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OPSC ASO needs fewer books, read well. This page gives you the one or two books that matter for each subject, and a 60-day plan that tells you exactly which book to read on which days. Read it with the ASO syllabus and exam pattern open.
Quick list: one book per subject
| Subject | Main book | Add-on |
|---|---|---|
| Polity | NCERT Political Science (Class 9–12) + EduSaint Polity notes and practice sets | Indian Polity – M. Laxmikanth (reference only, selected chapters) |
| History | A Brief History of Modern India – Spectrum (Modern) | NCERT History (Class 6–12, old + new) |
| Geography | NCERT Geography (Class 6–12) | Atlas |
| Economy | Indian Economy – Ramesh Singh (selected chapters) | NCERT Class 11–12 Economics |
| Odisha GK | Odisha General Knowledge (latest edition) | Odisha Economic Survey (latest) |
| Static GK, Science | Lucent's General Knowledge | — |
| Quant | Quantitative Aptitude – R.S. Aggarwal | Quant question bank |
| Reasoning | A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R.S. Aggarwal | Reasoning question bank |
| English | High School English Grammar – Wren & Martin | Objective General English – S.P. Bakshi |
| Odia | Madhyamika Byakarana (BSE Odisha, Class 9–10) | Saraswata Odia Grammar |
60-day reading plan: which book, which days
About 6–7 hours a day: 3 hours GS, 1.5 hours Quant + Reasoning, 1 hour English, 1 hour Odia, and 30 minutes of practice questions. Working students: halve the reading, keep the practice.
Phase 1 · Days 1–15 · Build the base
| Days | GS (3 h) | Quant + Reasoning (1.5 h) | English (1 h) | Odia (1 h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | NCERT Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work + EduSaint Polity notes and practice sets: Preamble, Fundamental Rights, DPSP, Duties | RS Aggarwal: Number System, Simplification · Series, Coding–Decoding | Wren & Martin: Parts of Speech, Nouns, Pronouns | Madhyamika Byakarana: ବର୍ଣ୍ଣ, ଶବ୍ଦ, ଶୁଦ୍ଧ ଶବ୍ଦ |
| 6–10 | NCERT + EduSaint Polity notes: Parliament, President, PM, Judiciary | HCF–LCM, Percentage · Analogy, Classification | Articles, Tenses, Subject–Verb Agreement | ସନ୍ଧି, ସମାସ |
| 11–15 | NCERT + EduSaint Polity notes: Local Government, Constitutional Bodies · Polity practice sets | Ratio, Average · Blood Relations, Direction | Prepositions, Conjunctions, Modals | କାରକ, ବିଭକ୍ତି, ଲିଙ୍ଗ-ବଚନ-ପୁରୁଷ |
Practice every day: 30 questions from the GS question bank (Polity) and one set each from the Quant question bank, Reasoning question bank, English question bank and Odia question bank.
Phase 2 · Days 16–35 · Cover the syllabus
| Days | GS (3 h) | Quant + Reasoning (1.5 h) | English (1 h) | Odia (1 h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16–22 | A Brief History of Modern India – Spectrum: 1857 to 1947 + NCERT Ancient/Medieval highlights | Profit–Loss, SI–CI · Syllogism, Seating Arrangement | Voice, Narration, Sentence Improvement | କ୍ରିୟା, କାଳ, ବାଚ୍ୟ |
| 23–28 | NCERT Geography (Class 6–12): Physical India, Climate, Rivers, Odisha geography | Time–Work, Time–Distance · Puzzles, Inequality | Synonyms, Antonyms, One-word Substitution | ଅଲଙ୍କାର, ଛନ୍ଦ, ରୂଢ଼ି ଓ ପ୍ରବାଦ |
| 29–32 | Indian Economy – Ramesh Singh: Budget, Banking, Inflation, Schemes | Mensuration, Data Interpretation · Non-verbal | Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, Error Spotting | ବିପରୀତ ଶବ୍ଦ, ସମାର୍ଥ ଶବ୍ଦ, ଏକପଦ |
| 33–35 | Odisha General Knowledge (latest edition): history, culture, economy, schemes of Odisha | Mixed practice | Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test | Comprehension, ବାକ୍ୟ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ |
Phase 3 · Days 36–50 · Practice and PYQs
- GS: Lucent's General Knowledge for Static GK and General Science (2 hours) + current affairs of the last 12 months (1 hour).
- All subjects: solve every OPSC ASO previous year paper and mark the topics you got wrong. Re-read only those chapters.
- English: Objective General English – S.P. Bakshi, one chapter of objective questions per day.
- Odia: Saraswata Odia Grammar for the topics you keep getting wrong.
Phase 4 · Days 51–60 · Revision and full mocks
- One full-length mock every alternate day (150 questions, timed), and analyse it the next day.
- Revise from your own short notes and the books' summary pages, not new books.
- Last 3 days: Polity and Odisha GK revision, Odia grammar rules, and formula sheets for Quant.
Prefer a ready day-by-day schedule with tests? Follow our free 70-day plan: every day has topics, notes and a 30-question test per subject, with your rank.
Subject-wise: what to read and what to skip
General Studies
- Polity: NCERT (NCERT Political Science (Class 9–12)) and EduSaint Polity notes and practice sets are enough for ASO. Keep Indian Polity – M. Laxmikanth only as a reference for doubts (Fundamental Rights, Parliament, Judiciary); don't read it cover to cover in 60 days.
- History: Modern India from A Brief History of Modern India – Spectrum; Ancient and Medieval only from NCERT. Add Odisha history (Kalinga, Paika Rebellion, freedom movement in Odisha).
- Geography: NCERT Class 11 India Physical Environment + Class 12 India People and Economy, plus Odisha's rivers, minerals, climate.
- Economy: basics from NCERT; Indian Economy – Ramesh Singh only for Budget, Banking, Inflation and Government schemes.
- Odisha GK: Odisha General Knowledge (latest edition) + the latest Odisha Economic Survey highlights.
- Static GK and Science: Lucent's General Knowledge.
Quant and Reasoning
- Quantitative Aptitude – R.S. Aggarwal and A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R.S. Aggarwal. Do the solved examples, then our question banks. Don't try to finish every exercise.
English
- Grammar from High School English Grammar – Wren & Martin; objective practice from Objective General English – S.P. Bakshi.
Odia
- Madhyamika Byakarana (BSE Odisha, Class 9–10) is the base for grammar questions; use Saraswata Odia Grammar for extra rules and examples.
FAQ
Is NCERT enough for OPSC ASO?
Mostly yes for GS: NCERT plus EduSaint's notes and practice sets cover Polity, History and Geography for ASO. Add Spectrum for Modern History and an Odisha GK book. Quant, Reasoning, English and Odia need the books listed above.
Which is the best book for Odia grammar for OPSC ASO?
The BSE Odisha Class 9–10 Madhyamika Byakarana, with Saraswata Odia grammar as an add-on.
Can I prepare for OPSC ASO in 60 days?
Yes, if you read only the books above, practise every day and solve the previous year papers. Follow the 60-day plan on this page or our free 70-day plan.
Do I need coaching material?
No. These books plus free practice on EduSaint (question banks, PYQs and daily tests) cover the full syllabus.