The Std 12 book set at a glance
Every Class 12 textbook in use today belongs to one edition. The front pages of the Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Maths and English books all carry the same note: the Coordination Committee approved the book at its meeting on 30 January 2020, and it was implemented from the academic year 2020-21. These are the books the HSC exam is set from, and the same books continue for 2026-27.
A typical student needs eight to ten books for the year. Here is how they split:
| Group | Books | Who needs them |
|---|---|---|
| Common to all streams | English Yuvakbharati; Environment Education and Water Security; Health and Physical Education | Every Std 12 student |
| Second language | Marathi, Hindi or Urdu Yuvakbharati, Sanskrit Aalhad, or a foreign or classical language book | Every student, according to the language taken in Std 11 |
| Stream subjects | Four core books for your stream (listed below) | Depends on Science, Commerce or Arts |
| Optional subject | Information Technology, Geology, Agriculture Science and Technology, Co-operation and others | Only if your college offers it and you chose it |
| Practical record | Balbharati practical notebook cum journal | Science students, and anyone with a practical subject |
Your Std 12 subjects are the ones you took in Std 11, so check last year's subject list before you buy anything.
Science stream books
Science is the heaviest set. Balbharati's e-book library lists the Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Maths books for Std 12 in English medium only, so a student who studied Science in Marathi in Std 10 reads these four in English.
| Book | Chapters | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | 16 | Rotational dynamics, fluids, kinetic theory and thermodynamics, oscillations and waves, wave optics, electrostatics, current electricity, magnetism and electromagnetic induction, AC circuits, dual nature of radiation, atoms and nuclei, semiconductor devices |
| Chemistry | 16 | Solid state, solutions, ionic equilibria, thermodynamics, electrochemistry and kinetics; groups 16 to 18, transition elements and coordination compounds; organic chemistry from halogen derivatives to amines; biomolecules, polymers, green chemistry and nanochemistry |
| Biology | 15 | Reproduction in plants and animals, inheritance and its molecular basis, evolution, plant water relations and nutrition, respiration and circulation, control and coordination, human health, food production, biotechnology, ecology and biodiversity |
| Mathematics and Statistics (Arts and Science) Part I and Part II | 7 + 8 | Algebra, vectors and geometry in Part I; calculus and probability in Part II (details in the Maths section below) |
| Information Technology (Science) | 6 + practicals | Advanced web design, SEO, advanced JavaScript, emerging technologies, server-side scripting in PHP, e-commerce and e-governance, plus skill-oriented practicals |
Physics
The Std 12 Physics book is long. The official PDF runs to 376 pages, against 268 for the Std 11 book. Its preface asks students to follow the chapters strictly in the order listed, because each unit builds on the one before. That matters more in Physics than anywhere else. Oscillations feeds into superposition of waves, which feeds into wave optics. Electrostatics and current electricity come before magnetism, and magnetism comes before electromagnetic induction and AC circuits. Read out of order and you'll keep meeting ideas you haven't seen yet.
Chemistry
The Chemistry book reads like three short books bound together. Chapters 1 to 6 are physical chemistry with plenty of numericals. Chapters 7 to 9 are inorganic and heavy on trends and facts. Chapters 10 to 16 are organic and biological chemistry, where reactions and name reactions pile up. Keeping one notebook per track often works better than one notebook in chapter order.
Biology
Biology mixes botany and zoology chapter by chapter: reproduction in plants is followed by reproduction in animals, and plant water relations sit next to human respiration and circulation. Diagrams carry a large share of the content, so the printed book is worth having even if you read the PDF on your phone.
Science optional books
Depending on the college, a Science student may also take Geology (the dynamic Earth, petrology, palaeontology, structural geology, economic minerals, hydrogeology, geohazards, remote sensing and GIS) or Agriculture Science and Technology (crops, seed production, nursery and greenhouse work, mushroom production, agrotourism, organic farming, agro-informatics and marketing). Animal Science and Technology is another option in some colleges. Buy these only if they're on your subject list.
