Find the best GATE 2026 reference books for CSE, ME, ECE, CE and more. Get subject-wise book lists, expert tips to choose the right study material, and smart strategies to use them effectively.
Preparing for GATE 2026 requires more than just hard work, it demands smart selection of resources, strategic use of time, and a deep understanding of concepts. With a vast GATE syllabus and stiff competition, having the right books can make a significant difference.
In this guide, we’ll help you identify the best subject-wise books for GATE 2026, how to choose them effectively, whether NCERTs are enough, and how to use your study materials wisely for maximum output.
Best Books for GATE 2026 Preparation: A Subject-Wise Breakdown
You can choose the best books for GATE 2026 preparation based on research, previous year topper’s and experts insights. The list of best GATE exam preparation books for different courses is listed below for the candidates, along with the author's name.
Best Books for GATE 2026 CSE (Computer Science Engineering)
The flourishing era of I.T. sectors and job opportunities have made this GATE computer science engineering books a chosen branch amongst all tech lovers. The table below displays some of the reviewed best books for GATE CSE 2026.
|
Topic |
GATE Books |
Author |
|
Computer Networks |
Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach |
James F. Kurose, Keith W. Ross |
|
Databases |
Database System Concepts |
Silberschatz, Sudarshan, Korth |
|
Algorithms |
Introduction to Algorithms |
Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, Clifford Stein |
|
Theory of Computation |
An Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata |
Peter Linz |
|
Operating Systems |
Operating System Concepts |
Silberschatz, Galvin, Gagne |
|
Digital Logic |
Digital Logic Computer Design |
M. Morris Mano |
|
Engineering Mathematics |
Higher Engineering Mathematics |
B. S. Grewal, Edition |
|
Computer Organization Architecture |
Computer Organization and Architecture |
Hamacher, Vranesic, Zaky |
|
Compiler Logic |
Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools |
Alfred V. Aho, Ravi Sethi, D. Jeffrey Ulman |
|
Programming Data Structure |
The C Programming Language |
Brian W. Kernighan, Dennis M. Ritchie |
|
Classic Data Structures |
Debasis Samanta |
|
|
Aptitude |
A Modern Approach to Verbal Non-Verbal Reasoning |
R.S. Aggarwal |
|
Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations |
Best Book for GATE Chemical Engineering (CH)
The demand for GATE chemical engineering books has increased massively after the boom in the chemical industries in the past few years. To score well in the examination, candidates can refer to the below-mentioned GATE 2026 books for chemical engineering.
|
GATE Books |
Author |
|
An Insight into Chemical Engineering |
M.Subbu |
|
Chemical Engineering For Gate Principles Solved Problems & Objective Type Questions |
Ram Prasad |
|
Essentials of Chemical Reaction Engineering |
Fogler |
|
Heat Transfer |
JP Holman |
|
Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics |
JM Smith |
|
Principles of Mass Transfer and Separation Processes |
BK Dutta |
|
Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering |
McCabe - FPM and MO |
GATE Books for Agricultural Engineering (AG)
GATE preparation books for Agricultural Engineering, along with the author's name, are listed below for important topics. Candidates must check on the table for exam preparation.
