The Ultimate Guide to Best JEE Books
Arzoo Kheni
Jan 26, 2019 . 4 min readThe Ugly Truth about JEE books recommendations.
If you’ve ever googled to search “Best JEE Books”, you’ll find there’s so much chaos there. Or as we engineers call it, it’s Enthalpy is high. Everyone has their own recommendations to sell. Some fight for RD Sharma while others defend R.S. Aggarwal.
There are more than 300 answers on quora on best book for jee! Who is right and to what extent?
Why should you read the books that read by toppers when your target is state colleges? Just like how one size does not fit all, reading the most recommended books for JEE Main preparation is probably the worst mistake you can make!!
How this guide will help YOU in JEE books?
- This is a clear and Unbiased guide to making your book choice easy. There are no promotional books from our H.O.D.s!
- Toppers in Kota read more than 25 books. But you can’t. So a reading strategy with selective books is going to boost your JEE preparations.
- The first of its kind list which gives you an AIR range to understand the level of the book.
- This guide to best JEE books also divides all the books into audience-based categories. Those categories are Backbenchers, Mid-benchers, Front-seaters, and Toppers.
- There’s a great surprise waiting for you at the end of this guide!
Targetting IITs? It’s easy if you do it smartly.
This complete guide to the best JEE books helps you prepare smartly. If you’ve already purchased some highly difficult books like Anurag Mishra (Physics), then donate them. To your enemies!
If you know what to study, then half the battle is already won.
Avoid these top 5 costly mistakes in JEE Books
- Don’t buy a book whose solutions are not easily available in the market! I know that most of you are shy to ask your doubts. Clearing your doubts from these books is equally important.
- I’ve seen many students wasting their time reading books which they shouldn’t be. Stop reading books just because you already bought them. Your time is precious.
- Are you still reading theories from books? Stop toying with your preparations already. Buy yourself a good video lecture series online. Check out here for video lectures.
- Don’t own any books? It’s never too late to start. Follow this guide completely and I’m sure you’ll find yourself a couple of books worth investing in.
- Many big coachings like Bansal, Allen, and Resonance recommend books from their HoD to promote themselves. Don’t fall for these leechers. Smart students know what is best for them.
JEE books for Maths
Keep your mathematics strong. Remember, you have to be odd to be number one. Let’s see all the best books for JEE for maths.
1. R. D. Sharma – Most famous maths book
|
Are your basics in maths unclear? Solve exercises from this book to build your concepts from bottoms up. If you’re aiming for AIR between 1000 to 2,00,000 in JEE Main, this book is for you. RD Sharma book is the outcome of the sincere effort and struggle of the author, who tried his best to keep this book simple and very easy to understand. Buy on Amazon for class 11 and class 12.
2. R. S. Aggarwal – Your best alternative for fundamental maths
|
Just like RD Sharma, RS Aggarwal also focuses on your fundamentals of maths. If you’re aiming for AIR between 1000 to 2,00,000 in JEE Main, this book is for you. Compared to RD Sharma, RS Aggarwal consists of a lesser number of questions and exercises. None the less, this book is a must-have if you don’t own RD Sharma and you’re aiming for JEE Main only. Buy on Amazon for class 11 and class 12.
3. S.L. Loney (Trigonometry) – Lose your fear of sinθ and cosθ
|
How good is your Trigonometry? Almost every IITian I’ve ever met (which is a lot of IITians), they say they’ve referred SL Loney for perfecting their Trigonometry. SL Loney makes JEE advanced easy! The main benefit of SL Loney lies in the variety of questions available there. The upcoming questions use concepts and tricks from previous questions! So this book is a necessary weapon to keep in your arsenal. Also, check its unbelievable price on Flipkart.
4. Hall and Knight (Higher Algebra)
|
Algebra is scoring. Hall and Knight has a lot of unsolved and solved examples. Solved problems in mathematics help you build approaches and intuitions to solve problems. This book contains chapters from both class 11 and class 12. This book is referred for JEE Advanced. Just make sure you’re not overly dependent on this book. It misses out on some important topics of Algebra for JEE Advanced e.g. range of quadratic functions. Get it on Amazon.
