Importance of NCERT Books in JEE Main & Advanced Preparation
If you are preparing for JEE Main and Advanced exams what books will you treat as Bible? The answer is obviously the NCERT books. Why? There are several reasons underlying the importance of NCERT books for JEE Main and Advanced preparation. You will come across a number of books for the JEE exams but none can match the comprehensiveness of NCERT. If you go through the following discussion you will be able to understand why choosing only NCERT books for JEE Main and JEE Advanced preparation should be your topmost priority.
But before that, have you ever thought why does it become so difficult selecting the right books for the exam?
Think about your Class 12 academic year. You can literally see JEE exams knocking at the door. You are so much stressed and over-burdened that you can’t choose what is right and what is wrong. That is exactly when you need proper guidance. You will find several easily available books in the market as well as on various websites. That will make you even more confused about what to do. Without a second thought, you should go only for the NCERT books first to prepare yourself properly for the JEE Main and Advanced exam.
How NCERT Books are important for JEE Main and Advanced preparation?
You may ask the inevitable question that why should you choose NCERT books above all. The answer to the question is -
1. JEE Main and Advanced question papers consists of several questions which are directly picked from the NCERT books. What kind of questions? Generally, the one-liner questions are picked from the text of the paragraphs. Hence, you are required to go through the entire theory thoroughly to tackle these questions.
2. You will find a summary at the end of each chapter in the NCERT books. The summary is very important as far as the JEE Main and Advanced exam are concerned. Why? In the summary part, each and every important point of the entire chapter are covered. It is the best way to revise the whole chapter in a very short span of time.
3. If you are a sincere JEE Main and Advanced aspirant you should read the NCERT books because only NCERT books and NCERT Solutions will build up your foundation for the preparation.
4. Are your basics not clear? You will face a massive problem while appearing in the JEE Main and Advanced exam. What should you do? Just read the NCERT books again and again to clarify your basics.
5. NCERT books are written in very lucid language so that they are very easy to be understood.
6. If you are weak in Chemistry NCERT book is your solution. Organic reactions and other organic conversions are often asked from NCERT book directly.
7. Although the Physics portion does not carry much theoretical questions, the chapters like Modern Physics and Electromagnetism always pick theoretical questions directly from NCERT books.
Is it now clear why you should rely upon NCERT books primarily for scoring good marks in JEE Mains and Advanced exams? It is always about cementing your base at the beginning. Get your concepts of each topic cleared with the NCERT books for Class 10 first after that, you can expect to build on those concepts. So, go grab your copies of Class 10 NCERT books and start studying from them diligently.
FAQs on Importance of NCERT Books in JEE Main & Advanced Preparation
1. Why are NCERT books considered the essential foundation for the JEE Main 2026 preparation?
NCERT books are considered the foundation for JEE Main because they are designed to build conceptual clarity from the ground up, in simple and accessible language. The National Testing Agency (NTA) often frames a significant number of questions, especially in Chemistry, directly from the lines, diagrams, and in-text tables of NCERT textbooks. Mastering them ensures that a student's fundamental knowledge is perfectly aligned with the core syllabus of the exam.
2. How does the importance of NCERT books differ between JEE Main and JEE Advanced?
The importance of NCERT books varies significantly between the two exams. For JEE Main, NCERT is often sufficient for a high score, particularly in Chemistry. For JEE Advanced, NCERT serves as an indispensable prerequisite for understanding basic principles. However, it is not sufficient on its own. JEE Advanced tests the complex application of these principles, requiring students to solve multi-concept problems from advanced reference books after building their base with NCERT.
3. For which subject is NCERT most critical for JEE, and for which is it least sufficient?
The role of NCERT varies by subject:
Most Critical (Chemistry): For Inorganic Chemistry, NCERT is considered the bible. Almost all questions in JEE Main can be traced back to it. For Organic and Physical Chemistry, it provides a strong and essential base.
Moderately Critical (Physics): NCERT Physics books are excellent for understanding theories and derivations clearly. However, the exercises are not sufficient for the level of problem-solving required in JEE.
Least Sufficient (Mathematics): While necessary for basic theory and formulae, NCERT Maths books lack the quantity and complexity of problems needed for both JEE Main and Advanced. Extensive practice from other sources is mandatory.
4. Are NCERT books alone enough to secure a top rank in JEE Advanced?
No, NCERT books alone are not sufficient to secure a top rank in JEE Advanced. While they are crucial for building a strong conceptual foundation, they do not cover the advanced problem-solving skills and in-depth application of concepts tested in the exam. Top ranks require solving complex, multi-layered problems that demand a higher level of analytical thinking, which can only be developed by practising extensively from specialised JEE Advanced reference books and mock test series.
5. What is the most effective strategy to study NCERT books for JEE 2026?
An effective strategy involves multiple readings with specific goals. Start by reading each chapter thoroughly to understand the concepts. In the second reading, create your own notes, highlighting key formulas, definitions, and reactions. Solve every single in-text, solved example, and back-exercise question. Crucially, also solve the NCERT Exemplar problems, as they introduce higher-order thinking questions that bridge the gap between board-level and competitive exam-level problems.
6. How does the NCERT Exemplar book enhance preparation for JEE?
The NCERT Exemplar is a critical supplement to the main textbooks. It enhances JEE preparation by providing a higher difficulty level of questions, including Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with single and multiple correct answers, which mirror the pattern of JEE Advanced. These problems require deeper conceptual understanding and analytical skills than the standard textbook exercises, effectively training students for the competitive exam environment.
7. What common misconceptions do students have about using NCERT for JEE preparation?
A common misconception is that NCERT is only for CBSE board exams and can be skipped for JEE coaching material. This is a critical error, as it leads to weak fundamentals. Another mistake is reading the text passively without solving the problems or ignoring the information in diagrams, summary sections, and supplementary boxes. Students often underestimate the depth of content in NCERT, especially in Chemistry, where direct questions are frequently asked.
8. If NCERT provides the base, what kind of reference books are needed for advanced JEE problem-solving?
After building a solid foundation with NCERT, students should move to reference books that focus on extensive problem-solving and advanced applications. For example:
Physics: Books like 'Concepts of Physics' by H.C. Verma are considered essential for building problem-solving skills.
Chemistry: For Physical Chemistry, N Avasthi, and for Organic Chemistry, M.S. Chauhan are popular choices for practice.
Mathematics: Cengage or Arihant publication series provide comprehensive theory and a vast bank of problems for exhaustive practice.
