Great Indian Festival 2026: 5 Best Exam Preparation Books For Students Under ₹500

Practice papers and question banks are what turn revision into marks. Here are five study picks from Arihant, Xam Idea, RD Sharma, Lucent and RS Aggarwal.

By NDTV Shopping Staff Published On: Oct 19, 2026 11:44 AM IST Last Updated On: Oct 19, 2026 11:44 AM IST
Affordable exam preparation books for students

Affordable exam preparation books for students

You win exams in the months before them, and the right book does that work for you. A question bank shows the pattern, while a solved paper reveals how you get marks. Because of the Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale 2026, the study books now cost a lot less. In fact, a full set is cheaper than a single tuition class. It works well for board exams, for class tests, and for competitive papers. But the edition does matter, since the syllabus changes almost every year.

Great Indian Festival 2026: 5 Best Exam Preparation Books for Students

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It's easier to pick a study book than it looks on a page. Some come as a full theory book, some as pure practice sums, and some as solved question papers. Also, the class matters most. If you pick the wrong year, half the chapters will not match. Also, check the edition on the cover because a 2026-27 book follows the latest syllabus. Just in case you already know what you need, here are the 5 best study books for the Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale.

Also Read: Top Wellness Appliances To Explore During Amazon Great Indian Festival

Great Indian Festival 2026: 5 Best Exam Preparation Books For Students Under ₹500

1. Xam idea English Core Class 12 for CBSE 2026-27

Price: ₹498 | Customer Ratings: 4.5/5

Xam Idea builds this one around CBSE 2026 questions with full solutions written out. The book runs 344 pages and covers reading, creative writing and literature. New-age mind maps sit inside for quick revision. VK Global Publications brought out this 2026-27 edition in June 2026. The reading age is given as 16 to 18 years.

Key Features:

  • Detailed solved answers
  • New-age mind maps
  • CBSE 2026-27 edition

Why Buy: 

This is the one to open when you can answer a question but keep losing marks on it. Worked solutions also show you the steps a checker wants to see. It is the only Class 12 book on this list.

2. Arihant All in One Social Science Class 10 for CBSE 2026-27

Price: ₹418 | Customer Ratings: 4.5/5

Arihant packs theory, practice and papers into one 560-page book. It is built on the NCERT syllabus, with practice exercises, CBQs and assertion-reason questions. Sample papers and mind maps come at the end. Arihant Publications brought out this revised edition in April 2026. It is the thickest book here.

Key Features:

  • Complete theory included
  • CBQs and assertion-reason
  • Sample papers inside

Why Buy: 

When one book has to replace three, it makes sense to buy an all-in-one. Mind maps also help on the night before, which plain notes rarely do. Assertion-reason questions are the ones most students lose marks on. Keep it for the whole year rather than the last month.

3. R D Sharma Class 8 Part 2 Mathematics 2026 Edition

Price: ₹388 | Customer Ratings: 4.5/5

R D Sharma is the maths name most Indian households already know. This is Part 2 for Class 8 in the 2026 edition for the 2026-27 CBSE exams. The book runs 320 pages of sums. Dhanpat Rai Publications brought it out in June 2026. Practice is the main focus.

Key Features:

  • Class 8 mathematics
  • Part 2 volume
  • 2026-27 CBSE edition

Why Buy: 

You should pay attention to the part number, since Part 2 picks up where Part 1 stops. Volume of practice also beats reading theory twice when it comes to maths. The questions get harder as the chapter goes on. This is the one to buy if sums are your weak spot.

4. Lucent's General Knowledge 2026, 15th Revised Edition

Price: ₹215 | Customer Ratings: 4.3/5

Lucent's General Knowledge is the book almost every competitive aspirant starts with. This is the 15th revised edition, running 460 pages in English. Lucent lists it for UPSC, SSC, NDA, CDS, banking, railways and defence exams. Lucent Publications brought out the 2026 edition in January. It is the only competitive exam book here.

Key Features:

  • General knowledge reference
  • Fifteenth revised edition
  • Covers many exams

Why Buy: 

If you are sitting more than one competitive paper, then a single GK book saves buying four. A reference book also works in ten-minute gaps between other subjects. One edition covers banking, railways and defence together. Most aspirants still have their copy a year later.

5. RS Aggarwal Class 7 Maths 2026 Edition Part 2

Price: ₹147 | Customer Ratings: 4.5/5

RS Aggarwal keeps this one short, at 146 pages for Class 7 maths. It is Part 2 of the eighth edition, built on the latest NCERT pattern. Bharti Bhawan Publishers brought it out in March 2026. The book is all practice rather than theory. It sits at the lowest end of this list.

Key Features:

  • Class 7 mathematics
  • NCERT pattern-based
  • Eighth edition update

Why Buy: 

Anyone starting middle school maths should build the habit of daily sums early. A thin book also feels finishable, which a 500-page one never does. The NCERT pattern means the questions match what the school test asks. Hand it to a younger sibling once the year ends.

Good marks come from practice, and the Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale 2026 makes the study books affordable. For board exams, the Xam idea gives you solved CBSE answers, while Arihant packs theory and papers into one volume. If maths is the problem, R D Sharma covers Class 8, and RS Aggarwal contains a brief summary of the 7th-grade maths syllabus. Lucent sits apart, one GK book for every competitive paper you sit. So, match the edition to the year you are studying, and buy these products in the Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale today! Shop now on Amazon.



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