Before starting NTSE preparation, very first question that arises in aspirant's mind is, "Which is the best book for NTSE Preparation?" During any competitive exam preparations, students seem attracted towards different reference books to have more study material and knowledge of different topics. Prof. Vipin Joshi, mentor with the National Record in producing NTSE scholars strongly believes that –
"There is no ideal book for NTSE preparations. Some are too easy and some are having too tough content for NTSE preparation." Students tend to look for a book that visibly has a lot study material. They do not realize that some books consist of preparation and practice material which is too easy for the students and some books include material which is really difficult. Moreover, some topics included in these books are not even a part of the syllabus. Students believe that solving really difficult questions would leave them well prepared for the exam. They do not realize that spending hours on irrelevant study material is a waste of time. Your study material must match the standards of your exam syllabus.
NTSE Stage I paper is based on state board syllabus, so students must stick to their state board books for the proper preparation. Whereas, NTSE Stage II paper is based on NCERT syllabus, so students should prepare well from their NCERT books.
Subjects like Maths, Physics, and Chemistry require a lot of practice for which you must solve each and every question given at the back of each chapter. The number of questions in the State board books and NCERT books are not enough for the preparation. So, once you're done with all the State board and NCERT questions you must look out for practice sheets. These practice sheets give you enough material to practice from.
Moreover, for the preparation of MAT, State Board and NCERT books do not provide anything. MAT is a quintessential part and requires consistent practice. To prepare for the MAT section, you must understand the verbal and non- verbal concepts first and then you must solve practice sheets to cover as many questions as you can.
When you are done with your school books and practice sheets, you should invest your time on sample papers and previous years' question papers. This is one of the most effective ways to prepare for NTSE or any competitive exam in general. There's no point splurging your parents' money on irrelevant books that do not even help you reach your potential. State board books, NCERT books, and a standard study material is all you need for your NTSE preparation. Deeper understanding of the subjects and consistent practice is the key to ace NTSE.
We asked Prof. Vipin Joshi this question in one of our rare conversations and he answered it in his elegant style. Watch this video till the end and you will probably get the things.
If you still wish to study from a reference book, you can refer to the following NTSE books but remember, 'Over-reliance on any books in suicidal in case of NTSE preparation.'
