Best Books to Supplement Unacademy Courses for Competitive Exams

Published: April 8, 2026 | Reading time: 10 minutes

Introduction

While Unacademy provides comprehensive online courses with live classes and study materials, supplementing your learning with the right reference books can significantly enhance your preparation. This guide covers the best books for JEE, NEET, UPSC, and CAT that work perfectly alongside your Unacademy subscription.

Books for JEE Main & Advanced

Physics

• Concepts of Physics (Vol 1 & 2) by H.C. Verma: The bible for JEE Physics. Start here for conceptual clarity before moving to advanced problems.
• Understanding Physics by D.C. Pandey (Arihant): Excellent for JEE-level problems with detailed solutions. Covers all topics systematically.
• Problems in General Physics by I.E. Irodov: For Advanced level only. Extremely challenging problems that build deep conceptual understanding.
• Physics Galaxy by Ashish Arora: Comprehensive theory with solved examples. Good for both Main and Advanced.

Chemistry

• Physical Chemistry by O.P. Tandon: Covers all physical chemistry topics with good theory and problems.
• Modern Approach to Chemical Calculations by R.C. Mukherjee: Best book for stoichiometry and numerical problems in physical chemistry.
• Organic Chemistry by Morrison & Boyd: For deep conceptual understanding of organic chemistry mechanisms.
• Organic Chemistry by O.P. Tandon: Good for JEE-level organic chemistry with practice problems.
• Concise Inorganic Chemistry by J.D. Lee: Excellent for inorganic chemistry concepts and exceptions.
• MS Chauhan for Organic Chemistry: Best book for organic chemistry problems and reaction mechanisms.

Mathematics

• Objective Mathematics by R.D. Sharma: Good for building basics and JEE Main level problems.
• Cengage Mathematics (5 volumes) by G. Tewani: Comprehensive coverage for JEE Advanced with excellent problem sets.
• Arihant Series (Algebra, Coordinate Geometry, Calculus, Trigonometry): Topic-wise books with graded difficulty levels.
• Problems Plus in IIT Mathematics by A. Das Gupta: Advanced problems for JEE preparation.
• Play with Graphs by Amit M. Agarwal: Essential for mastering graph-based questions in JEE.

Books for NEET UG

Biology

• NCERT Biology (Class 11 & 12): The most important books for NEET. Read every line carefully - 80-85% questions come from NCERT.
• Trueman's Biology (Vol 1 & 2): Excellent for additional information beyond NCERT.
• Objective Biology by Dinesh: Good for practice questions and previous year papers.
• Biology @ Your Fingertips by Rahul Chawla: Quick revision book with important points.
• MTG NCERT at Your Fingertips: Chapter-wise MCQs based on NCERT for practice.

Physics for NEET

• Concepts of Physics by H.C. Verma: Best for building concepts. Focus on solved examples.
• NCERT Physics (Class 11 & 12): Important for theory-based questions.
• Objective Physics by D.C. Pandey: NEET-specific problems with good explanations.
• MTG Physics NEET Guide: Chapter-wise theory and MCQs for NEET.

Chemistry for NEET

• NCERT Chemistry (Class 11 & 12): Essential for all three branches - Physical, Organic, Inorganic.
• Physical Chemistry by O.P. Tandon: For numerical practice in physical chemistry.
• Organic Chemistry by Morrison & Boyd: For understanding mechanisms.
• Objective Chemistry by Dinesh: Practice problems for NEET level.
• MTG Chemistry NEET Guide: Comprehensive NEET preparation book.

Books for UPSC CSE

History

• India's Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra: Essential for Modern Indian History.
• History of Modern India by Bipan Chandra: Good overview of colonial period.
• A Brief History of Modern India by Spectrum: Concise revision book for Modern History.
• Ancient India by R.S. Sharma (Old NCERT): For Ancient Indian History.
• Medieval India by Satish Chandra (Old NCERT): For Medieval Indian History.

Polity

• Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth: The most important book for Indian Polity. Read thoroughly.
• Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D. Basu: For deeper understanding of constitutional philosophy.

Geography

• Certificate Physical and Human Geography by Goh Cheng Leong: Best for Physical Geography concepts.
• Geography of India by Majid Hussain: Comprehensive coverage of Indian Geography.
• World Geography by Majid Hussain: For World Geography topics.
• NCERT Geography (Class 6-12): Essential for building foundation.

Economy

• Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh: Comprehensive coverage of Indian Economy for GS Paper III.
• Indian Economy Key Concepts by Shankar Ganesh: Concise book for quick revision.
• Economic Survey (Latest): Must-read for current economic data and government schemes.

Environment

• Environment and Ecology by Shankar IAS: Most recommended book for Environment section.
• NCERT Biology (Class 12 - last 4 chapters): For ecology and environment basics.

Science & Technology

• Science and Technology by Ravi P. Agrahari: Covers basic science concepts and current developments.
• NCERT Science (Class 9-12): For basic science concepts.

Ethics (GS Paper IV)

• Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude: Best book for Ethics paper with case studies.
• Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude by Subba Rao: Comprehensive coverage with examples.

Books for CAT & MBA Entrance

Quantitative Ability

• Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma: The most popular CAT quant book with LOD (Level of Difficulty) system.
• Quantitative Aptitude by Nishit K. Sinha: Good alternative with comprehensive coverage.
• How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma: Detailed theory and practice.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

• How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Arun Sharma: Comprehensive VARC preparation.
• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis: For vocabulary building.
• High School English Grammar by Wren & Martin: For grammar basics.

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

• How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma: Best for DI preparation.
• How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma: Comprehensive LR coverage.
• Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT by Nishit K. Sinha: Good alternative with different approach.

How to Use Books with Unacademy

The best approach is to use Unacademy and books complementarily:

• Learn from Unacademy: Attend live classes for conceptual understanding and doubt solving
• Practice from Books: Use books for additional practice problems and different perspectives
• Revise with Both: Use Unacademy recorded sessions for quick revision and books for in-depth review
• Don't Overload: Stick to 1-2 books per subject. Using too many books creates confusion
• Make Notes: Create your own notes combining insights from both Unacademy classes and books

Budget-Friendly Book Buying Tips

• Buy Second-Hand: Many books are available in good condition at half price
• Library Membership: Join local libraries that stock competitive exam books
• PDF Versions: Some publishers offer e-book versions at lower prices
• Group Buying: Form groups with friends to buy and share books
• Old Editions: For static subjects, previous edition books work fine and cost less
• Online Discounts: Buy during festive sales on Amazon/Flipkart for 20-40% discounts