GK Books for UPSC
1. Lucent’s General Knowledge
At least 8 out of 10 UPSC aspirants will admit to having referred to Lucent’s General Knowledge for their examination.
And all of them would recommend it to other students.
This book is immensely popular among the students who are appearing for competitive examinations and not just UPSC.
A new edition is published every couple of years to keep the content of the book updated and relevant.
Students can be assured that they are reading and learning information that is not outdated.
This book contains data from all sectors and not just one particular one.
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2. General Knowledge 2022
This book focuses on five main sections namely history, geography, economics, polity and General Science.
All of these sections are directed toward the national aspect.
For instance, Indian history and geography facts are mentioned.
The economy of the country takes the centre stage as compared to that of the global economy.
Similarly, Indian polity and its related data fill the pages on the polity.
General Knowledge combines all the major events and changes of the year into a compact and manageable piece of study material.
Going through this, you will be able to identify the crucial information that may be asked in the examination.To keep things interesting for the students, the book often uses graphs and charts to demonstrate the different data and structures.
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3. S. Chand’s Advanced Objective General Knowledge
Like any other general knowledge book, this has been revised regularly so that people can continue to gain benefits from it.
The latest edition of this book has all the updated questions from the different competitive examinations.
It has been edited as well according to the current exam pattern.
The contents of the book have been divided into separate sections so that it is easier for the student to navigate through them.
Each chapter corresponds to a particular topic such as history or polity.
And, it is followed by the questions from the previous competitive exams which are relevant to that topic. This makes it easier for the student to revise what they have learned and what kind of questions to expect from the paper.
Several model sets of test papers are also provided that give the students a sense of the different types of questions they will be getting like assertion-reasoning, matching questions, and so on.
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4. Concise General Knowledge Manual 2021
As the name suggests this book is the concise form of general knowledge that you would need to know.
Like most of the other books on this list, Concise General Knowledge Manual 2021 is also specially put together for students preparing for various competitive examinations such as Banking, Railways, and UPSC.
It covers all the main topics that you would expect from a GK book.
For the benefit and ease of the students, these topics are further broken down into smaller ones.
Instead of a big chapter on the governments in the country, it is divided into smaller sections such as the Union government, state governments, and local governments.
Science is divided into separate subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Life Sciences, and the human body.
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5. One Liner Approach General Knowledge – 1822
It approaches general knowledge in a unique and precise way where only one line of facts is provided to the students.
Within one line it combines all the necessary information that the student is supposed to know.
This way it can fit more information within a smaller space. It deals with a large number of subjects and has abundant facts on each of them.
Some of the topics that it covers are – Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India, Music, Art, Culture, Architecture, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
It even covers the global aspect of some of the topics such as World History and Geography.
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6. Rapid General Knowledge 2021
This book is updated with the latest national news including the budget and various other developments.
Most of the important sectors are covered in the book such as Agriculture, Environment, Science, Banking, and Railways.
Several important policies and sports events that have taken place during the year are also included in this book.
The size of the book is quite small because it has been made to be a quick read or study companion.
The students can thus handily use this book for revising their knowledge and it's regarded as one of the best general knowledge book for competitive exams.
Instead of using the bulkier and content-heavy books, Rapid General Knowledge 2021 will be a quicker way to brush up on your general knowledge.
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7. General Studies – 10000+ Objective MCQs
The bestseller book of Disha Publications, ‘10000+ Objective General Studies MCQs with 100% Explanatory Notes' is back with the newest edition.
The 4th edition has been recently updated to the latest exam patterns of UPSC, Bank, and other competitive exams and it's considered as one of the best gk book for competitive exams.
New current affairs have been added to it and outdated information has been removed.
There are eight major sections in the book which are further divided into smaller portions.
It contains sections on Economy, History, Geography, Environment, and Polity.
Major events of both India and the world have been added to this edition. The 10000+ multiple-choice questions are the highlight of the book. It is not common to find such a large inventory of questions in a single book.
You can use this book solely for last-minute practice or keep solving them as you study.
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8. General Studies – 14000+ Objective MCQs
If you thought that the previous book had the largest number of questions then you are about to receive a pleasant surprise.
This massive book has over 14000 questions for you to solve and prepare yourself.
Like the previous question bank, this book is also for competitive exams.
Again, the important topics for the said examinations are covered in detail.
All the questions are accompanied by clear and thorough explanations so that you have no difficulty comprehending the question.
There is no doubt that this book will be able to prepare you for the UPSC examinations as well as the interview.
But, since the amount of study material is substantial, it is advisable to start utilizing the book from early on. With enough time in hand, you can complete the entire book and retain most if not all the information from it.
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Final Overview
You must remember that general knowledge is only a part of the written examination and the interview. The other subjects must not be neglected while preparing for this highly competitive exam.
General knowledge is important but so are the other topics. Time management is of the essence where you divide it equally or as you seem necessary.
Nobody knows you better than yourself so assigning the time and following it is up to you. Some subjects can require more time than others so you should allocate accordingly.
Frequently asked Questions (FAQ):
1. Which GK books are best for UPSC preparation?
Instead of trying to find a magic book that will teach you all the general knowledge, you should choose a few to study for your UPSC examination.
You mustn't overwhelm yourself with too many books. Select 2-3 books that will act as the guideline for your GK study.
Some books that you can pick up are Lucent’s General Knowledge, General Knowledge 2022, and S. Chand’s Advanced Objective General Knowledge. There are even more books in the market that you can buy to study general knowledge.
2. Is Lucent GK helpful for UPSC?
Yes, Lucent’s General Knowledge is helpful for students preparing for the UPSC examination. There is a reason why it is so popular with UPSC aspirants. The book breaks down all the important data into bite-sized information so that it is easy to remember and recall.
It covers more or less all the topics that you need to study under General Studies. Moreover, the book is especially convenient when you are looking for something to quickly revise your knowledge.
3. How can I increase my UPSC general knowledge?
The easiest and best way to gain general knowledge is by reading newspapers. If you are not familiar or do not read often, then you can start with one newspaper and then gradually increase it to 2-3 newspapers daily.
This will give you an overall idea of what is happening in the country. Although, there may be some parts that you miss or overlook which may be important.
For a more thorough study of general knowledge for the UPSC examination, GK books are recommended. Generally, these combine the important events of the whole year in the form of a single book that can be easily studied.
4. What is a general knowledge book?
A general knowledge book is a specific kind of book that falls under the non-fiction genre. Authors or publishers go through all the incidents and developments that have happened in the country during the past year or so.
Then they compile the most important ones in the form of a book. Usually, these are specially made for competitive exams which require the students to have good general knowledge.
So they also include questions from previous years’ examinations. Essentially, a GK book contains information about various topics and subjects.
5. Who is the father of GK?
General knowledge is not a singular topic or subject. It is the consolidation of several individual topics. Under the umbrella of general knowledge, we have General Sciences, History, Polity, Geography, and Economy.
Therefore no individual has been named as the father of GK. There are such personas for the various fields such as History, Biology, Psychology, Sociology, Medicine, and so on.
Here are the Best GK Books for UPSC
