The NCERT Class 12 Maths Book Mathematics Part I is the first of two volumes of the Class 12 Mathematics textbook. It has six chapters, and the official chapter-wise PDFs are in the table directly below, maintained for the NCERT reprint marked 2026-27.
This page also tells you what is inside each chapter — the named sections, indexed figures and exercise questions counted from the textbook itself. So a student who already has the PDF can still use this page to find where a topic sits and how much practice each chapter demands.
Download the official chapter PDFs
The files in this table are NCERT’s own official PDFs, hosted on ncert.nic.in — the same files from which the printed textbook is made. The pages column shows how many printed pages each chapter runs in the official PDF.
| Ch. | Chapter | Pages | Official PDF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Relations and Functions | 17 | |
| 2 | Inverse Trigonometric Functions | 16 | |
| 3 | Matrices | 42 | |
| 4 | Determinants | 28 | |
| 5 | Continuity and Differentiability | 43 | |
| 6 | Application of Derivatives | 40 |
Need the whole volume or another Class 12 subject? The NCERT textbook portal at ncert.nic.in is the official source for every PDF on this page and across this site.
Each chapter link follows the standard ncert.nic.in address pattern — Chapter 1, for instance, is the file lemh101.pdf — so you are always downloading from NCERT directly rather than from a third-party mirror.
The book, measured
The whole volume, in six numbers, all of them checkable against the official PDF:
- 6 chapters across 186 printed pages
- 43 named sections in the textbook — NCERT’s own numbered headings such as 3.4 Operations on Matrices
- 7 verified numbered figures indexed from the textbook — all of them in Chapters 1 and 2
- 0 activities — no chapter in Part I contains an activity
- 307 exercise questions across the book
A few patterns stand out. Only Chapters 1 and 2 print indexed figures — one and six respectively — so the book teaches mainly through definitions, proofs and exercises rather than diagrams.
Length and structure are uneven across the six chapters. Chapters 3 and 5 are the long ones at 42 and 43 pages, while Chapters 1 and 2 together open the volume in 33 pages. Chapter 3 alone accounts for 14 of the book’s 43 named sections; Chapter 2 has only 3.
What each chapter contains
| Ch. | Chapter | Sections | Activities | Figures | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Relations and Functions | 4 | — | 1 | 28 |
| 2 | Inverse Trigonometric Functions | 3 | — | 6 | 26 |
| 3 | Matrices | 14 | — | — | 44 |
| 4 | Determinants | 9 | — | — | 48 |
| 5 | Continuity and Differentiability | 8 | — | — | 104 |
| 6 | Application of Derivatives | 5 | — | — | 57 |
The counts in the chapter table mean: a section is one of NCERT’s own numbered headings, a figure is a numbered figure indexed from the book, and a question is an end-of-chapter exercise. Every count comes from the textbook itself, so you can verify it in the PDF.
Chapter length and exercise load do not always move together. Chapter 3 runs 42 pages with 44 questions, while Chapter 5 runs 43 pages with 104 questions.
Use the counts to plan revision: heavy-question chapters (4 and 5) repay solved practice, while Chapter 2, with the book’s only diagram work, rewards careful reading of its figures.
Chapter 1: Relations and Functions (17 pages)
This chapter defines equivalence relations, one-one and onto functions, composition of functions and the invertible function — the function language that Chapters 2 through 6 assume without restating.
Chapter 2: Inverse Trigonometric Functions (16 pages)
This chapter fixes the principal value branches and domain and range of \( \sin^{-1} \), \( \cos^{-1} \) and the other inverse trigonometric functions, then applies the properties of inverse trigonometric functions; its 6 indexed figures make it the most figure-heavy chapter in Part I.
Chapter 3: Matrices (42 pages)
Matrices are ordered rectangular arrays, and the chapter builds from notation and the order of a matrix through types of matrices, operations on matrices, transpose, symmetric and skew-symmetric matrices and invertible matrices; its 14 named sections make it the most section-heavy chapter in Part I.
Chapter 4: Determinants (28 pages)
This chapter extends the determinant from order one to order three, uses it for the area of a triangle, introduces minors and cofactors, and ends with the inverse-matrix method for solving linear systems; its 48 questions are nearly double Chapter 2’s 26, so it deserves more practice time than its page count suggests.
Chapter 5: Continuity and Differentiability (43 pages)
This chapter defines continuity, covers the algebra of continuous functions, then builds the chain rule, derivatives of implicit functions, derivatives of inverse trigonometric functions and derivatives in parametric forms; with 104 questions it carries the heaviest exercise load in the book.
