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    CBSE vs State Board: Which board is best for JEE Mains

    CBSE vs State Board: Which board is best for JEE Mains

    Dinesh GoyalUpdated on 20 Jun 2026, 03:47 PM IST

    The Joint Entrance Examination- Mains (JEE Mains) is one of the biggest competitive entrance exams that are conducted in India. The National Testing Agency is responsible for conducting the JEE Main exam. It offers admission to top engineering colleges like NITs, IIITs and GFTIs. Choosing the right board and course plays a crucial role as it helps students with their JEE Main exam preparation.

    This Story also Contains

    1. CBSE Board
    2. State Board
    3. CBSE vs State Board Performance in JEE Main
    4. CBSE vs Maharashtra Board
    5. Conclusion
    CBSE vs State Board: Which board is best for JEE Mains
    CBSE vs State Board – Which is Best for JEE Mains Preparation?

    Many students ask questions like which board is better for preparing for JEE Main 2025. The most common dilemma is choosing between CBSE and the state board. Below, we have provided a detailed analysis of CBSE vs state board, which board is best for JEE Main.

    CBSE Board

    The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum is specially designed in a way that helps students with preparation for competitive exams like JEE Main, NEET etc. NCERT is highly recommended for JEE Main preparation.

    The CBSE board follows the NCERT books for CBSE classes 11 and 12 in chemistry, physics and mathematics. Hence, CBSE is highly recommended for students who want to appear for competitive exams like JEE Main.

    State Board

    Most state boards have their own curriculum and do not cover all the topics that are needed for preparing for the JEE Mains examination. Students will have to take extra lessons to catch up, while some might come across language issues. Since many state boards conduct their board exams in their own language.

    However, if a student is studying under state boards like Tamil Nadu Board and the Maharashtra Board that also follow NCERT textbooks, he/she will have more advantages as compared to other state boards that do not follow NCERT.

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    CBSE vs State Board Performance in JEE Main

    Both the CBSE and the state board are good. Many CBSE curriculum and state boards follow the NCERT textbook, which is also followed by the JEE Main syllabus. Below, we have provided data analysis of CBSE and the state board as per the 2018 report. Students can use it as a reference to check out which board suits them the most.

    Board Name

    No. of Students Registered

    No. of Students Passed

    No. of Students Admitted

    CBSE

    71,403

    17,820

    6,600

    TSBIE

    14,559

    2,853

    1,298

    BIEAP

    14,017

    2,374

    998

    MSBSHSE

    12,983

    2,307

    853

    MPBSE

    3,823

    469

    192

    GSEB

    3,540

    427

    121

    JAC

    710

    59

    16

    CBSE vs Maharashtra Board

    Below, we have provided a comparison between the CBSE board and the Maharashtra board using 2018 candidate demographics for student reference.

    Board

    Students registered %

    Students qualifying %

    Students admitted %

    CBSE Board

    43.32

    55.71

    55.18

    Maharashtra Board

    7.88

    7.21

    7.13

    CBSE vs Maharashtra Board Data Analysis

    As per the 2018 report, the students from the CBSE board have performed better than the Maharashtra board students. The qualifying percentage of CBSE board students is higher than that of the students who registered for the examination. While the Maha board students’ qualifying percentage has decreased. This shows that students have underperformed in the JEE Main examination.

    CBSE Class 12th Syllabus: Subjects & Chapters
    Select your preferred subject to view the chapters

    Conclusion

    To pass the JEE Main exam, students must be aware of the basic concepts of physics, chemistry and mathematics. As we know, the CBSE board follows the NCERT curriculum, which aligns perfectly with the JEE Main syllabus. It gives CBSE an advantage as compared to the state board.

    However, both the CBSE and State board are good. It depends on students, their skills and hard work. The board might give them a bit of an advantage, but in the end, what matters is how a student has prepared for the examination. To pass in the JEE Main, they must build a strong foundation, study and practice every day.

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    Questions related to CBSE Class 12th

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to CBSE Class 12th ?

    Hello Dharani,

    Check the link below to download NCERT Class 12 previous year question papers in PDF format for all subjects.

    https://school.careers360.com/boards/cbse/cbse-previous-year-question-papers-class-12

    Hello Shubham,

    NCERT Class 12 Chemistry chapter-wise notes and solutions are available at the link given below.  Keep checking for updated uploads when NCERT PYQs (Previous Year Questions) are published.

    https://school.careers360.com/ncert/ncert-solutions-class-12-chemistry