The total books in CBSE Class 12 largely depends on the stream of the student’s preference, whether it is Science, Commerce or Humanities. Every stream has some compulsory and optional subjects and there are particular NCERT textbook for each. Here's a detailed breakdown.
📘 How many books are there in CBSE Class 12?
On an average, a Class 12 CBSE student reads 5 to 6 subjects, out of which each subject has one or more books. This will mean that most students will be having about 6 to 10 books in total based on the subjects they have chosen.
The CBSE prescribes NCERT textbooks for all the subjects and these are the books that are officially recommended for the examinations.
Read More: What Is the Importance of Solving Sample Question Paper CBSE Class 12?
📚 What are the subjects and corresponding books in Class 12?
Below is the table indicating the subjects taken by the students of CBSE Class 12 and the number of books related with it:
|
Stream |
Subject |
No. of NCERT Books |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Science |
Physics |
2 |
NCERT 12 Physics Book Part 1 & Part 2 |
|
Chemistry |
2 |
Part 1 & Part 2 |
|
|
Biology |
1 |
Single NCERT textbook |
|
|
Mathematics |
1 |
One comprehensive book |
|
|
English Core |
2 |
Flamingo & Vistas (Class 12 English Book NCERT) |
|
|
Commerce |
Accountancy |
2 |
Volume 1 & Volume 2 |
|
Business Studies |
1 |
Single NCERT textbook |
|
|
Economics |
2 |
Microeconomics & Macroeconomics |
|
|
Humanities |
History |
1 |
Themes in Indian History |
|
Political Science |
2 |
Contemporary World Politics, Politics in India |
|
|
Geography |
2 |
Fundamentals & India – People and Economy |
|
|
Sociology |
2 |
Indian Society & Social Change |
On average, students have about 6-8 NCERT books class 12, depending on elective subjects.
📖 Is there only one Class 12 English Book NCERT?
No. The NCERT books for class 12 English are usually two in number:
• Flamingo – A collection of prose and poetry
• Vistas – A supplementary reader
The two books are recommended for use in English Core classes. All these together make the complete set of the English book of Class 12 NCERT.
📗 How many parts are there in the NCERT 12 Physics Book?
The NCERT 12 Physics Book is divided into two parts namely:
1. Section 1 – Deals with topics such as Electrostatics, Current Electricity, Magnetism
2. The second part of the paper is as follows: Optics, Modern Physics and Communication Systems.
Both are crucial and are included in the final examination course content. Therefore, the students of the science stream have no option but to study both the subjects.
😊 How many books do class 12 students carry on an average?
Specifically, as per their subject combination and stream, the books which class 12 students carry are generally between 6 to 10 textbooks. This comprises of the compulsory subjects, English and other optional subjects.
CBSE Online Sample Paper and Question Bank for Class 12 Board Exams 2026
Free CBSE Online Mock Test Sample Papers for Class 12 Board Exams 2026
Final Thoughts
The number of books for CBSE Class 12 is different for different streams and the subjects of the students’ choice but it should be in accordance with the NCERT syllabus. This is because knowing the count and the titles makes the students to be well prepared when attending their board exams.
To use the best study material, the student should use the current edition of the NCERT books class 12 prepared by the board.