|
GATE Books |
Author |
|
Handbook Of Agriculture: Facts And Figures For Farmers, Students And All Interested In Farming |
Indian Council Of Agricultural Research |
|
Principles of Agricultural Engineering Volume-1 |
T. P. Ojha |
|
Tractors and Their Power Units |
John B. Liljedahl |
|
Soil And Water Conservation Engineering |
R Suresh |
|
Irrigation |
A M Michael |
|
Irrigation Engineering |
N. N. Basak |
|
Concepts and Applications in Agricultural Engineering |
Mahendra Kumar Mohanty, Nikunja Bihari Dash |
|
Fundamentals Of Food Engineering |
D. G Rao |
Best Books for GATE Civil Engineering (CE)
The most popular GATE civil engineering books includes strength of materials, design of steel structures, highway engineering are a great source of information for those preparing for GATE CE paper. Listed below are the best books for GATE civil engineering:
|
Topic |
GATE Books |
Author |
|
Engineering Mathematics |
Higher Engineering Mathematics |
B.S. Grewal |
|
Surveying |
Surveying (Vol. 1,2,3) |
B.C.Punmia, Askok jain, Arun Jain |
|
Strength of Materials |
Strength of Materials |
U.C Jindal |
|
Design Of Steel Structures |
Design Of Steel Structures |
S.K. Duggal |
|
Highway Engineering |
Highway Engineering |
S.K.Khanna, C.E.G.Justo |
|
Structural Analysis |
Basic Structural Analysis |
C.S.Reddy |
|
R.C.C. Design |
R.C.C. Designs (Reinforced Concrete Structures) |
B.C.Punmia, Ashok Kumar Jain, Arun Jain |
|
Engineering Hydrology |
Engineering Hydrology |
K Subramanya |
|
Fluid Mechanics Fluid Machines |
Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics |
Dr P.N.Modi, Dr S.M Seth |
|
Irrigation Engineering |
Irrigation Engineering and Hydraulic Structures |
S.K Garg |
|
Soil Mechanics Foundation Engineering |
Basics and Applied Soil Mechanics |
Gopal Ranjan, A.S.R.Rao |
|
Aptitude |
A Modern Approach to Verbal Non-Verbal Reasoning |
R.S. Aggarwal |
|
Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations |
R.S. Aggarwal |
|
|
Environmental Engineering |
Water Supply Engineering(Environmental Engineering Vol.1) |
S.K. Duggal |
|
Sewage Disposal And Air Pollution Engineering( Environmental Engineering Vol. 2) |
S.K. Duggal |
GATE Books for Electrical Engineering (EE)
GATE books for Electrical Engineering are the best study material to prepare for this paper. The GATE electrical engineering books, highly recommended by various experts, are tabulated below.
|
Topic |
GATE Books |
Author |
|
Power Electronics |
Power Electronics |
P.S.Bimbhra |
|
Signals Systems |
Signals and Systems |
Oppenheim Alan V, Willsky Alan S, Nawab S. Hamid |
|
Control Systems |
Control Systems Engineering |
I.J.Nagrath, M. Gopal |
|
Electrical Machines |
Electrical Machinery |
P. S. Bimbhra |
|
Measurements |
A Course In Electrical And Electronic Measurements And Instrumentation |
A K Sawhney |
|
Electromagnetic Fields |
Engineering Electromagnetics |
William H Hayt, John A Buck |
|
Engineering Mathematics |
Higher Engineering Mathematics |
B. S. Grewal |
|
Power Systems |
Electrical Power Systems |
C. L. Wadhwa |
|
Power System Engineering |
I Nagrath, D Kothari |
|
|
Analog Digital Electronics |
Integrated Electronics: Analog And Digital Circuits And Systems |
Christos C. Halkias, Chetan D. Parikh Jacob Millman |
|
Digital Logic and Computer Design |
M Morris Mano |
|
|
Electrical Circuits (Networks) |
Circuit Theory: Analysis Synthesis |
Abhijit Chakrabarti |
|
Fundamentals of Electric Circuits |
Charles K. Alexander, Matthew N. O. Sadiku |
|
|
Aptitude |
A Modern Approach to Verbal Non-Verbal Reasoning |
R.S. Aggarwal |
|
Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations |
R.S. Aggarwal |
GATE Books for Geology and Geophysics (GG)
GATE preparation books for Geology and Geophysics are listed below in the table. Candidates must check on the book list shared for GATE exam preparation.
|
GATE Books |
Authors |
|
A Textbook of Geology |
G. B. Mahapatra |
|
Principles Of Engineering Geology |
K M Bangar |
|
Engineering And General Geology |
Parvin Singh |
|
Engineering Geology |
R. Nagarajan , A. Parthasarathy , V. Panchapakesan |
|
Text Book of Physical Geology |
G B Mahapatra |
|
Structural Geology |
Marland P Billings |
|
Economic Geology |
Umeshwar Prasad |
|
Principles of Geomorphology |
W.D. Thornbury |
|
Principles of Petrology |
G W Tyrrell |
|
Dana’s Textbook of Mineralogy |
William E. Ford |
|
Quantitative Geophysics and Geology |
Louis Lliboutry |
|
Fundamentals of Geophysics |
William Lowrie |
|
Solved Problems in Geophysics |
Elisa Buforn, Carmen Pro, Agustn Udas |
GATE Books for Mechanical Engineering (ME)
As the competition will be high, candidates are advised to go through a few of the best GATE 2026 books for the mechanical engineering stream. The table below displays all the important and recommended GATE books 2026 for mechanical engineering books available in the market.
