Last updated: October 2026
This guide lists the standard books for Electrical Engineering for the ISRO Scientist/Engineer exam and GATE EE, subject by subject. Electrical Engineering overlaps with Electronics in circuits, control and measurements, so the Electronics guide is useful too.
Please note: These are suggestions based on widely used standard texts. Syllabus and editions change, so confirm the syllabus in the current notification on isro.gov.in and use the latest edition where one exists.
In this guide
1. How to use a standard book
- Treat reference books like dictionaries. Do not read them cover to cover. Use them for the topics your lectures left unclear and for the unsolved problems at the end of each chapter.
- Prefer workbooks and previous year questions to long textbook reading. For EE and ECE, time spent solving problems pays more than time spent reading theory.
- One main book per subject. Do not buy three books for the same subject.
- Finish every chapter by solving its ISRO questions on the ISRO Electrical PYQ page.
2. Subject-wise standard books
| Subject | Main books | Also useful |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Mathematics and Aptitude | No textbook; solve all-branch PYQs | B.S. Grewal for gaps |
| Network Theory | Sadiku (500+ unsolved numericals); D. Roy Choudhury; Kanodia workbooks | Hayt and Kemmerly, Engineering Circuit Analysis |
| Electronic Devices and Circuits | Donald A. Neamen (theory); Kanodia or PYQs for practice | Millman and Halkias |
| Analog Electronics | Millman and Halkias (numericals); Sedra and Smith (theory) | - |
| Digital Circuits | M. Morris Mano; practise from Kanodia or coaching workbooks | - |
| Signals and Systems | Oppenheim; or A. Anand Kumar (highly recommended for readability) | Lathi |
| Control Systems | Nagrath and Gopal (best for beginners); Norman S. Nise | Ogata; Kuo |
| Electromagnetics | Matthew N.O. Sadiku; practise from Kanodia | Hayt |
| Electrical Machines | P.S. Bimbhra (skip the matrix parts of the generalised theory edition) | Fitzgerald, Kingsley and Umans; Nagrath and Kothari, Electric Machines |
| Power Systems | Nagrath and Kothari (switchgear and protection) | V.K. Mehta; C.L. Wadhwa |
| Power Electronics | P.S. Bimbhra (basic language); M.H. Rashid (deeper concepts) | Ned Mohan |
| Electrical and Electronic Measurements | A.K. Sawhney (standard); William D. Cooper (easy language) | - |
| Basic electrical engineering | B.L. Theraja, A Textbook of Electrical Technology | For quick revision of fundamentals |
As in the Electronics guide, the recommendation is to give priority to coaching workbooks and previous year questions over reading complete textbooks, so that time is left for practice.
3. Estimated time per subject
As a planning aid, these are approximate study times for a first reading. They vary with your background.
| Subject | Approximate time |
|---|---|
| Network Theory | about 40 hours |
| Electrical Machines (EE) | about 120 hours |
| Power Systems (EE) | about 100 hours |
| Measurements | about 40 hours (EE), about 60 hours (ECE) |
| Digital Electronics | 25 to 30 hours |
| Signals and Systems | about 30 hours (EE); longer for ECE |
4. ISRO Electrical papers on CMB Space
CMB Space has the ISRO Electrical papers of 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023, with answers, on the ISRO Electrical PYQ page. A typical question tests a standard result from a core chapter. For example, 2018 Question 16 asks for the resonant frequency of a circuit with two coupled inductors (R = 10 Ω, L1 = L2 = 20 mH, M = 5 mH, C = 0.05 µF). Hayt and Kemmerly or Sadiku covers the coupled-circuit method needed to solve it.
Because ISRO questions in many branches overlap with Electronics, also solve the ISRO ECE papers for circuits, control systems and measurements.
5. Free resources
- NPTEL (nptel.ac.in) has full IIT lecture courses on almost every subject in the table.
- Previous year questions: ISRO Electrical papers.
- Related guides: Standard Books for ISRO and GATE (all branches) and How to Prepare for ISRO ICRB 2026.
- Discussion and doubts: the Electronics and Electrical community channel.
Frequently asked questions
Which book is best for Electrical Machines?
P.S. Bimbhra is widely used for GATE-style problems. Skip the matrix parts of the generalised machine theory edition. Fitzgerald is a good alternative for deeper concepts.
Which book should I use for Power Systems?
Nagrath and Kothari is the usual choice, particularly for switchgear and protection. V.K. Mehta is a simpler alternative for the basics.
Do I need to solve Electronics questions for Electrical?
It helps. Circuits, control systems and measurements overlap. See the Electronics guide.