The 12th computer science book is not one NCERT textbook but two. NCERT publishes Class 12 Computer Science as two separate books: Computer Science (13 chapters, 248 printed pages) and Informatics Practices (7 chapters, 210 printed pages). The table below names both textbooks and shows where each book’s own page lives.
The split matters because both books restart their chapter numbering at 1. “Chapter 3” means the stack in the Computer Science book (NCERT, pp. 39-52) but descriptive statistics and Pandas data handling in the Informatics Practices book (NCERT, pp. 63-104). A chapter number alone cannot tell you which book to open — the subject name on your timetable does.
Each row below names one official NCERT textbook for Class 12 Computer Science, with its chapter count, printed pages and the way into its own page.
| Book | Chapters | Printed pages | Book page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 13 | 248 | Computer Science (coming soon) |
| Informatics Practices | 7 | 210 | Informatics Practices (coming soon) |
Across both books, the directory indexes 20 chapters, 458 printed pages, 330 named syllabus sections and 114 verified numbered figures indexed from the textbook. These are counts of the printed NCERT editions, not of the CBSE syllabus.
Which book is yours: the Class 12 Informatics Practices NCERT textbook, or Computer Science?
Two facts settle it: the subject name on your timetable and the exact chapter title you were set. Use whichever route fits what you already know.
- By subject name. Computer Science students take the 13-chapter textbook; Informatics Practices students take the 7-chapter textbook. Many students who search for a “computer book” are actually assigned Informatics Practices, so check the timetable before downloading — the Informatics Practices textbook page lists its full contents.
- By chapter title, never by chapter number. Both books start at Chapter 1. Sorting is Chapter 5 of the Computer Science book (NCERT, pp. 67-80); Querying and SQL Functions is Chapter 1 of the Informatics Practices book (NCERT, pp. 1-26).
- By topic, with a warning. Computer networks and project based learning appear in both books — networks in Computer Science Chapter 10 (pp. 181-202) and Informatics Practices Chapter 5 (pp. 137-166); project work in Computer Science Chapter 13 (pp. 241-248) and Informatics Practices Chapter 7 (pp. 195-210). When both books carry the topic, the subject name decides, not the topic.
One caution: textbook contents and the examinable syllabus are not always identical — check the current official syllabus before planning your exam preparation.
Inside the Class 12 Informatics Practices NCERT book PDF and the Computer Science textbook
The Class 12 Informatics Practices NCERT book PDF is the data-analysis route. It opens with Querying and SQL Functions — single-row and aggregate functions, GROUP BY and set operations (NCERT, pp. 1-26) — then builds Pandas Series, DataFrame, descriptive statistics and Matplotlib plotting (NCERT, pp. 27-136).
Internet and web, societal impacts and cyber safety follow, and the book closes with project work (NCERT, pp. 137-210). This is the book for students taking Informatics Practices.
The Computer Science textbook is the programming-heavy route. It opens with exception handling and file handling in Python (NCERT, pp. 1-38), then covers stacks, queues and deque, sorting and searching, and understanding data (NCERT, pp. 39-110).
It continues with database concepts, SQL, computer networks, data communication and security, and closes with Project Based Learning (NCERT, pp. 111-248). This is the book for students taking Computer Science.
Beyond the Class 12 Informatics Practices NCERT book: more Class 12 pages
If your search started wider, the Class 12 hub lists the other Class 12 NCERT textbooks this directory indexes, and the main NCERT books directory is the starting point for every class. The table above routes you to whichever book you need.
Sources and data verification
This listing is maintained for the 2026-27 academic session using the NCERT textbook information available to us. NCERT remains the authority for confirming the latest edition.
The figures on this page come from the NCERT textbook editions this directory indexes: Class 12 Computer Science, published as official PDFs lecs101 to lecs113, and Informatics Practices, published as leip101 to leip107, both on ncert.nic.in.
You can open the first chapter of the Computer Science textbook directly from NCERT’s official PDF (lecs101.pdf) to check any figure for yourself. The first chapter of the Informatics Practices textbook is also on ncert.nic.in as the official PDF (leip101.pdf), free to download and verify.
The dataset covers chapter counts, printed pages, named sections, activities and verified numbered figures for these two books. It does not cover every CBSE skill or elective subject, and the exercise-question counts for the final chapter of each book (Computer Science Chapter 13 and Informatics Practices Chapter 7) carry a suspected extraction error in the source ledger.
This listing is maintained for the academic session current at the time of publication, against the NCERT editions published on ncert.nic.in.
NCERT settles textbooks, editions and PDFs; CBSE settles curriculum, syllabus and examinations. This page is a directory of the NCERT subjects this directory indexes, not a copy of the CBSE curriculum.
Reference: NCERT Class 12 Computer Science textbooks, official editions on ncert.nic.in.
Common questions about the 12th computer science book
How many NCERT books are there for Class 12 Computer Science?
Two separate textbooks. Computer Science runs 13 chapters across 248 printed pages, and Informatics Practices runs 7 chapters across 210 printed pages. Both are official NCERT publications, and both are linked in the table above.
Which NCERT book has the Sorting chapter for Class 12?
The Computer Science textbook. Sorting is Chapter 5, pages 67-80 (NCERT, pp. 67-80), and Searching follows in Chapter 6 (NCERT, pp. 81-96). Informatics Practices covers sorting of a DataFrame in Chapter 3 (NCERT, p. 77) — a different topic from the Sorting chapter.
Is the Informatics Practices book the same as the Computer Science book?
No — they are separate textbooks for separate subjects. Informatics Practices focuses on SQL querying and Pandas-based data handling and plotting. Computer Science covers Python exception and file handling, stacks and queues, sorting and searching, databases, SQL, networks and security. Pick the one named on your timetable.
Are the official Class 12 Computer Science book PDFs free to download?
Yes. NCERT publishes both textbooks free on ncert.nic.in. The Computer Science PDFs carry codes beginning with lecs and the Informatics Practices PDFs begin with leip — lecs101.pdf and leip101.pdf are the first chapters of each book.
Why do both Class 12 books have a computer networks chapter?
Because both subjects teach networking. Computer Science covers networks in Chapter 10 (pp. 181-202) and continues with data communication and security, while Informatics Practices covers networks and the internet in Chapter 5 (pp. 137-166). When the topic appears in both books, the subject name on your timetable decides which one you need.
Official source: download the NCERT textbook free from ncert.nic.in.