Commerce stream books
Commerce students carry four core subject books plus the Commerce version of Maths and Statistics. Most of these are available in both English and Marathi medium.
| Book | Chapters | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Book-Keeping and Accountancy | 10 | Partnership final accounts, accounts of not-for-profit concerns, admission, retirement and death of a partner, dissolution, bills of exchange, issue of shares, analysis of financial statements, computers in accounting |
| Organisation of Commerce and Management | 8 | Principles and functions of management, entrepreneurship, business services, emerging modes of business, social responsibility, consumer protection, marketing |
| Secretarial Practice | 12 | Corporate finance and its sources, issue of shares and debentures, deposits, correspondence with members, debenture holders and depositors, depository system, dividend and interest, financial market, stock exchange |
| Economics | 11 | Micro and macro economics, utility, demand and its elasticity, supply, market forms, index numbers, national income, public finance, money and capital markets, foreign trade of India |
| Mathematics and Statistics (Commerce) Part I and Part II | 8 + 8 | Calculus and logic in Part I; commercial maths and statistics in Part II |
| Information Technology (Commerce) | 6 + practicals | Advanced web design, digital marketing, computerised accounting with GST, e-commerce and e-governance, database concepts in LibreOffice Base, ERP |
Book-Keeping and Accountancy is the book Commerce students spend the most time with. Five of its ten chapters deal with partnership firms, and they chain together: the admission, retirement and death chapters all assume you can already prepare partnership final accounts from chapter 1. Weakness in chapter 1 shows up for months. Co-operation is a further option in some colleges.
Arts stream books
Arts has the widest choice. Colleges offer different combinations, and most Arts books exist in both English and Marathi medium, so check both the subject and the medium before buying.
| Book | Chapters | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| History | 12 | The Renaissance and science in Europe, colonialism and the Marathas, social reform, the freedom struggle, integration of India, the world wars, decolonisation, the Cold War, and India transformed |
| Geography | 8 + practicals | Population, settlements and land use, primary, secondary and tertiary economic activities, regional development, the nature and scope of geography |
| Political Science | 5 | The world since 1991, globalisation, humanitarian issues, good governance in contemporary India, India and the world |
| Sociology | 6 | Indian society, its segments, unity in diversity, social change, social movements and social problems |
| Psychology | 8 | Psychology as a science, intelligence, personality, cognitive processes, emotions, psychological disorders, first aid in mental health, positive psychology |
| Philosophy | 7 | Questions of reality, cause, self, knowledge, ethics, art, and science and technology |
| Logic | 7 | Decision procedure, deductive proof, predicate logic, traditional logic, syllogism, grounds of induction, hypothesis |
| Economics | 11 | The same book Commerce students use |
Other Arts options listed for Std 12 include Education, Defence Studies, Child Development, Home Management, Textiles, Food Science and Technology, Library and Information Science, History of Art and Appreciation, and History and Development of Indian Music. Some of these exist only in Marathi medium, so ask the college which edition its teachers use. Arts students who take Maths use the Arts and Science Maths books, the same ones Science students use.
Maths and Statistics: Arts and Science vs Commerce
This is where most buying mistakes happen. Std 12 has four Maths and Statistics books, and they look alike on a bookshop shelf. Two are for Arts and Science students, two are for Commerce students, and each pair is split into Part I and Part II. You need both parts of your pair, and nothing from the other pair.
| Book | Chapters | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Science, Part I | 7 | Mathematical logic, matrices, trigonometric functions, pair of straight lines, vectors, line and plane, linear programming |
| Arts and Science, Part II | 8 | Differentiation, applications of derivatives, indefinite and definite integration, application of definite integration, differential equations, probability distributions, binomial distribution |
| Commerce, Part I | 8 | Mathematical logic, matrices, differentiation and its applications, integration, definite integration and its application, differential equations and applications |
| Commerce, Part II | 8 | Commission, brokerage and discount; insurance and annuity; linear regression; time series; index numbers; linear programming; assignment problem and sequencing; probability distributions |
Notice the overlap. Both Part I books open with mathematical logic and matrices, and both contain calculus, but the Commerce book handles calculus at a lighter level and spends its second volume on business uses: annuities, regression, time series and index numbers. The Arts and Science pair goes much further into geometry and vectors, which Science students need for Physics.
