'Five Point Someone: What Not To Do At IIT' is a humorous and dark look at the education system in India. The plot revolves around three youngsters who become friends as they struggle to cope with the mind-numbing monotony of studying at one of India's premier engineering colleges. As they toil and plot to cope with the tough competition, will they get left out in the race to success?

In the novel, Chetan Bhagat strikes a chord in the hearts of millions of parents and students across the country with his description of the often senselessly tough and inevitably unimaginative academic life in the country.

The three protagonists in the novel – Hari, Ryan and Alok – enter the portals of the prestigious IIT. But their joy at beating the hordes of aspirants and ending up as the chosen few fades quickly as they realize that coping with the IITs is no easy task. The three of them struggle to cope not just with the difficult academic schedule, but also with difficult teachers like Professor Cherian, the head of their department.

Hari, the narrator of the story, falls in love with Prof Cherian's daughter, Neha, thus allowing Bhagat to introduce a romantic track into the storyline. Will the three friends survive their years in the ruthless world of IIT? Will they triumph against the system or will they succumb to failure? The book takes you on a hilarious but realistic journey as it unravels the travails of the three friends.