|
Topic |
GATE Books |
Author |
|
Heat Transfer |
Fundamentals of Engineering Heat and Mass Transfer |
R.C. Sachdeva |
|
Machine Design |
Design of Machine Elements |
V Bhandari |
|
Engineering Mathematics |
Higher Engineering Mathematics |
B. S. Grewal |
|
Fluid Mechanics |
Introduction to Fluid Mechanics Fluid Machines |
S. K. Som |
|
Manufacturing |
Production Technology |
R.K. Jain |
|
Theory of Machines Vibration |
Theory of Machines |
S S Rattan |
|
Industrial Engineering |
Industrial Engineering and Management |
O. P. Khanna |
|
Thermal Science |
Engineering Thermodynamics |
P.K. Nag |
|
Strength of Materials |
Strength of Materials |
Dr B.C. Punmia, Ashok Kumar Jain, Arun Kumar Jain |
|
Aptitude |
A Modern Approach to Verbal Non-Verbal Reasoning (Edition: Revised) |
R.S. Aggarwal |
|
Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations |
R.S. Aggarwal |
|
|
Engineering Mechanics Engineering Material |
Materials Science And Engineering |
I P Singh |
|
Engineering Mechanics |
S. Timoshenko, D.H. Young, J.V. Rao, Sukumar Pati |
GATE Books for Production and Industrial (PI)
GATE exam books for preparing the Production and Industrial (P.I.) papers are given in the table below.
|
GATE Books |
Name of the Author |
|
Fluid Mechanics and Machinery |
Modi & Seth |
|
IC engine |
Mathur Sharma |
|
Machine Design |
VB Bhandari |
|
Production |
S K Mondal NotesSwadesh Singh |
|
Strength of Material |
Sadhu Singh |
|
Thermodynamics |
P.K Nag |
|
Theory of Machine |
SS Ratan |
GATE Books for Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE)
The best reference GATE books 2026 for ECE are tabulated below. These are excellent GATE books that have been well-reviewed by a lot of experts in the industry and are available in the market, as well as in various e-shopping portals.
|
Topic |
GATE Books |
Author |
|
Digital Circuits |
Digital Logic and Computer Design |
M. Morris Mano |
|
Analog Circuits |
Microelectronic Circuits: Theory and Applications |
Adel S. Sedra, Kenneth C. Smith |
|
Signals Systems |
Signals Systems |
Alan V. Oppenheim, Alan S.Willsky, S.Hamid Nawab |
|
Electromagnetics |
Principles of Electromagnetics |
Mathew N.O. Sadiku |
|
Engineering Mathematics |
Higher Engineering Mathematics |
B. S. Grewal |
|
Networks |
Fundamentals of Electric Circuits |
Charles K. Alexander, Matthew N. O. Sadiku |
|
Control Systems |
Automatic Control Systems |
Benjamin C. Kuo |
|
Electronic Devices and Circuits |
Semiconductor Physics and Devices |
Donald A. Neaman, Dhrubes Biswas |
|
Analog and Digital Communication |
Principles of Communication Systems |
Goutam Saha, Herbert Taub, Donald Schilling |
|
Quantitative Aptitude |
A Modern Approach to Verbal Non-Verbal Reasoning |
R.S. Aggarwal |
|
Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations |
R.S. Aggarwal |
GATE 2026 Books for Biotechnology
There has been an increase in the number of candidates appearing for the GATE Biotechnology stream as it is one of the most flourishing industries in the coming era. Candidates can check out some of the best GATE Biotechnology books available.
|
GATE Book Name |
Author |
|
GATE Guide Biotechnology |
G.K.P |
|
Biotechnology GATE |
B.M. Agarwal, Akanksha Singhal, Vidhika Goel |
|
Biotechnology for CSIR- NET, SET, GATE, JNU, AIIMS, JAM |
Vinita Thakur |
GATE General Aptitude Book 2026
To stand out in the general aptitude exam paper, applicants are highly advised to go through the list of GATE books 2026 for Aptitude is mentioned in the below table.
