The Combined Subordinate Services Exam-II, often known as the Group 2 exam, is held annually by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) to select candidates to fill vacancies in various government posts throughout the state of Tamil Nadu. The applicants are selected for various positions in the TNPSC Group 2 through a written exam and an interview. This exam is required to be taken by those who want to apply for executive and non-executive positions like Revenue Assistant, Assistant, Assistant Section Officer, etc.
To ace the exam on the first attempt, it is imperative that the candidates refer to the right books and materials. To select the right books, all aspirants must go through the TNPSC Group 2 syllabus, which mainly tests the general abilities, reasoning and mental ability skills of the candidates, along with their proficiency in English and Tamil.
Books that cover the entire syllabus and have in-depth information for candidates to understand are required for thorough preparation. The list of important books for the TNPSC Group 2 exam is given in the following article.
List of Books for Three Stages
There are 3 stages to the TNPSC Group 2 exam: the Preliminary, Mains, and Interview. Each of the stages requires different books for proper and complete preparation for the exam.
| TNPSC Group 2 Preliminary and Mains Exam: Books | ||||
| S.No. | Subject | Description | Name of the Book | Author/ Publication |
| 1. | General Awareness/ Current Events | To prepare for all the competitive exams, one should be well informed about the policies and latest developments of the country and the states for which the exam is targeted. This includes being updated on the region’s history, geography, and current events. | The Hindu/ The Indian Express | – |
| TNPSC Group II- A combined civil services II General studies and general English based on Samacheer Kalvi | Basheer Ahamed, S. Sambasivan | |||
| Arihant GK | By Manohar Pandey | |||
| 2. | English Language | A basic command of English is necessary for all of the posts for which TNPSC conducts examinations. One has to attempt questions based on comprehension, writing skills and the grammar of English. The understanding, creation, and use of languages are the essential topics covered in the Mains paper. | Objective General English | S.O. Bakshi |
| 3. | Tamil Language | Similar to the English language, command of Tamil is also important if candidates are taking the TNPSC Group 2 exam. | Tamil Nadu State Board Books | – |
| 4. | Reasoning Ability | All positions within the subordinate services require a sharp intellect and the ability to decide quickly and wisely. Additionally, they must be able to recognise and address aptitude problems. Hence, this section is very important. | A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | Publisher- S. ChandAuthor- RS Aggarwal |
| 5. | Quantitative Ability | All the aspirants must be aware of the basic numeracy that is used in everyday life. | Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | Publisher- S. ChandAuthor- RS Aggarwal |
| 6. | Indian Polity | To understand the basics of the Indian Constitution and political system | Indian Polity | M. Laxmikanth |
| 7. | Indian Economy | To understand the basics of the Indian economy | Indian Economy | Ramesh Singh |
| 8. | General Science | To have a basic understanding of everyday science | NCERT Science Books-Class 6 to Class 12 | NCERT |
| 9. | Geography | Understanding the geography of the region and India | Class 11 and Class 12 NCERT | NCERT |
| 10. | History and Culture of India | To have a thorough understanding of the history of India | India’s Struggle For Independence | Bipin Chandra |
| 11. | Indian National Movement | To understand the significance of the National Movement | Tamil Nadu State Board books for Class 11 and Class 12 | – |
| 12. | Tamil Society ‐ Its Culture and Heritage | To understand the society of Tamil Nadu | State Board Class 12 book | – |
The above-mentioned books are enough to prepare for the Prelims and Mains exam stages. After cleaning the Mains stage, candidates will be called for the Interview rounds. For the TNPSC Group 2 Interviews, the candidate should be well aware of the important world events with a special focus on India and Tamil Nadu. To prepare for interviews, candidates should read newspapers, which cover all the national and international news, along with the regional news.
All the aspirants who dream of joining the services should make a preparation strategy, focussing on their weak and strong areas. The study plan should be comprehensive and must be made after going through the syllabus and exam pattern of the TNPSC Group 2 exam. The TNPSC Group 2 Notification contains the detailed syllabus and exam pattern, which can be downloaded from the official website. Solving previous years’ question papers and practising mock tests are also crucial for scoring well in the exam. Consistent hard work and patience are needed to prepare for exams as exhaustive as this.
Aspirants should find the right sources and keep the study material limited. The focus should be on studying one book multiple times rather than studying multiple books one time. Having access to good books and the right sources is as important as the right preparation strategy to ace the exam in one go.