How to buy the right Maths book
- Read the bracket on the cover. It says either "(Arts and Science)" or "(Commerce)". That bracket decides everything.
- Check the standard. The Std 11 books use the same title and a similar cover. The title page says "Standard Twelve" or "Standard XII".
- Buy both parts together. Teachers often run Part I and Part II side by side, one in each lecture slot, so you'll need both from the first week.
- Don't swap pairs to save money. An older cousin's Commerce Maths book won't help a Science student, even though the first two chapters share names.
- Check the medium. Balbharati's library lists the Std 12 Maths books under English medium. If a shop offers a Marathi-titled copy, open it; the chapters inside are usually in English anyway.
Language books
English Yuvakbharati
English Yuvakbharati is the one book every Std 12 student uses. It has eight prose lessons, eight poems, a writing-skills section, and a section on the novel as a genre. The prose ranges from R. K. Narayan's "An Astrologer's Day" and O. Henry's "The Cop and the Anthem" to a piece on big data, "Big Data-Big Insights". The poems include "Song of the Open Road", "Indian Weavers", "The Inchcape Rock", "Father Returning Home" and "She Walks in Beauty".
The novel section is new compared with Std 11, which used drama. Its preface names the three novels it draws on: E. R. Braithwaite's To Sir, With Love, Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, and Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of Four. Students who read even a short retelling of these during the summer find the extracts far easier.
Second language books
Your second language continues from Std 11. The common choices are:
- Marathi Yuvakbharati, which is organised in parts: poems and prose first, a short-story genre section, then practical writing such as interviews, brochures, reports and feature writing, followed by grammar.
- Hindi Yuvakbharati, which includes a special-study text, Kanupriya, and practical writing units on pallavan, feature writing, announcing and blog writing.
- Urdu Yuvakbharati, and Yuvakbharati editions in Gujarati, Kannada, Sindhi, Telugu and Bengali for students of those languages.
- Sanskrit Aalhad.
- Foreign languages, each the second volume of the course started in Std 11: French Rencontres Part 2, German Sprachlotsen 2, Japanese Haru 2, Spanish Aventuras Part 2, Russian Druzhba Part II, and Chinese.
- Classical languages: Pali (Palippakaso), Ardhamagadhi, Maharashtri Prakrit, Persian (Gul-Haye-Farsi) and Arabic (Hidayatul Arabiyah).
Because the foreign-language books are Part 2 of a two-year course, they assume you finished Part 1. A student who changed college between Std 11 and Std 12 should check that the new college teaches the same language before buying.
Compulsory graded books
Two short books are easy to forget because they don't add to your percentage. They are still compulsory, and you can't skip them.
| Book | Chapters | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Environment Education and Water Security | 5 | Humans and environment, environmental pollution, sustainable development, practices for environmental protection, water security |
| Health and Physical Education | 7 | Physical fitness, the science of exercise, yoga, diet, active lifestyle, motivational stories, sports awards |
Since the 2021 exam, the HSC result counts six subjects for a total of 600 marks. Environment Education, which now includes water security, became a graded subject at that change. The board made Health and Physical Education compulsory for all junior-college streams in 2020, and its marks are also converted into a grade. The Environment book's preface says its suggested activities and projects are examples, not a closed list, so your teacher may set different ones.
Practical notebooks and journals
Science students need more than textbooks. Balbharati publishes a Practical Notebook cum Journal for Std 12 Physics, Chemistry and Biology. According to Balbharati's own description, each one follows the government-approved syllabus, includes all the practicals in the evaluation scheme, and adds activities, objective questions and questions for the oral exam. The notebooks are sold at Balbharati's regional depots.
For 2026-27, Balbharati's circular made its own practical record books compulsory for Std 9 to 12, and told schools and colleges not to force students to buy practical notebooks from private publishers. If your college asks for a private journal, you can mention the circular politely.
A few non-Science books also carry practical work inside them:
- Geography ends with a practicals chapter, in both English and Marathi editions.
- Textiles has a practicals chapter after the fashion-design unit.
- Information Technology in all three versions ends with Skill Oriented Practicals (SOP).