5. Coordinate Geometry (SK Goyal)
|
This book covers theory from 2D Coordinate Geometry, covered in depth but with easy to understand language, such that you will be able to read and understand it by yourself. You will find a lot of useful solved examples, tips and tricks and formalae in the book, but it has lesser amount of practice questions as compared to other books. While solutions for a few problems are given, it has some errors and there could be more variety and difficulty levels for problems in the book. Get it from Amazon.
6. Differential and Integral Calculus (Amit Agrawal)
|
This is a set of two books highly recommended for students who want to strengthen their grip on Calculus. These books are designed with JEE syllabus in mind, and cover it sufficiently. They have a lot of solved examples, questions with solutions and different levels of problems with should prepare you for JEE Mains as well as JEE Advanced. The theory given in the books is sufficient, but not too verbose, and the author gets right to the questions, which is very useful in Calculus, where students often find difficulties. Buy them from Amazon.
6. Mathematics for JEE Main (Cengage)
|
This is a series of JEE Preparation books from Cengage, a leading publisher for competitive exams. You will find complete theory and ample amount of questions and we highly recommend them to you. Remember, practice makes a man (or a woman) perfect, and regular practice makes you a topper.
With such a large number of questions, we suggest you attempt a fixed pattern of questions, for example odd or even ones, which will allow you to cover all concepts, while also giving you a sense of completing the chapters. Solutions to problems are provided at the end of the book, which are sufficiently detailed so you will be able to clear doubts by yourself. Buy the book from Amazon.
7. Vectors and 3D Geometry (Amit Agrawal)
|
This book is written in a very easy to understand language. The USP of the book is its theory, which has a lot of solved problems, formulae, and tricks to solve problems. You should definitely try this book if you liked SK Goyal’s Coordinate Geometry. It has a sufficient amount of questions from both of these topics, with varying difficulty levels and types of questions and is a great resource for Vectors and 3D Geometry. Buy it from Amazon.
8. A Problem Book in Mathematical Analysis (GN Berman)
|
This is like a long lost sibling of SL Loney. If you want Russian problems in Calculus, this book with satisfy all your needs. While the book was not written with JEE in mind, you will find the topics quite similar to JEE syllabus, and the problems will eat your head out until you solve them. The book has answers with limited hints for difficult problems, but you can find solutions easily online or by asking your faculties. It is an old book, so make sure to select the right publisher to get the correct book with the least number of errors. This book is recommended if you want to dive deep, really deep into Calculus, and you will emerge a confident JEE aspirant if you solve it.
JEE books for Physics
Physics is incredibly important for JEE. You will need strong fundamentals and good practice for this subject. Don’t worry, the following books have you covered.
1. Concepts of Physics (HC Verma)
|
The best book for building Physics concepts. Covers almost all topics, with questions of varying difficulty levels. Solving HC Verma completely will make sure you understand all concepts of JEE syllabus. However, it lacks questions according JEE’s MCQ pattern. Once you do solve all of HCV’s questions, be assured you will feel confident when attempting even twisted problems from JEE Advance. You can find solutions to problems from HCV on Rancho, and we strongly recommend you try them out. Buy the book for class 11 and class 12.
2.Understanding Physics: A Set of 5 Books (DC Pandey)
|
This is a book series with JEE oriented questions on Physics. It comprehensively covers Physics syllabus and is very popular with students. Although it has limited theory, a wide variety of questions with different patterns according to JEE Main as well as Advanced pattern will give you the confidence required in Physics. You will find solutions to problems in the book itself, thus, doubt solving will also be convenient. However, students feel that the level of problems in this book could be higher, it is more useful if you want to strengthen your fundamentals rather than solving problems with a lot of difficulty. Buy from Amazon.
3.New Pattern Physics (DC Pandey)
|
If you like to learn concepts from solving problems, this book is the one book you want to solve for JEE Physics. With over 5000 questions and solutions, the book has all patterns and types of questions asked in JEE. The only downside of the book is that it does not contain theory, and thus you will need to study theory from some other source. It has problems of sufficient difficulty with all types of questions, and thus will prepare you for even the most difficult problems in JEE. Buy it from Amazon.
4.Problems in General Physics (I E Irodov)
|
A great book if you want to solve really difficult questions in Physics. We suggest this book to Physics lovers, the ones who like to dive deep into Physics. Irodov book only contains questions and their answers, you will have to consult faculty for solutions to problems. Be warned, the book is not for JEE aspirants, and many questions involve length calculations and complex mathematics, but you will feel confident after completing questions from the book. Buy it fom Amazon.
5.Fundamentals of Physics (Halliday, Resnick & Walker)
|
This book has carefully designed theory to make Physics more interesting. Halliday – Resnick has a fair amount of questions as well, but again, these are not JEE oriented. You will find real world data being used in the problems, which often require the use of calculators. Problem solving tactics at the end of chapters will help you build strategy for solving even the toughest JEE Advance questions, but the book is oriented at students who already have built fundamentals and are studying for their passion of Physics. Buy it from Amazon.
JEE books for Chemistry
Chemistry. Many never understand its mystery. The ones who do, become toppers 😉. It is a scoring subject and does not require as much practice as Maths or Physics. However, it does require constant revision, and there is no shame in admitting that Chemistry requires memorization. Choose the right books, and the right questions banks, and you’re done! So here’s a list of books which will help you glide through JEE like a boss!
Physical Chemistry
1. A Textbook of Physical Chemistry (OP Tandon)
|
OP Tandon is a great book for Physical Chemistry. Covering theory as well as questions, it is a go-to book for many students, especially those who are not attending any coaching. Questions are divided into difficulty levels to make it easier for you to practice. There are a lot of books by the publisher, so make sure to get the correct one. Buy it from Amazon.
2. Modern Approach to Chemical Calculations (RC Mukherjee)
|
This may look like a small book, but be assured, it will thoroughly prepare you for Physical Chemistry calculations. RC Mukherjee does not have theory but rather contains cheatsheets/formulae for major topics to help you quickly glance through the topic. Once you solve this book, nobody will be able to stop you from excelling in numericals from Physical Chemistry. You will find answers in the book itself, but it does not provide solutions, so you will need help from a teacher or friend for doubts. Buy it from Amazon.
3. Numerical Chemistry for JEE (P Bahadur)
|
This book covers theory as well as problems from JEE syllabus, and has solutions to problems as well. The theory is easy to understand, and the multiple levels of problems will make sure you are confident in concepts from Physical Chemistry in JEE. It is a big book, and we recommend that you attempt a decided pattern of problems so that you can get a sense of fulfillment while building strong fundamentals as well. Buy it from Amazon.
4.Problems in Physical Chemistry (N Awasthi)
|
A good bank of questions in Physical Chemistry, with lots of problems and answers, and it is very popular, so you will be able to find solutions easily. The questions are more on the easy side and will help you develop the fundamentals for solving problems in JEE Mains. The books also comes with a solution booklet from the author, but there are complaints that it has many errors. We recommend it if you want to practice problems from JEE Mains, or easier problems from JEE Advance. Buy it from Amazon.
Organic Chemistry
1. A Text Book of Organic Chemistry (OP Tandon)
|
It is a highly recommended book for Organic Chemistry. It covers the entire JEE syllabus, and has in-depth theory on Organic Chemistry, as well as ample amount of questions from all topics. However, it tends to be verbose in theory and contains a few topics from outside JEE syllabus as well. There are questions from both JEE Mains and Advanced pattern, and thus this book will give you enough theory as well as practice for both JEE Main and Advanced.
2. Reactions, Rearrangements and Reagents by (SN Sanyal)
|
This is the go-to book for students who wish to study Organic Chemistry in detail, from a JEE point of view. The theory is easy to understand, and all major mechanisms, reactions, and reagents are covered in depth. If you like to study Organic Chemistry theory from a book, this book is highly recommended. While the book has questions after every chapter, they are limited in number, and thus it does not provide sufficient practice for JEE. There are better books for this purpose, so you should look for a different book if you want to practice problems in OC.
