Are NCERT Books Enough for JEE Mains?

As JEE Mains is one of the toughest exams in India, students often feel anxiety regarding what to study and where to study it all from. One of the most preferred sources for JEE preparation is definitely the NCERT textbooks, but the question is whether going through them is enough to score well in JEE Mains. In this blog, we will try to answer this particular question. This blog brings you a detailed guide on the top NCERT books for JEE Mains for Chemistry, Physics and Maths recommended by IIT toppers. 

Why is the NCERT Book important for JEE Mains?

NCERT books help build a fundamental understanding of the topic, like Mechanics, Optics, and Electromagnetism. Here are some benefits why is the NCERT book for JEE mains: 

• Prepare with CBSE Curriculum: JEE Mains is based on the CBSE Syllabus, and the NCERT books are prescribed by CBSE itself.
• Clear Concepts: NCERT books explain concepts in a simple and clear manner, which is ideal for building strong basics. 
• Direct Question: Many questions, especially in  Chemistry, are directly picked or slightly modified from the NCERT.
• Standard and Reliable: These books are reviewed by subject experts, are error-free and trustworthy.

Are NCERT Books Enough for JEE Mains?

The first step towards preparing for any exams is building a strong foundation for yourself. And here your foundation is your basics, and you know that it’s your NCERT textbooks which can help you in this direction. The topics which need to be covered for a JEE Mains exam are introduced to us in schools themselves through our NCERT textbooks. What you see in a JEE Mains paper is an extension of the topics which we have already studied in school-related to mathematics, physics and chemistry. And in school, we have often heard how NCERT books are the best for CBSE exams. Also, NCERT books are written by experts who have a deep knowledge of the concerned subjects. Therefore, the information that NCERT provides is accurate and can never be wrong. Considering all this, studying your NCERT books can help you a lot in understanding the key topics that you need to cover for the JEE Mains exam. And this is also the reason why educational experts and JEE toppers recommend NCERT for preparation.

Also Read: JEE Main Exam Dates 2025: Session 1 & 2 Exam Schedule

Are NCERT Books Enough for JEE Mains Mathematics?

For mathematics, the concepts that are covered in the NCERT class 11th and 12th textbooks would be enough, but the thinking and problem-solving ability that an exam like JEE Mains demands could not be attained merely by relying on the NCERT textbooks. So, it would be good if you acquire theoretical knowledge through NCERT textbooks and then use other JEE preparatory materials to practice those concepts. This is important because every year the JEE mains paper has a question on vectors, statistics or mathematical reasoning which is taken directly from your NCERT. So, you need to create a balance between other prep materials and NCERT books for JEE Mains.

Are NCERT Books Enough for JEE Mains Chemistry?

For chemistry, 65-70% questions come from NCERT textbooks, and the rest can be solved easily if you have thoroughly gone through all the NCERT topics. So, for chemistry, the NCERT textbooks are quite enough. One question which is quite frequently asked is whether the NCERT is enough for JEE Mains organic chemistry. The answer to this is that conceptual knowledge, which is gained from NCERT Books, is enough, but to enhance your problem-solving potential, it’s recommended that you go through some additional JEE Mains prep materials. 

Are NCERT Books Enough for JEE Mains Physics?

For physics, you can say that the level is a bit higher than what your NCERT textbooks cover. But that doesn’t mean covering the NCERT syllabus is not important. It’s just that it won’t be enough if you wish to score well. So, start with NCERT and then use other prep materials to get a deeper knowledge of the topics covered. 

Also Read: How to Prepare for JEE Main?

What are the Benefits of NCERT Books?

Keep in mind that NCERT Books will undoubtedly help you get prepared for your upcoming JEE Main exams. However, you need to ensure that you’re going through the NCERT books properly so that you get the necessary knowledge as well as the information you’re seeking. Here are a couple of benefits of purchasing NCERT books for your upcoming JEE Mains or JEE Advanced exam:

• NCERT books are filled with great questions that will help you gain more knowledge
• The answer sheet attached at the end of each question book will help you ensure that you’re answering the questions correctly
• NCERT books will help you stay more competitive.

Best Books for JEE Mains 2025

To help you through this journey towards scoring well in JEE Mains, apart from NCERT, we would like to refer to some other preparatory materials which will prove quite beneficial. Here are the best books for JEE Mains recommended by IIT toppers:

Physics	Chemistry	Mathematics
Concepts of Physics -Part I, HC Verma	Organic Chemistry, Robert T. Morrison and Robert N. Boyd	IIT Mathematics, M.L. Khanna
Concepts of Physics -Part II, HC Verma	Concepts of Organic Chemistry, O.P. Tandon	Degree level Differential Calculus, A Das Gupta
Practice Book Physics for JEE Main and Advanced, DC Pandey	Modern Approach to Chemical Calculations, R.C. Mukherjee	Mathematics for Class 11 and 12, R.D. Sharma
Problems in General Physics, I.E. Irodov	GRB Numerical Chemistry, P. Bahadur	Objective Mathematics for JEE, R.D. Sharma
Physics for JEE (Main and Advanced)-Vol 1 and 2, Resnick, Halliday, Walker	Concise Inorganic Chemistry, J.D. Lee	Problems in Calculus of One Variable, I.A. Maron
–	–	Higher Algebra, Hall and Knight

Important Topics for JEE Mains 2025

Now that you are familiar with the best NCERT Books and preparation guides for JEE Mains, don’t forget to check out the following important section-wise topics for JEE Mains 2025:

Physics	Chemistry	Mathematics
Modern Physics	Chemical and Molecular Bonding	Relations and functions
Alternating Current and Electromagnetic Induction	Electrochemistry and Redox reactions	Trigonometric Functions
Current Electricity	Chemical and Ionic Equilibrium	Matrices and Determinants
Optics	Atomic Structure	Limits, Continuity, and Differentiation
Electrostatics	Hydrogen	Conic Sections
Magnetism	Solutions and Colligative Properties	Sequences and Series
Kinetic Theory of Gases	Mole Concept	Differential Equation
Waves and Oscillations	Periodicity	Statistics
Fluid Mechanics	Coordination compounds	Straight lines and Family of lines
Heat and Thermodynamics	General Organic Chemistry	Vectors and 3D
Kinetics	Chemical Kinetics	Definite Integration
Law of motion	Metallurgy	Binomial Theorem
Work, Power, Energy	Solutions and Colligative Properties	Complex Numbers
Rigid Body Dynamics and Rational Motion	States of Matter	Probability

Also Read: The JEE Exam is For Which Stream?

Additional Things to Keep in Mind

We have already gone through how important NCERT textbooks of classes 11th and 12th are for JEE preparation, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any drawbacks to relying completely on NCERT. So, to give you an idea, let’s go through the few criteria where the NCERTs lack. 

1. We know how important practice is to score well in any exam, and this is definitely the case with JEE mains, which tests you on your mathematics, chemistry and physics-related knowledge. And as we all know, there aren’t enough practice Questions in the NCERT. So, even if you were able to build a strong foundation for yourself through NCERT,  you won’t be able to test your acquired knowledge. 
2. Another problem with relying completely on the NCERT is that you might skip the important points while going through the entire chapter. On this front, the good thing about JEE prep materials is that all such points are separately mentioned there, in order to grab your attention. 

Also Read: How to Read JEE Main Result: A Guide for Aspirants

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That’s everything you need to know about the best NCERT Books for JEE Mains. For more such helpful and informative articles, stay connected with Leverage Edu. And if you’re planning to study at a top university abroad, our experts are here to guide you every step of the way. Reach out to us today.