- The Maths books build in activities that, as their prefaces say, students should attempt after discussion with classmates and teachers.
Buy the journal early. Practical sessions usually begin in the first weeks of term, and writing up the first few experiments later is twice the work.
Information Technology, bifocal and vocational subjects
Information Technology splits by stream in Std 12. Science students use a version with PHP and advanced JavaScript; Commerce students get computerised accounting with GST, LibreOffice Base and ERP; Arts students cover audio and video editing, OpenStreetMap and digital marketing. All three share the advanced web designing and e-commerce chapters. Pick the version that matches your stream, because the three books are not interchangeable.
Several subjects on the Std 12 list have a hands-on, job-linked character: Agriculture Science and Technology, Animal Science and Technology, Food Science and Technology (milk products, bakery and confectionery, diet therapy, food laws, food waste management), Textiles, Child Development and Home Management. They are taught from regular Balbharati textbooks and appear on this site's Std 12 list.
Bifocal courses are different. Some Science junior colleges offer bifocal vocational subjects, and the board publishes separate vocational syllabi for them. Their books are not part of the Balbharati list shown here, so ask your college which book and journal to use.
Which edition you need, and how long it lasts
The current Std 12 books date from 2020-21, one year after the Std 11 books changed in 2019-20. To confirm you have the right edition, open the page after the title page. It should say the Coordination Committee approved the book in its meeting on 30.01.2020 and that it is implemented from academic year 2020-21. Reprints carry later dates on the imprint line, but the content is the same.
The change to the NEP structure reaches Std 12 last. In a report in the Times of India, the state board's chairperson said Std 9 and 11 are scheduled for a revised curriculum in 2027-28, and Std 8, 10 and 12 in 2028-29. The state board itself will frame the curriculum for Std 9 to 12 and prepare the textbooks, with printing handled by Balbharati.
For a student in Std 12 now, the practical result is reassuring:
- A clean second-hand copy from a senior works, because the content is the same edition.
- Students in Std 11 now will still use the current Std 12 books in 2027-28.
- The first batch to get new Std 12 books is expected in 2028-29. Families planning that far ahead should wait for the board's announcement before buying.
Using the Std 12 textbooks for MHT-CET
Many Science students prepare for MHT-CET alongside the HSC. The State CET Cell's syllabus for MHT-CET 2026 says the questions are based on the state's syllabus, with approximately 80% weightage to the Std 12 curriculum and 20% to Std 11. It covers the whole Std 12 syllabus of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. Only selected Std 11 chapters are included: in Physics, for example, vectors, error analysis, motion in a plane, laws of motion, gravitation, thermal properties of matter, sound, optics, electrostatics and semiconductors.
So the Balbharati books are the base for the entrance syllabus too. The prefaces of the Physics, Chemistry and Biology books each mention students preparing for competitive examinations. The CET Cell also notes that questions are mainly application-based, so reading the book is where preparation starts, not where it ends. A sensible approach:
- Finish each chapter from the textbook first: the theory, every solved example, then the exercise.
- Mark the Std 11 chapters named in the CET syllabus in your old Std 11 books, and keep those books on your desk rather than in a cupboard.
- Only after a chapter is clear in the textbook, move to timed multiple-choice practice from any source.
A book-wise study approach for the year
Std 12 runs on a short clock, since the board exam comes before the academic year ends. Treat each book differently, because they're written differently.
Science books
- Physics: follow the book's order. Rewrite each derivation once in your own hand without looking, then check it. Solve every worked example before you open the exercise.
- Chemistry: run the three tracks in parallel if your college teaches them that way. Keep a reaction list for the organic chapters and a table of trends for groups 16 to 18 and the transition elements.
- Biology: draw the labelled diagrams yourself, from the book, at least twice. Pair the plant and animal versions of a topic, such as reproduction or circulation, and compare them side by side.
- Maths: work Part I and Part II together, one chapter of each at a time. Calculus in Part II rewards daily practice far more than weekend marathons.
Commerce books
- Book-Keeping and Accountancy: master partnership final accounts in chapter 1 before anything else. Then do admission, retirement and death of a partner in order, since each reuses the previous one's adjustments.
