NCERT Book for Class 12 Chemistry
Chemistry is one of those subjects that can make or break your Class 12 score. Whether you want to become a doctor, an engineer, a pharmacist, or a researcher, a strong grasp of Chemistry at this level opens many doors. The NCERT Class 12 Chemistry textbook is the most reliable and complete resource you can use for board exam preparation and competitive entrance tests alike.
On this page, you can access the latest edition of the NCERT Class 12 Chemistry textbook — Part 1 and Part 2 — for educational reference. The books are made available as PDFs for students, parents, and teachers to use for study purposes.
About the NCERT Class 12 Chemistry Textbook
The NCERT Class 12 Chemistry book is divided into two parts. Together, they cover 10 units that form the complete course as prescribed by CBSE. The content is written by expert educators and follows the official CBSE curriculum in a structured, topic-by-topic manner. The language is clear and suitable for self-study, making it ideal for students who prefer to read and understand on their own without always depending on a teacher.
Both parts of the book include detailed explanations, diagrams, solved examples, and practice exercises at the end of each unit. These exercises are extremely important because CBSE board questions are closely based on them.
NCERT Class 12 Chemistry Part 1 – Unit-wise Overview
Part 1 of the NCERT Class 12 Chemistry textbook covers 5 units focused on physical and inorganic chemistry.
Unit 1: Solutions
This unit explains different types of solutions — solid, liquid, and gaseous. Students study concentration terms like molarity, molality, mole fraction, and mass percentage. Topics like Henry's Law, Raoult's Law, colligative properties, and osmosis are also covered in detail. This unit has good weightage in board exams and involves a fair number of numerical problems.
Unit 2: Electrochemistry
Electrochemistry covers the conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy and vice versa. Students learn about electrochemical cells, galvanic cells, electrolytic cells, electrode potential, the Nernst equation, electrolysis, and corrosion. The unit also discusses conductance and its measurement, which involves some important numerical questions.
Unit 3: Chemical Kinetics
This unit deals with the rate of chemical reactions and the factors that influence them. Rate law, order of reaction, integrated rate equations, the Arrhenius equation, activation energy, and collision theory are the main topics. Numerical problems based on rate constants and half-life are regularly asked in board exams from this unit.
Unit 4: The d and f Block Elements
Students study the transition metals (d-block) and the inner transition elements (f-block) in this unit. Topics include electronic configurations, variable oxidation states, colour of compounds, magnetic properties, catalytic behaviour, and a detailed discussion of lanthanides and actinides. This is an important unit for descriptive chemistry questions.
Unit 5: Coordination Compounds
Coordination compounds are one of the most interesting and scoring areas of Class 12 Chemistry. This unit covers Werner's theory, IUPAC nomenclature, valence bond theory, crystal field theory, isomerism, and the importance of coordination compounds in biology, industry, and medicine. It is a favourite topic in both board exams and NEET.
NCERT Class 12 Chemistry Part 2 – Unit-wise Overview
Part 2 covers 5 units from organic chemistry — one of the most scoring and often feared sections of Chemistry.
Unit 6: Haloalkanes and Haloarenes
This unit introduces compounds formed when hydrogen atoms in hydrocarbons are replaced by halogen atoms. Students learn about nomenclature, physical properties, and chemical reactions including nucleophilic substitution (SN1 and SN2), elimination reactions, and reactions of haloarenes with electrophilic substitution. Optical isomerism is also introduced here.
Unit 7: Alcohols, Phenols, and Ethers
Students study the classification, nomenclature, physical and chemical properties of alcohols, phenols, and ethers. Important reactions include Kolbe's reaction, Reimer-Tiemann reaction, Williamson synthesis, and various oxidation and dehydration reactions. This unit is heavily tested in board exams.
Unit 8: Aldehydes, Ketones, and Carboxylic Acids
This is one of the most important organic chemistry units. Topics include preparation methods, physical and chemical properties, and reactions like nucleophilic addition, aldol condensation, Cannizzaro reaction, oxidation, and reduction. Carboxylic acid derivatives and their reactivity are also covered. Many questions in NEET come directly from this unit.
