JEE and Physics Olympiad Preparation Guide:

Daily Practice Problems (DPPs)

• DPPs from any coaching institute are acceptable. Alternatively, Arihant’s DPPs are a good choice.

Computer Science

• Sushmita Arora or Arihant’s All-in-One are recommended.

NCERT

• Not necessary for Physics and Maths. However, for Chemistry, especially Inorganic Chemistry, it’s a must.

Physics

HC Verma

• Needs no introduction. At the very least, read the theory or solve the back exercises. If this is your only resource, complete the entire book.

Rahul Sardana

• Arguably the best book, superior to Physics Galaxy, Cengage, DC Pandey, etc. It has excellent theory, illustrations, and problems, ranging from basic to Olympiad level. A must-do.

Shashi Bhushan Tiwari’s Problems in JEE

• Contains excellent relevant questions for JEE. Once the syllabus is complete, it’s a must-do for advanced preparation.

PG Advance Illustration

• An excellent book for revision purposes. It contains quality questions that will be very helpful.

Irodov

• Slightly difficult. Solve selected problems only if you have time. Otherwise, focus on other subjects. You can easily solve it after completing HCV and sheets.

Physics Olympiad Books

• These are Olympiad books. If you’re not preparing for Olympiads, it’s a waste of time.

University Physics/ Serway’s Physics for Scientists and Engineers/ Resnick Haliday Krane

• If you have any of these, you’re good to go. If you need to buy a new one, University Physics is recommended.

SS Krotov

• IRODOV++. Solve selected problems. It contains excellent questions.

Pathfinder

• IRODOV++++. Contains modified questions from Russian and Estonian Olympiads. A must-do for Olympiads.

Griffith

• Good for electrodynamics. Only do it after completing University Physics/ coaching sheets, etc.

Holics

• Similar to 200 Puzzling Problems, Irodov, Krotov, etc. If you have them as hard copies, there’s no need for this. Otherwise, it also contains excellent questions.

David Morin Classical Mechanics

• The best book for mechanics for Olympiads. Read various chapters from it. Supplement it with Kleppner if you can’t understand its theory.

Optics - Eugene Hecht

• The best book for optics. Not highly recommended if you’ve already read University Physics, etc. But you can read it if you have time.

Kalda Handouts

• Contains excellent problems relevant for Olympiads.

Kevin Zhou Handouts

• Not done too much, but whatever is done is good. If you have time, definitely do it.

Feynman Lectures

• Good for physics enthusiasts but a waste of time for Olympiads.

Previous Year Problems of US, UK, Russian Olympiads

• Must-do if you’re even a little serious about Olympiads.

JEE and Olympiad Preparation Guide: Maths and Chemistry

Mathematics

• Choose one among Om Sharma, Cengage, Arihant, or Vinay Kumar. Solve it completely. Om Sharma is a preferred choice.

Black Book

• Must-do once you gain a bit of confidence. The calculus portion is challenging but very helpful.

Yellow/Pink Book

• These books compensate for the shortcomings of the Black Book. They contain amazing questions for JEE.

Sameer Bansal Calculus

• If you have already done the Black Book, then there’s no need for this. Otherwise, it contains excellent questions. Do it only after completing the syllabus.

ISI CMI PYQ

• JEE directly picks problems from it. It contains relevant problems and is a must-do for Olympiads.

AoPs

• An excellent forum for Olympiads. It contains many JEE relevant questions, from National Olympiad to TSTs.

Maths Olympiad

• For Olympiads, the combination of Pathfinder by Vikas Tiwari and Mathematical Circles: The Russian Experience is recommended. Also, solving INMO and other National Olympiad questions is a must-do. You can find them on AoPS.

Chemistry

JD Lee

• Good for reference. Go through it after watching lectures. It will help you gain an advanced grip on the topic.

Clayden/LG Wade

• Probably the best reference book for organic chemistry. Choose one among them, preferably Clayden. Use it only for reference. Both have lucid theory and will make your concepts clear.

McMurry Fay/Bruce Mahan

• Probably the best reference book for physical chemistry. Use it only for reference. McMurry is a preferred choice.

Peter Atkins

• Good for gaining an advanced grip on concepts. Also useful for Olympiads. Read it after chapter completion. Make sure you have already done some questions from sheets as the book is mathematically intensive.

Akshay Chaudhary

• Probably the best problem book for organic chemistry. Even better and more relevant than MS Chauhan. Must-do after sheets.

Neeraj Kumar

• The best problem book for physical chemistry. Contains excellent questions and is even better than N Awasthi.

Vishal Joshi

• The best problem book for IOC. Goes from basic to advanced level and contains excellent questions.

Chemistry Olympiad

• For Olympiads, start reading Clayden, McMurry, Atkins, and JD Lee. Also, solve previous year papers of National Olympiad. Refer to the post on the Chemistry Olympiad Megalist for a great problem source.