|
GATE Book Name |
Author |
|
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude |
Arun Sharma |
|
A Modern Approach to Verbal &Non-Verbal Reasoning |
R.S. Aggarwal |
|
High School English Grammar |
Wren & Martin |
|
Reasoning & Aptitude 2018 |
Nem Singh |
|
Quantitative Aptitude Test |
T. S. Jain |
GATE Preparation Books for Other Papers
Candidates can refer to the list of the GATE books 2026 for preparation. GATE prep books are shared for all the papers, highlighting the essential books for preparation.
|
Papers |
GATE Books |
Authors |
|
Aerospace Engineering |
Fundamentals of Aerodynamics |
John D Anderson |
|
Agricultural Engineering |
Principles of Agricultural Engineering |
T.P.A.M Michael Ojha |
|
Architecture and Planning |
Architecture Planning |
Jinisha Jain |
|
Biomedical Engineering |
Introduction to Biomedical Engineering |
Domach |
|
Biotechnology |
GATE Biotechnology |
B. M. Agarwal |
|
Chemical Engineering |
An Insight into Chemical Engineering |
M. Subbu |
|
Chemistry |
Modern Approach to Chemical Calculations |
R.C. Mukherjee |
|
Ecology and Evolution |
Fundamentals of Ecology and Evolution |
Pranav Kumar |
|
Environmental Science and Engineering |
Environmental Engineering Sewage Waste Disposal and Air Pollution Engineering |
Santosh Kumar Garg |
|
Geology and Geophysics |
Fundamentals of Geology and Geophysics |
Amresh Singh |
|
Mathematics |
GATE Mathematics |
Kuldeep Chaudhary |
|
Mining Engineering |
GATE Mining Engineering |
B. N. Bhagat |
|
Metallurgical Engineering |
Metallurgical Engineering |
GKP |
|
Petroleum Engineering |
Introduction to Petroleum Engineering |
John R. Fanchi, Wiley-Blackwell |
|
Physics |
Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering |
Riley |
|
Production and Industrial Engineering |
Production and Industrial Engineering |
GK Publisher |
|
Statistics |
Probability and Mathematical Statistics |
Manish Malik |
|
Textile Engineering and Fibre Science |
Textile Science |
Rastogi Deepali and Chopra Sheetal |
|
Humanities and Social Sciences |
Sociological Theory, Fifth Edition |
George Ritzer |
|
Geomatics Engineering |
Geomatics Engineering |
Mukesh Rai |
|
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering |
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering |
RK Rajput |
How to Select the Best Books for GATE 2026 Preparation?
Choosing the right GATE book for each paper saves you alot of time and energy while preparing for the exam. Here are some of the tips on how to select the best books for GATE 2026 preparation:
- Ensure the book is aligned with the official GATE syllabus for your paper. Avoid books with excessive theory or out-of-scope topics meant for university exams.
- Choose books that explains the fundamentals concepts with examples as GATE preparation requires conceptual clarity than memorising the definitions
- Choose books with plenty of numerical problems, MSQs, MCQs, and NATs reflecting the real exam pattern.
- Make sure to choose the latest version of any book you are referring to as there can be changes in the GATE syllabus every year
Smart Tips to Study from GATE Best Books 2026
GATE preparation is not just about choosing the right books and study materials but it is also about using it effectively for the exam preparation. Here’s how to get the most out of your GATE preparation books:
- Shortlist one best book for each subject and stick to it until you complete the entire GATE syllabus 2026
- Right after completing a topic, solve 20 to 30 problems. Use PYQs to assess exam-relevant understanding
- Write down the important concepts, formulas, shortcuts, etc for quick revisions
- Plan your weekly syllabus using the table of contents. Prioritize high-weightage chapters based on past exam trends.
Relevant articles related to GATE
| GATE Previous Year Question Papers | GATE 2025 Question Paper |
| GATE Exam Centres 2026 | |
| GATE Exam Day Guidelines 2026 | |
| GATE Exam Dress Code 2026 | GATE Eligibility Criteria |
| GATE Syllabus 2026 | GATE Mock Test |
Conclusion
Preparing for GATE 2026 becomes a lot more manageable when you have the right set of books and a clear strategy to use them. The key isn’t to collect every book available, but to master a few high-quality resources that align with the syllabus and exam pattern.
Start with conceptual clarity, move on to rigorous problem-solving, and make sure you’re revising regularly.
