How to Use NCERT Books for JEE Main and Advanced Preparation
Cracking JEE, getting into an engineering college, passing with a respectable job and a fat remuneration- is that what’s on your mind? Then your preparation for JEE Main and JEE Advanced needs to be extremely serious and arduous to some extent. Know who will be your friend, philosopher, and guide in your journey? The NCERT books. How? Well, that’s what we are all set to answer through this article.
Why use NCERT Books?
This is even a more valid question if you are from ICSE Board. But there are a good many reasons why NCERT books will top others in the market especially for the preparation of JEE Main and Advanced. Let us point out those first before we delve deeper into the question we started this article with.
1. Experts rich in years of experience are roped in for the preparation of the NCERT books. Their intense research makes the outcome accurate and it will always lead you to the perfect solution.
2. If you are up for cracking IIT JEE or other competitive exams as well, the first thing you need is a clear concept about the basic and fundamentals. Nothing can match NCERT books and NCERT Solutions in this regard. They are the best for building a strong foundation in any topic or a whole subject for that matter.
3. In NCERT books, even difficult topics are explained in a lucid language. It is inclusive of all important definitions. The overall content is to-the-point. This helps you develop a strong base of your knowledge and concept without facing too many difficulties.
4. The details of a topic are written in a well-organised manner in the NCERT books. The step-by-step explanations make NCERT books the most systematic study material available in the market for JEE Main or Advanced preparation.
5. Skipping NCERT books and directly aiming for higher-level books will do more harm than any good to you. So, get rid of that plan as soon as possible for this will be like building the top floor of a house before taking care of the ground floor. You will simply lose your way in the middle and come back to NCERT again to strengthen your fundamentals.
6. NCERT books have only a small number of questions in them. True. But these questions cover all the aspects of the syllabus and completing these questions will ensure that you have common questions when you actually come face-to-face with the JEE question paper.
NCERT Books + JEE Main and Advanced Preparation: A Perfect Combination?
Without a doubt, this is a perfect combination. We will give you a subject-wise detailed overview of the combo between NCERT books and the preparation for JEE Main and Advanced.
Chemistry
Read NCERT Books religiously for your JEE. Thorough reading and developing answers to the questions along with preparing notes will make you aware of every minute detail. Practising the exercises and in-text questions from NCERT exemplars will further help you.
Physics
You ask for a theory in Physics and NCERT has it in detail for you. Theory-based chapters like Modern Physics could not be any better than this. Here again, put equal concentration on both NCERT books and exemplars that ensures vigorous practice.
Mathematics
The chapters you must focus on are Binomial Theorem, Probability, Sequence and Series, Integration etc. NCERT Books and exemplars will make you skilled in any problem from the most dreaded section of JEE, mathematics.
Therefore, choosing NCERT books will help you clear JEE Main and Advanced with marks above the cut-off percentile. Reading other reference books available in the market is also recommended, but only after you have strengthened your foundation with the NCERT books.
FAQs on How to Use NCERT Books for JEE Main and Advanced Preparation
1. Is NCERT alone sufficient to crack JEE Main and Advanced 2026?
No, NCERT books alone are not sufficient to crack both JEE Main and Advanced. They form the essential foundation for concepts, especially for JEE Main Chemistry. However, for deep problem-solving skills, higher-level application, and the complexity required for JEE Advanced, you must supplement your preparation with advanced reference books, extensive question banks, and mock tests.
2. How should a student effectively read NCERT books for JEE Main preparation?
To effectively use NCERT for JEE Main, follow a structured approach:
- First Reading: Read each chapter like a story to understand the basic concepts and flow.
- Second Reading: Go through the chapter again, this time highlighting important definitions, formulas, and key lines. Make short notes.
- Problem Solving: Solve all in-text examples and back-of-chapter exercises without fail.
- Connect Concepts: Try to link concepts from different chapters to understand their integrated application, which is often tested in JEE.
3. What is the specific strategy for studying NCERT for the more challenging JEE Advanced exam?
For JEE Advanced, NCERT serves as a launchpad, not the final destination. The strategy is to use it for absolute conceptual clarity. Read between the lines, especially in Physics and Chemistry, to grasp the 'why' behind every phenomenon. Pay close attention to diagrams, data tables, and summary boxes. After mastering a concept from NCERT, immediately move to solving high-level problems from advanced reference books to build the necessary analytical skills.
4. Why is NCERT considered indispensable for JEE Chemistry preparation?
NCERT is indispensable for Chemistry because a significant portion of the JEE Main Chemistry paper is often derived directly from its content.
- Inorganic Chemistry: The chapters on p-block, d-block, and coordination compounds are crucial. Questions are frequently asked directly from the text and tables.
- Organic Chemistry: It provides a strong base for all fundamental reactions and mechanisms.
- Physical Chemistry: While you'll need other books for numericals, NCERT clarifies the core theories perfectly.
5. For JEE Physics, where do NCERT books fall short and what should be done to compensate?
While NCERT Physics is excellent for building a fundamental understanding, it falls short in two key areas for JEE preparation: problem variety and mathematical rigour. The number of practice questions is limited and doesn't cover the wide range of multi-concept problems seen in JEE. To compensate, students must solve problems from books like H.C. Verma's 'Concepts of Physics' and practice extensively from previous years' question papers and dedicated JEE problem-solving books.
6. How can I use NCERT Exemplar problems to boost my JEE preparation?
The NCERT Exemplar is a goldmine for JEE aspirants as it contains higher-order thinking skill (HOTS) questions. These problems are a step above the standard textbook exercises and are excellent for developing analytical thinking.
- Solve all Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), especially those with more than one correct option, as this pattern is common in JEE Advanced.
- Focus on the Short Answer and Long Answer questions to build a strong conceptual foundation and learn how to apply theories in complex scenarios.
7. What are the most common mistakes to avoid while using NCERT books for JEE 2026?
The most common mistakes students make are:
- Sole Reliance: Believing NCERT alone is enough and not practicing with supplementary books.
- Ignoring Details: Skipping the information in diagrams, tables, and summary boxes, which can be a source of direct questions.
- Superficial Reading: Reading only for board exams and failing to analyse the text from a competitive exam perspective.
- Skipping Exercises: Not solving the in-text and end-of-chapter questions, which are crucial for building a base.
8. How do JEE toppers typically integrate NCERTs into their overall study plan with other reference materials?
JEE toppers use NCERT as the 'first layer' of their preparation. Their strategy involves:
- Building the Base: They complete a thorough reading of NCERT for a topic first to ensure their fundamental concepts are crystal clear.
- Immediate Application: They then immediately move to solving problems on that same topic from coaching modules and standard reference books.
- Cyclic Revision: They revisit NCERT chapters periodically, especially for subjects like Inorganic Chemistry, to refresh memory-based facts. NCERT acts as the undisputed source of truth to resolve conceptual doubts that may arise from other materials.
