WBCS Exam Preparation - Booklist & Strategies

West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) conducts the WBCS exam. The three stages – Preliminary, Mains and Interview, have defined syllabus.

In this article, an aspirant will get to know detailed WBCS exam preparation strategy and a comprehensive booklist. There are few books that will work for both WBCS prelims and Mains, and then there are few that will exclusively work for each Exam.

To get the details of WBCS 2022, check the linked article.

Before we discuss preparation for WBCS Exam Preparation, check below important information about WBCS 2020-21:

• Be updated with current WBPSC Notification 2022.
• An aspirant should go through the WBCS Eligibility criteria for WBCS Exam.
• Understand the WBCS Exam Syllabus as WBCS Exam is a three-tier examination- Preliminary, Mains and Interview.
• Learn how to download the WBCS admit card to sit for the state administrative examination. Check other important details related to the admit card in the linked article.
• WBCS Syllabus 2022 will be released with 2022 notification. Download WBCS Syllabus 2020 from the link provided below:

WBCS Syllabus 2022:- Download PDF Here

The WBCS Exam is conducted annually or when announced by West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC.) The commission recruits for groups A, B, C and D and various posts under these groups.

Refer to the official website of the commission – https://pscwbonline.gov.in/ for more updates.

WBCS Preparation

The civil services examination is an eminent one and the standard of papers designed for it, are such that test analytical and conceptual clarity of the candidates.

Few tips that can help candidates track their preparation are:

• Each topic that finds its place in WBCS syllabus is important, and an aspirant should never skip any of those.
• For State Service Exams, a candidate should read the state board textbooks as these give pertinent information on various topics mentioned in the syllabus.
• Each topic like History, Geography, Polity, etc. should also be read, keeping in mind the state’s aspects.
• Source of practice is past years’ question papers. Find those in the official websites.

Let us decode each topic for you and provide you with the best possible manner in which you can prepare for the same.

WBCS Prelims has below-given topics:

• English composition – Candidates should know that the standard of questions asked under this section lies between moderate and difficult. Segregating the section into topics would help applicants simplify their preparation. Topics included under English composition are given in the table below:

The above-mentioned English Composition topics can also be prepared using our BYJU’S Classroom notes. Candidates can check the table below:

• General Science

• Current Events of National and International Importance

To complement current events preparation, candidates can take help of the following links:

• History of India

• Geography of India with special reference to West Bengal

• Indian Polity and Economy

We have BYJU’S Classroom notes on Polity. To get important Polity articles and notes in one place, candidates can check the Polity Notes page.

• Indian National Movement

• General Mental Ability

Candidates can refer to our overview of Logical Reasoning from the linked article. Here, you will get the basics straight, and this can help you with WBCS preparation too.

WBCS Mains

The important topics given in WBCS Syllabus are History, Geography, Polity, Economics and Current Affairs.

WBCS Preparation books for Mains are:

• History- Bipin Chandra
• Polity- Laxmikant
• Geography- Lexicon or Majid Hussain or G.c. Leong
• Economy- School Textbooks or Ramesh Singh
• Current Affairs- The Hindu/ Monthly Compilation of any good magazine

Apart from the books above, a few other recommended reading sources are:

1. Budget and Economic Survey
2. State Board books
3. NCERT books – Download NCERT books PDF here (only English medium)
4. To prepare for a compulsory paper number I and II where knowledge of Bengali language is significant, candidates should practice report-writing and translations from school textbooks and Bengali newspapers.
5. Candidates can also check some important differences between articles that can help them differentiate between two and more important terms that are seen in the syllabus.

Some important points to keep in mind regarding WBCS Exam Preparation:

1. Practice previous years’ question papers
2. Do MCQ solving practice for Prelims
3. Do answer writing practice for Mains

WBCS Study Material

Recently, WBCS prelims 2020 has been successfully conducted and the results have been declared too. WBCS prelims 2021 took place on 7th February 2021. The prelims for WBCS 2022 is expected to take place in May 2022 as per the notification.

Hence, candidates should revise important topics that are frequently asked in the preliminary examinations. We are listing down section-wise topics that have been asked in the exam before, along with the related articles that have the probability to be asked in the next prelims paper. Such topics are general in nature and overlap with UPSC syllabus.

Important WBCS Questions on History

1. Which leader died on the day the Non-Cooperation movement was launched in 1920?
2. Who is the founder of Ghadar party?
3. At which session of Indian national congress, Vande Mataram was sung for the first time?
4. Where was the provisional government of Independent India formed?
5. The first INC session was presided by?
6. Who set up the Indian Independence League?
7. The provisions for separate electorate for Hindus and Muslims was made in?
8. In which session did the INC declare Poorna Swaraj to be its goal?
9. The Khilafat movement was started by?
10. Which important event immediately preceded the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
11. Which battle established the supremacy of the British rule in India?
12. Which day is declared as the direct action day by the Muslim League?
13. Kuka Movement is associated with which of the following states?
14. The Rowlatt Act was passed in the year?

The above topics that have been asked in the history section are very important and for that aspirants can revise these along with the new set of relevant topics from the links provided in the table below:

Important WBCS Questions on Polity

1. Which is the amendment of the Indian constitution related to reservation of SCs & STs and representation of Anglo-Indians in the Lok Sabha and State Assembly?
2. The Panchayati Raj of India has how many tiers?
3. Article 280 of the Indian Constitution lays down the establishment of?
4. Power to grant pardons is enjoyed by which constitutional authority?
5. Which statements are correct regarding Public Accounts Committee?
6. The impeachment of the President can be initiated in?
7. Which article of the Indian Constitution guarantees to all its citizens the freedom of speech and expression?
8. 86th Amendment of the Indian Constitution altered DPSP to provide for?
9. Which schedule of the Indian Constitution distributes powers between the Union & the states?
10. Mark the correct date on which the Indian Constitution came into being?
11. The power to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court is vested in?
12. What will follow if the monetary bill is substantially amended by the Rajya Sabha?

The above topics that have been asked in the polity section are very important and for that aspirants can revise these along with the new set of relevant topics from the links provided in the table below:

Important WBCS Questions on Geography

1. Sunderbans is declared the world heritage site for?
2. Rammam hydroelectric power plant is located in?
3. The tropic of cancer does not pass through?
4. Shola forest is found in?
5. Kolleru lake is located between?
6. What is the demographic dividend?
7. Lakshadweep is an island of?
8. In India, which type of forest occupies the largest area?

The above topics that have been asked in the geography section are very important and for that aspirants can revise these along with the new set of relevant topics from the links provided in the table below:

Important WBCS Questions on Current Events

1. Which day is marked as the World Orphans’ Day?
2. Which province of India is the first to have complete organic farming?
3. Who was honoured with 54th Jnanpith Award?

The above topics that have been asked in the current events and general knowledge sections are very important and for that aspirants can revise these along with the new set of relevant topics from the links provided in the table below:

To get information about PSC and other government exams and their preparation in one place, candidates can check the table below: