Best Books for Kerala PSC LSGD Draftsman Grade 2 Exam 2026: Subject-Wise Book List

The Kerala PSC LSGD Draftsman Grade 2 exam is fully technical. It tests diploma-level civil engineering across six subjects, so general knowledge guides won’t help you. What you need is a small set of good technical textbooks, matched to the syllabus. This guide lists the best books for LSGD Draftsman Grade 2, subject by subject, with advice on how to use each one.

LSGD Draftsman Grade 2 Exam 2026 – Know the Exam Before Choosing Books

Kerala PSC LSGD Draftsman Grade 2 Syllabus 2026

The syllabus has six subjects:

PSC doesn’t publish a marks split in this syllabus, so the priority column is a guide to where your reading time should go. It’s not an official weightage.

Best Books for LSGD Draftsman Grade 2 Exam 2026

Best Books for Basic Engineering Drawing – LSGD Draftsman Grade 2

Syllabus topics: drawing instruments, equipment and materials; lettering, dimensioning and scale; plane geometrical construction; conic sections and projection.

Recommended books

• Engineering Drawing by N.D. Bhatt. This is one of the most widely used engineering drawing textbooks in India. It explains lettering, scales, conics and projections step by step, with plenty of solved problems.
• Engineering Drawing by P.S. Gill. A good second book if you want more practice problems on projections and geometrical construction.

How to study

• Draw every construction by hand with proper instruments. The questions test how well you know the method, and you only learn that by drawing.
• Memorise the standard conventions for lettering, dimensioning and scales.
• Learn the properties of the conic sections (ellipse, parabola, hyperbola) and how each one is constructed.

LSGD Draftsman Grade 2 – Best Books for Surveying

Syllabus topics: chain, compass, plane table and levelling survey; principle and types of levelling; reduction of levels; contouring; theodolite survey; modern and advanced surveying instruments.

Recommended books

• Surveying (Vol. 1 and 2) by B.C. Punmia and others. A standard reference that covers chain surveying, compass surveying, plane tabling, levelling, contouring and theodolite work clearly. It also includes good numericals.
• Surveying by S.K. Duggal. Many students find the language simple. It’s useful for modern instruments such as the total station.
• Surveying and Levelling by Kanetkar and Kulkarni. A good option if you prefer a concise, diploma-level treatment.

How to study

• Surveying is a high-priority subject, so give it extra time.
• Practise reduction-of-levels problems with both the height of instrument method and the rise and fall method.
• Make short notes on instrument parts, errors and corrections.
• Don’t skip the modern instruments portion. Theory questions on the total station, EDM and GPS are easy marks if you’ve read them once.

Best Books for Building Materials and Construction – LSGD Draftsman Grade 2

Syllabus topics: stone, brick, tiles, cement, lime and filler materials; plain and reinforced cement concrete; timber; foundation, masonry, roofing and flooring; building finishes and services; temporary structural treatment for building construction.

Recommended books

• Building Materials by S.K. Duggal. It covers stone, brick, cement, lime, concrete and timber in one place, with properties, tests and uses.
• Engineering Materials by S.C. Rangwala. A strong reference for material properties and field tests.
• Building Construction by Sushil Kumar. A popular book for foundations, masonry, floors, roofs, doors, windows and finishes.
• Building Construction by B.C. Punmia and others. Another good option, with clear diagrams.

How to study

• Build a material-wise table: type, properties, field tests, uses.
• For construction topics, learn the names of parts and the sequence of work, such as the types of bonds in brick masonry and the parts of a foundation.
• Revise the standard tests for bricks, cement and aggregates, since these are frequent question areas.
• Cover the services portion (water supply, drainage, electrical basics) from the same construction textbook.

Best Books for Building Drawing and Estimating

Syllabus topics: building rules and byelaws; estimation; rules and methods of measurement of work; rate analysis and valuation.

Recommended books and references

• Kerala Municipality Building Rules and Kerala Panchayat Building Rules. For the building rules and byelaws portion, go to the rules themselves. Use the latest version in force, because rules get amended.
• Estimating and Costing in Civil Engineering by B.N. Dutta. A well-known textbook for quantity estimation, methods of measurement and rate analysis.
• Estimating, Costing, Specification and Valuation by M. Chakraborti. A useful alternative, especially for valuation.
• Kerala PWD Manual and Schedule of Rates. These are good supplementary references for how measurement and rate analysis work in Kerala.

How to study

• Learn the standard methods of estimation (long wall–short wall, centre line) and practise a few full estimates.
• Memorise the rules of measurement for common items of work.
• Practise rate analysis problems for items such as brickwork, PCC and plastering.
• Read the building rules in short chunks: setbacks, plot coverage, floor area ratio, minimum room sizes and other standard provisions. Make a one-page summary and revise it often.

LSGD Draftsman Grade 2 – Best Books for Hydraulics and Irrigation

Syllabus topics: terms used in irrigation; storage and diversion head works; reservoir, dam, canals and cross drainage work; properties of fluid; measurement of pressure; types of hydraulic energy.

Recommended books

• Irrigation Engineering and Hydraulic Structures by S.K. Garg. A standard book for head works, canals, dams and cross drainage works.
• Irrigation and Water Power Engineering by B.C. Punmia and others. A good alternative with clear explanations.
• Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Machines by R.K. Bansal. Use it for fluid properties, pressure measurement and basic hydraulics.

How to study

• Treat this as a medium-priority subject, but don’t ignore it. The syllabus is short, so it’s one of the quickest to finish.
• Learn the irrigation terms and definitions first. They make up a large part of the theory questions.
• Memorise key formulas for pressure and fluid properties, and practise a few simple numericals.
• Make a labelled sketch list for dams, weirs, barrages and cross drainage works.

Best Study Material for AutoCAD – LSGD Draftsman Grade 2

Syllabus topics: introduction to AutoCAD; basic commands; drawing toolbar and modifying toolbar; plotting and printing.

Recommended material

• Autodesk’s official help documentation and tutorials. Free and reliable.
• AutoCAD guides by Sham Tickoo. Well-known step-by-step books with exercises.
• Mastering AutoCAD by George Omura. A thorough reference if you want more depth.

How to study

• No book replaces hands-on practice. Install AutoCAD (a student or trial version) and try each command yourself.
• Make a command list with the full name, the shortcut and what it does for Line, Circle, Offset, Trim, Extend, Fillet, Mirror, Array and so on.
• Learn the plotting and printing settings, including page setup, scale and plot style.
• Know the difference between the drawing and modify toolbars, since that is a common question type.

How to Choose Best Books for Kerala PSC LSGD Draftsman Grade 2: A Short Guide

• Pick one main book per subject. Using five books for the same topic wastes time.
• Match the book to the syllabus. Skip chapters that aren’t listed.
• Prefer diploma-level books. This exam is set at that level, so very advanced texts are unnecessary.
• Check the edition. Newer editions include updated instruments and standards.
• Buy original copies. Avoid unauthorised PDFs, which are often incomplete or full of errors.
• Use the library. Many of these books are available in college and public libraries.

Best Books for Kerala PSC LSGD Draftsman Grade 2 2026 – Suggested Reading Order

Keep daily practice for Surveying numericals and Estimating throughout.