Which books to use after NCERT for JEE Physics, Chemistry and Maths, and how to use them

Summary: NCERT first, always. Then one main book per subject, previous years' JEE questions, and one extra book only if you are aiming for JEE Advanced and have finished the first. One book done thoroughly beats four started.

The rule before the list

Walk into any bookshop near a coaching area and you will find a wall of JEE books, each claiming to be complete. Students buy several, start each one, and finish none. By December they have solved the first 30 questions of eight books and the last 300 of none.

The rule we give every student is simple to state: for each subject, finish NCERT, then finish one main problem book, then do previous years' questions. Add a second book only when the first is done, and only if your target needs it. If you are in a coaching programme, the institute's own material often takes the place of the main book, and adding outside books on top of it needs a reason.

NCERT comes first, even for JEE

JEE Main is built on the NCERT syllabus of Class 11 and 12. In Chemistry especially, many Inorganic and some Organic questions come straight from NCERT lines, tables and exceptions. Students who skip NCERT because it looks easy lose those marks. Read the text, work the examples, and solve the exercises. For Physics and Maths, NCERT Exemplar is a useful bridge between the textbook and JEE-level problems.

Our chapter notes follow the NCERT order: Physics, Chemistry and Maths.

Physics

• H C Verma, Concepts of Physics (two volumes). Clear explanations and graded problems. The "Objective" and "Exercises" sections are excellent practice for JEE Main, and the harder exercises stretch towards JEE Advanced. For many students this is the one main Physics book they need.
• D C Pandey's JEE Physics series. Large, well-organised question banks chapter by chapter, with JEE-pattern questions. Useful for volume once concepts are clear.
• I E Irodov, Problems in General Physics. Hard, and worth it only for students aiming at a strong JEE Advanced rank who have finished a main book. Not needed for JEE Main.

Chemistry

Chemistry needs different books for its three parts, because the skills differ.

• Physical Chemistry: N Avasthi's Problems in Physical Chemistry or P Bahadur's numerical chemistry book, for practice on mole concept, equilibrium, thermodynamics, electrochemistry and kinetics. Pick one.
• Organic Chemistry: for understanding, a textbook such as Organic Chemistry by Solomons and Fryhle, read for the chapters you find hard. For problems, M S Chauhan's Advanced Problems in Organic Chemistry, which is best suited to JEE Advanced aspirants.
• Inorganic Chemistry: NCERT, read line by line, is the main source for JEE Main. J D Lee's Concise Inorganic Chemistry in its adapted Indian edition helps with understanding and JEE Advanced depth, but read it selectively. Our Inorganic Chemistry method explains how to learn from NCERT.
• O P Tandon's series covers all three parts in one set and suits students who want a single source across Chemistry.

Maths

• Cengage Mathematics series (G Tewani) or Arihant's Skills in Mathematics series (Amit M Agarwal). Both cover the JEE syllabus chapter by chapter with theory, solved examples and graded exercises. Choose one series as the main Maths book.
• S L Loney, The Elements of Coordinate Geometry and Plane Trigonometry. Old, classic books with thorough explanations. Good for students who want depth in these two areas.
• R D Sharma is a school-level book aimed at board exams. Helpful in Class 11 for students who need more basic practice before JEE-level questions, but not a JEE book on its own.

Previous years' papers

No book replaces the actual JEE Main and JEE Advanced papers. They show exactly what is asked, at what level, and in what style. Solve them chapter-wise once a chapter is done, and as full papers in the last three months. You can attempt past papers online with rank and analysis on our previous year papers page, and download them from our papers archive.

A plan by target

How to work through a book

Owning the right book is the easy part. Using it well is where students differ.

1. Read the chapter theory once, after NCERT, with the solved examples. Try each example yourself before reading the solution.
2. Solve the exercises in order, marking each question: a tick if solved cleanly, a circle if solved with difficulty, a cross if not solved.
3. Limit your time on each question. Around ten minutes for a hard one, then look at the solution, understand it, and mark it with a cross.
4. A week later, redo every circle and cross without looking at the solution. This second attempt is where most of the learning happens.
5. Before exams, redo only the crosses. They are your personal list of the hardest questions, and far more useful than a new book.

Students who follow this method on one book usually learn more than students who skim four. It is slower in the first month and much faster by the end.

Common questions