Buying another book is the most satisfying and least effective response to falling chemistry marks.
Updated 4 September 2026 · Delhi Home Tutor
For the board exam, NCERT is not one option among several — it is the source the paper is set from, and finishing it properly beats sampling three reference books. Reference books earn their place for entrance-level practice and for extra problems once NCERT is genuinely complete, which for most students it is not.
| For the board | NCERT first, and finished properly |
|---|---|
| Reference books | For entrance practice and extra problems |
| The trap | Owning books instead of completing one |
| Test of "finished" | Every in-text and exercise question attempted unaided |
| Enquiries | +91 92121 42427 |
What "finished NCERT" actually means
Not read. Not highlighted. Every in-text question and every end-of-chapter exercise attempted without looking at the solution first, with the wrong ones marked and revisited. Very few students who say they have finished NCERT have done this, and it is worth checking before buying anything else.
The in-text questions in particular are skipped almost universally and appear in board papers with some regularity. They are the cheapest unclaimed marks in the subject.
Where reference books genuinely help
- Additional numerical practice in physical chemistry, once NCERT problems are exhausted rather than merely seen.
- Organic mechanism depth for a student sitting an entrance exam, where NCERT stops short of what is needed.
- Alternative explanations for one or two specific topics a student cannot get past — not as a general replacement.
Buying a book is a way of feeling like action has been taken. It costs money, produces a visible object, and requires no difficult work. The difficult work is attempting questions without the solution visible, which is available for free in a book the student already owns.
How many books is too many
Two, in practice: NCERT plus one reference for the strand that needs extra work. A student with four chemistry books will use none of them completely and will spend real time deciding which to open — a decision cost that is invisible and substantial.
If a third is genuinely needed, it should be a past-papers compilation rather than another textbook.
What a tutor should say about this
A good tutor will usually push back on buying more material and instead ask what has been done with the existing book. If a tutor recommends a stack of references early, ask specifically what gap each one fills. There is often a good answer; there should always be an answer.
Questions parents ask
Our school says NCERT is not enough.
For entrance exams that is fair. For the board paper NCERT plus past papers covers it, and most students have not exhausted either.
Which reference book is best?
Less important than whether it gets finished. Ask the tutor to pick one for your child’s specific weak strand rather than a general recommendation.
Are solved-example books useful?
Sparingly. Reading solutions builds recognition rather than ability. Use them to check attempts, not to replace them.
What about past papers?
The single most useful supplement, and more valuable than a third textbook. They show the actual pattern and the actual language of the questions.
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