Chapter 6: Application of Derivatives (40 pages)
This chapter applies derivatives to the rate of change of quantities, increasing and decreasing functions, maxima and minima and maximum and minimum values in a closed interval — the natural payoff for the rules built in Chapter 5.
Study pages for individual chapters
Each chapter below links to its own study page where one is published; chapters without a public page are marked as not yet built.
Chapter-wise notes for this subject are not published yet. The unit-wise syllabus on this page is complete and verified against the official CBSE curriculum document.
How to study Part I in order
The six chapters divide into three natural pairs. Start with Chapter 1 (Relations and Functions), then Chapter 2 (Inverse Trigonometric Functions), because Chapter 2 assumes the domain, range and function language that Chapter 1 builds.
Treat Chapters 3 and 4 (Matrices and Determinants) as one unit, then finish with Chapters 5 and 6 (Continuity and Differentiability, Application of Derivatives) — Chapter 6 exists to use Chapter 5’s rules.
| Study pair | Chapters | Combined exercise questions | Where the workload sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functions and inverse trigonometry | 1 + 2 | 54 | Lightest opening; builds function language |
| Matrices and determinants | 3 + 4 | 92 | Definitions, operations and algebra rules |
| Calculus core | 5 + 6 | 161 | Heaviest load; the book’s main workload |
The six chapters of this book are organised in three study pairs: functions (Chapters 1 and 2), matrices and determinants (Chapters 3 and 4), and calculus (Chapters 5 and 6). The book’s 307 exercise questions are distributed across these pairs, with the calculus pair carrying the heaviest load and the opening pair the lightest — so plan the most practice time for Chapters 5 and 6.
With a fixed practice slot, spend it on Chapters 5 and 4 rather than one question from each chapter.
Three habits cause most of the lost marks in this book:
| Mistake | Correct rule | How to check your answer |
|---|---|---|
| Starting inverse trigonometry before functions | Learn types of relations and functions first — inverse trig builds on domain and range language | Can you state the domain of a function before you find a principal value? |
| Skipping matrices before determinants | Determinants reuse matrix notation throughout — minors, cofactors and the inverse method depend on Chapter 3 | Can you multiply two \( 3 \times 3 \) matrices before computing a \( 3 \times 3 \) determinant? |
| Giving every chapter equal practice time | Chapter 5 alone holds 104 of the book’s 307 questions | Count your attempted exercises: your Chapter 5 total should be the largest |
One caution: the textbook contents and the examinable syllabus are not always identical. Check the current official CBSE syllabus for the chapters and sections that carry weight this session.
Related NCERT pages
- All NCERT books by class — the index of every class and subject on this site.
- Class 12 NCERT books hub — the landing page for the rest of Class 12.
Class 12 Mathematics is published as two volumes: Part I, covered here, and Part II. Both trace back to the same NCERT portal linked above.
Sources and data verification
- The counts on this page describe the NCERT Mathematics Part I textbook, with the official PDFs on ncert.nic.in.
- This page covers Part I chapters 1-6 only, not Mathematics Part II.
- The listing is maintained for the current NCERT reprint and uses the NCERT information available to us.
- NCERT settles textbooks, editions and PDFs; CBSE settles curriculum, syllabus and examinations.
Reference: NCERT Class 12 Maths textbook, official edition on ncert.nic.in. Figure captions and section titles quoted from the textbook; page references are to the official PDF.
Frequently asked questions
How many chapters are in the Class 12 Maths Part I book?
Six: Relations and Functions, Inverse Trigonometric Functions, Matrices, Determinants, Continuity and Differentiability, and Application of Derivatives. They run across 186 printed pages.
Are the Class 12 Maths Part I NCERT PDFs free and official?
Yes. Every PDF linked on this page is hosted on ncert.nic.in, NCERT’s own portal, and is free to download. These are the same files used to print the textbook.
Which chapter covers matrices and determinants in Class 12 Maths?
Chapter 3 (Matrices) covers notation, order, types and operations including multiplication, transpose, symmetric and skew-symmetric matrices and invertible matrices. Chapter 4 (Determinants) covers determinants up to order three, the area of a triangle and solving linear systems using the inverse of a matrix. Study them as a pair, since Chapter 4 assumes Chapter 3.
Does the NCERT Class 12 Maths book match the CBSE syllabus?
The NCERT textbook is the basis of the CBSE course, but textbook contents and the examinable syllabus are not always identical. Check the current official CBSE syllabus for the chapters and sections that are examinable this session.
Where can I find answers to the exercises in this book?
The official PDF contains the questions but not a separate solutions key. The textbook’s worked examples are the first place to check the method, followed by your class notes or your teacher.