- Secretarial Practice and Organisation of Commerce: these are reading books. Read a chapter, close the book, and list its key terms from memory.
- Commerce Maths Part II: the commercial chapters (commission, insurance and annuity) are formula-led. Keep a single formula sheet for the whole book.
Arts books
- History: build one timeline that runs across the whole book, from the Renaissance to India after independence.
- Political Science: only five chapters, all about the world and India since 1991. Read a newspaper alongside it; the examples will start to connect.
- Logic: the decision procedure and deductive proof chapters work like maths. Practise them on paper, not by reading.
- Psychology and Sociology: make a glossary page per chapter, with one real-life example next to each term.
Language books
Read the English novel extracts and the second-language special-study text early in the year, when there's time to enjoy them. Writing skills, such as reports, feature writing and blog writing, improve only with practice, so write one piece a fortnight.
For worked answers to the textbook exercises, see our chapter-wise solutions. Use them to check your work after you've tried the exercise, not before.
Checklist for the June book purchase
General steps for downloading Balbharati PDFs and finding sellers are on our Maharashtra Board books page. For Std 12 specifically, run through this list before you pay:
- Write down your exact subjects. Copy them from your Std 11 result or college subject list, including the optional subject and second language.
- Confirm the stream version of each shared title. Maths and Statistics comes as Arts and Science or Commerce; Information Technology comes as Science, Commerce or Arts.
- Count the parts. Maths and Statistics Part I and Part II are two separate books.
- Check "Standard Twelve" on every title page. Std 11 books have near-identical covers.
- Check the edition. Look for "implemented from academic year 2020-21" in the front pages.
- Pick the right medium. Science and Maths books are English medium; many Commerce and Arts books also come in Marathi. Buy the medium your lectures are in.
- Don't forget the two graded books. Environment Education and Water Security, and Health and Physical Education.
- Get the Balbharati practical journal for each Science subject, from a depot or registered seller.
- Look for the Balbharati logo and printed price. Guides with similar covers are not textbooks.
- Keep the Std 11 books. Std 12 builds on them, and the CET syllabus draws on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which books are compulsory for every Std 12 student?
English Yuvakbharati, a second-language book, Environment Education and Water Security, and Health and Physical Education. The other books depend on your stream and the subjects you took in Std 11.
Are the Std 12 books changing in 2026-27?
No. The current books were implemented from 2020-21 and continue this year. According to the state board, Std 12 is scheduled for a revised curriculum in 2028-29.
Can I use my senior's Std 12 books?
Yes, as long as they are the 2020-21 edition and in the right stream version. Check for missing pages, and copy any corrections Balbharati has published into the margins.
What is the difference between the Arts and Science and the Commerce Maths books?
The Arts and Science books cover logic, matrices, trigonometry, lines and planes, vectors, linear programming, calculus and probability distributions. The Commerce books share the logic, matrices and calculus chapters at a lighter level and add commercial maths, insurance and annuity, regression, time series, index numbers and assignment problems.
Do Environment Education and Health and Physical Education count in my percentage?
No. Both are graded subjects. The HSC percentage is calculated on six subjects for 600 marks, but you still have to complete both graded subjects.
Are Std 12 Science books available in Marathi medium?
Balbharati's library lists Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Maths for Std 12 in English medium. Many Arts and Commerce books, including History, Geography, Economics and Book-Keeping, are also available in Marathi.
Which practical journal should I buy?
The Balbharati Practical Notebook cum Journal for each Science subject you take. Balbharati's 2026-27 circular makes its own practical record books compulsory for Std 9 to 12 and says colleges shouldn't force private ones.
Are the Std 12 textbooks enough for MHT-CET?
They are the base. The CET Cell says about 80% of the weightage is on the Std 12 curriculum and 20% on selected Std 11 chapters. Questions are mainly application-based, so add practice after you finish each chapter from the book.
Where are bifocal subject books?
Bifocal vocational subjects follow the board's separate vocational syllabi, and their books aren't part of the Balbharati list on this page. Your junior college will tell you which book and journal to use.