Unit 9: Amines
Amines are nitrogen-containing organic compounds. Students learn about their classification into primary, secondary, and tertiary types, their basicity, preparation methods, and chemical reactions including diazotisation, coupling reactions, carbylamine reactions, and Hoffmann's bromamide reaction. This is a short but highly asked unit.
Unit 10: Biomolecules
The final unit gives students an understanding of the chemical basis of life. Carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes, and vitamins are all explained in terms of their structure, function, and biological importance. For NEET aspirants especially, this is a very relevant and scoring unit.
How to Download the NCERT Class 12 Chemistry PDF
The NCERT Chemistry Class 12 textbook is freely available for all students. You can get it in the following ways:
Visit the official NCERT website at ncert.nic.in and go to the E-Books section
Select Class XII and choose Chemistry as your subject
Download Part 1 and Part 2 separately
You can also access both parts through the DIKSHA app or the NCERT mobile app
Hindi medium versions of the book are also available on the same website. The PDFs on this page are provided for educational reference for students and teachers.
How to Study NCERT Class 12 Chemistry for Maximum Marks
Here are some practical tips that actually make a difference for Class 12 Chemistry:
Study unit by unit, not chapter by chapter. NCERT Chemistry is organised into broad units. Finish one unit completely before moving on.
Write balanced chemical equations by hand. Do not just read them. Writing them out multiple times helps you remember them in exams.
Solve all NCERT exercises. Many board exam questions are word-for-word from the NCERT exercise section. Never skip these.
Use NCERT Exemplar for organic chemistry. The Exemplar problems push your understanding one level above the textbook, which is perfect for NEET and JEE.
Make a formula and reaction sheet for each unit. Physical chemistry involves many formulas, while organic chemistry involves many name reactions. Keeping a dedicated sheet for each helps during revision.
Practice numerical problems daily. Units like Solutions, Electrochemistry, and Chemical Kinetics have compulsory numericals in board exams. Daily practice is the only way to get comfortable with them.
Why NCERT Chemistry is Essential for Board and Entrance Exams
Many students make the mistake of jumping to reference books like P. Bahadur or O.P. Tandon before finishing NCERT. This often backfires.
Here is why the NCERT book must always come first:
The entire CBSE board question paper is based on NCERT content. Questions may be rephrased, but the source is always NCERT.
NEET Chemistry has a very high percentage of questions that are directly from NCERT text, examples, and exercises.
NCERT explanations are accurate, concise, and free from unnecessary complexity for board-level study.
The book is available free of cost and is accessible to every student in India, regardless of location or financial background.
It covers both the theoretical and numerical aspects of each unit in a balanced way.
Frequently Asked Questions – NCERT Class 12 Chemistry
Q1. How many units are there in NCERT Class 12 Chemistry in total?
The latest edition of NCERT Class 12 Chemistry has 10 units split across two parts. Part 1 contains Units 1 to 5 (physical and inorganic chemistry), and Part 2 contains Units 6 to 10 (organic chemistry and biomolecules).
Q2. Is NCERT Chemistry enough for NEET preparation?
For NEET, NCERT Chemistry is the single most important book and must be read thoroughly. A large portion of NEET Chemistry questions come directly from NCERT text, in-text questions, and examples. While some additional practice is helpful, no NEET aspirant should move ahead without completing NCERT first.
Q3. Which units in Class 12 Chemistry carry the most marks in CBSE board exams?
Generally, units like Electrochemistry, Chemical Kinetics, Haloalkanes and Haloarenes, and Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids carry higher weightage. However, it is important to prepare all units since the paper covers the full syllabus.
Q4. Where can I download the NCERT Class 12 Chemistry PDF for free?
The official PDF is available on the NCERT website at ncert.nic.in under the E-Books section. The PDFs on this page are shared for educational reference purposes for students and teachers.
Q5. Which chapters have been removed from the latest edition of the NCERT Class 12 Chemistry book?
The latest edition no longer includes topics like The Solid State, Surface Chemistry, General Principles and Processes of Isolation of Elements, The p-Block Elements, and Chemistry in Everyday Life, which were part of older editions. Students should always refer to the latest edition and check the current CBSE syllabus before starting their preparation.