3. Solomons’ Organic Chemistry
|
This book is like Halliday-Resnick-Walker for Organic Chemistry. A Beautifully written theory makes understanding mechanisms and reactions interesting, and if you are dedicated to Organic Chemistry, this book will leave no stone unturned in the subject. It has topics even beyond JEE Advance syllabus, and it is certainly not designed for JEE aspirants. You will have to consult faculty to filter out these topics but be assured that if you study from the book, you will understand all these topics very well. It does not have questions made for JEE, but rather contains problem-solving techniques which should help you with even the toughest problems in JEE Advance. Buy it from Amazon.
4. Elementary Problems in Organic Chemistry (MS Chauhan)
|
This book is basically a collection of quality questions from Organic Chemistry, by an experienced author. It has different level questions and covers all patterns, and a solution booklet is also available for problems in the book. However, it has a lot of errors in given answers, so make sure you verify doubts with a faculty. The author also has an Advanced book that has questions of a higher difficulty level. Both books are recommended. Buy it from Amazon.
Inorganic Chemistry
1. NCERT Chemistry
|
While most people would like to tell you otherwise, we cannot stress this enough! NCERT books are like the Bhagwat Geeta for Chemistry. Inorganic Chemistry often has direct questions from NCERT, and thus makes it very important for you to go through these books thoroughly. Attempt every question from these books, make short notes from theory, and revise regularly. You will see the benefits yourself. Make sure you attempt questions from NCERT Exemplar as well, these books have thought-provoking questions, and sometimes questions are taken directly from them as well 😉. Buy from Amazon.
2. Concise Inorganic Chemistry (JD Lee)
|
This is a book which covers Inorganic Chemistry, and not necessarily from a JEE point of view. JD Lee has a lot of extraneous topics, which you should consult a faculty before reading. It is a go-to book for students who want to dive deep into IOC but would be too time-consuming if used as the only reference for IOC. It has next to nil useful questions from JEE point of view, but conceptual problems that will allow you to strengthen your reasoning skills for those pesky questions from JEE Advance. You should refer to other books if you want to attempt questions in IOC. Buy from Amazon.
3. Problems in Inorganic Chemistry (VK Jaiswal)
|
This is a book for JEE questions. If you only want to practice questions, this is the book for you. You will find questions from all patterns, and from JEE Mains as well as Advance topics, and you can solve this book completely. The book itself contains only very limited concept pages, but a lot of questions and answers, which should help you with practicing and getting confident. A separate book for solutions is sold by the publisher, but it is known to have errors here and there, so consult faculty if you are in doubt. Buy the book from Amazon.
Together With: Series
|
This is a very popular reference book series for CBSE Boards. It covers all chapters from Boards syllabus, which are nicely divided into mark-wise sections. They have previous years’ papers as well as mock tests in the book itself, which should be more than sufficient for your preparation. NCERT Solutions are also provided, which you can use in addition to NCERT for verifying your method of solution for problems. Get the books from Amazon.
Before you go away, I’m curious to know more about your confidence in the Chemistry in Everyday Life chapter. Every year JEE asks many questions from this chapter. If you’ve got 1 hour, let’s test your command on this chapter by taking a chapter test. The test covers almost all important topics from this chapter. Register and get started for free.
FAQs on best JEE books
Which are the best books for JEE?
- Concepts of Physics – H.C. Verma
- Mathematics – Cengage
- Organic Chemistry – O.P. Tandon
- Physical Chemistry – O.P. Tandon
- NCERT – Inorganic Chemistry
Is NCERT enough in JEE Main?
Yes. They are sufficient to get decent marks in JEE Main. If you aim for JEE Advanced, then external coaching is highly recommended.
Is RD Sharma enough for JEE Advanced?
With the help of RD Sharma, you can strengthen your fundamentals and basics in Maths. Even though RD Sharma is enough for JEE Main, It is insufficient to solve tricky questions of JEE Advanced.
Which books are best for Maths in JEE?
For mathematics, these books are recommended.
- R.D. Sharma
- S.L. Loney – Trigonometry
- S.L. Loney – Geometry
- Hall and Knight – Algebra
- Cengage Series
However, read this blog and check your compatibility with these books.
Is NCERT enough in Chemistry for JEE Advanced?
Partially yes. Inorganic chemistry in NCERT is solid that most of IOC Advanced questions come directly from NCERT. However, we recommend O.P. Tandon for Organic and Physical Chemistry.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks