The 2026-27 NCERT keeps Chapter 7 Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers as the first of three named organic-functional-group units in Class 12 Chemistry. The chapter covers classification, IUPAC nomenclature, preparation routes, and the mechanisms tested in CBSE, JEE Main, and NEET papers. This page hosts the latest NCERT Book PDF and a complete reading map.
- CBSE Weightage: 6 to 8 marks (usually one 3-mark conversion or mechanism question plus one 5-mark phenol-reactions case)
- JEE Main Weightage: 3 to 4% (2 to 3 questions per shift, mix of preparation, acidity ordering, and Williamson synthesis)
- NEET Weightage: 2 to 3 questions per year
The PDF above is the official NCERT print for Chapter 7 of the Class 12 Chemistry Part-II book. The reading map, mechanism index, and rationalisation notes further down help you decide which sections to study deeply and which to skim.
Sourced from the official NCERT 2026-27 edition and cross-verified against the CBSE Class 12 Chemistry syllabus document for the 2026 Board exam.
Also Check:
- Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 6 Haloalkanes and Haloarenes NCERT Book PDF
- Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 8 Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids NCERT Book PDF
- CBSE Class 12 Chemistry Syllabus 2026-27
Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers NCERT Intext Examples and Their Sub-Topics
The 2026-27 print of Chapter 7 carries 11 solved intext examples across 28 pages of theory. Each targets one specific skill that recurs in CBSE conversions, mechanism prompts, and acidity ordering questions.
| Example | Sub-topic | Skill tested |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | Classification of alcohols (1°, 2°, 3°, allylic, benzylic) | Identify hybridisation of C bearing -OH |
| 7.2 | IUPAC names of polyhydric alcohols | Apply locant rules for diols and triols |
| 7.3 | IUPAC names of substituted phenols | Number the ring to give -OH the lowest locant |
| 7.4 | IUPAC names of ethers | Treat the smaller R-O as alkoxy substituent |
| 7.5 | Reactivity order of HX with alcohols (Lucas test) | Predict SN1/SN2 based on carbocation stability |
| 7.6 | Mechanism of acid-catalysed dehydration of ethanol | Write three-step E1 mechanism with carbocation |
| 7.7 | Oxidation products of 1°, 2° alcohols with PCC and acid-K2Cr2O7 | Identify aldehyde vs ketone vs carboxylic acid |
| 7.8 | Acidity comparison of phenol with ethanol and water | Apply resonance stabilisation of phenoxide |
| 7.9 | Kolbe's reaction product from sodium phenoxide | Write step-by-step electrophilic addition of CO2 |
| 7.10 | Reimer-Tiemann reaction of phenol with CHCl3/NaOH | Predict salicylaldehyde with ortho-CHO |
| 7.11 | Williamson synthesis of an unsymmetrical ether | Choose 1° alkyl halide + sodium alkoxide pairing |
Alcohols Phenols and Ethers Video Chapter Walkthrough
Source: Lakshya NEET on YouTube
Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers NCERT Book: Section-by-Section Breakdown with Page Numbers
The chapter has six numbered sections plus a summary and exercises. Sections 7.4 (reactions of alcohols and phenols) and 7.6 (ethers) together account for more than two-thirds of all CBSE marks from this chapter.
| Section | Title | Pages | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | Classification | 193-196 | Mono/di/tri-hydric alcohols, primary/secondary/tertiary, allylic, benzylic, vinylic, classification of phenols and ethers |
| 7.2 | Nomenclature | 196-199 | Common and IUPAC names for alcohols, phenols, and ethers including poly-functional examples |
| 7.3 | Structures of Functional Groups | 199-200 | sp3 O in alcohols, sp2 conjugation in phenols, bond angles in ethers |
| 7.4 | Alcohols and Phenols | 200-214 | Preparation from alkenes (hydration, hydroboration-oxidation), carbonyl reduction, Grignard route; phenols from haloarenes, benzene sulphonic acid, diazonium salt, cumene; physical and chemical properties |
| 7.5 | Some Commercially Important Alcohols | 214-215 | Methanol and ethanol manufacture, denatured alcohol, biofuels |
| 7.6 | Ethers | 215-220 | Preparation by Williamson synthesis and dehydration of alcohols; physical and chemical properties including cleavage by HX, electrophilic substitution on anisole |
| - | Summary, Exercises (33 Qs) | 220-226 | End-of-chapter problems for board-level practice |
The 33 end-of-chapter exercises split roughly into 9 IUPAC items, 10 conversion questions, 8 mechanism / reasoning items, and 6 phenol-and-ether reaction questions. The conversion and mechanism blocks have shown up most reliably in CBSE Boards.
How will Collegedunia's NCERT Book PDF Help You with Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers?
The official NCERT print is the source of truth for CBSE Boards; this page wraps it with the navigation aids that the raw PDF lacks.
- 2026-27 NCERT Alignment: Latest NCERT print, with every change from the previous edition flagged in the rationalisation section.
- Reaction-by-Reaction Index: Mechanism and conversion tables map each reagent (PCC, K2Cr2O7, HI, BBr3) to the exact product CBSE markers want.
- Reading Sequence: The skim-then-deep-dive plan tells you which sections to read first and which intext examples to attempt cold.
- Cross-Reference: Every reaction is mapped to the matching Collegedunia Notes, Formula Sheet, and NCERT Solutions.
Class 12th Chemistry Alcohols Phenols Ethers Reading Sequence and Multi-Day Plan
The PDF rewards a four-day plan because of the volume of named reactions (Kolbe, Reimer-Tiemann, Williamson, Lucas, Friedel-Crafts). A single sitting leaks more than half of the reagent-product pairings within a week.
| Day | What to read | What to practise | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Sections 7.1 to 7.3 (classification, nomenclature, structure) | Intext examples 7.1 to 7.4 plus exercises 7.1 to 7.3, 7.7, 7.23 | 2 hours |
| Day 2 | Section 7.4 first half (preparation of alcohols and phenols, physical properties) | Exercises 7.4 to 7.6, 7.9 to 7.13, 7.32 | 3 hours |
| Day 3 | Section 7.4 second half (chemical reactions of alcohols and phenols) | Intext examples 7.5 to 7.10 plus exercises 7.14 to 7.22, 7.33 | 3 hours |
| Day 4 | Section 7.5 (commercial alcohols) and Section 7.6 (ethers) plus full revision | Intext example 7.11 plus exercises 7.24 to 7.31 | 2.5 hours |
Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Top 5 Reactions and Formulae for Quick Recall
These five recurring expressions and named reactions cover almost every CBSE Board prompt and most JEE Main questions from the chapter. The full master table sits on the Collegedunia Formula Sheet.
| Reaction / quantity | Expression |
|---|---|
| Markovnikov hydration of alkene | CH2=CHR + H2O H+ CH3CH(OH)R |
| Hydroboration-oxidation (anti-Markovnikov) | CH2=CHR (i) B2H6 (ii) H2O2/OH- HOCH2CH2R |
| Acid-catalysed dehydration of ethanol | C2H5OH conc. H2SO4, 443 K CH2=CH2 + H2O |
| Williamson ether synthesis | R-ONa + R'-X → R-O-R' + NaX (R' should be 1°) |
| Kolbe's reaction (phenol to salicylic acid) | C6H5ONa + CO2 (i) 400 K, 4-7 atm (ii) H+ HOC6H4COOH (o-) |
Full master table: Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Class 12 Chemistry Formula Sheet
What Changed in Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers for 2026-27 NCERT (Rationalisation Note)
The current 2026-27 syllabus retains this unit but renumbered it from legacy Chapter 11 to Chapter 7. The chemistry is almost fully retained; a small number of legacy sub-topics were trimmed.
| Sub-topic | Status in 2026-27 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Classification, nomenclature, structure | Kept | Core section, unchanged |
| Preparation of alcohols (hydration, hydroboration, carbonyl reduction, Grignard) | Kept | Core section, all four routes retained |
| Preparation of phenols (haloarenes, benzenesulphonic acid, diazonium salt, cumene) | Kept | All four industrial and lab routes retained |
| Acidity of alcohols and phenols | Kept | Resonance stabilisation of phenoxide retained verbatim |
| Kolbe's reaction and Reimer-Tiemann reaction | Kept | Both named reactions retained with mechanism prompts |
| Williamson ether synthesis | Kept | Limitations with 3° alkyl halides emphasised |
| Electrophilic substitution on anisole / aryl alkyl ethers | Kept | Friedel-Crafts alkylation and acylation, nitration, bromination retained |
| Extended pharmacological uses and biological function of alcohols | Trimmed | Discussion shortened in the current 2026-27 syllabus; commercial alcohols section now one page |
Students still using a 2022 copy are studying close to 2 extra pages of trimmed pharmacology, none of which now appears in the Board paper.
Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers PYQ Trend in CBSE, JEE Main and NEET (2026 to 2021)
The three most repeated question types from this chapter in the last five years are a conversion, a mechanism, and an acidity ordering of substituted phenols. The mini-table below maps the topic most frequently asked each year; the full year-wise question map sits on the NCERT Solutions page.
| Year | CBSE Board | JEE Main | NEET |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Mechanism of acid dehydration of ethanol (3 marks) | Lucas test reactivity order, 2 questions | Pending (exam rescheduled) |
| 2025 | Williamson synthesis pairing for unsymmetrical ether (3 marks) | Acidity order of substituted phenols, 2 questions | Reimer-Tiemann product, 1 question |
| 2024 | Kolbe's reaction and conversion of phenol to aspirin (5 marks) | HI cleavage of methyl phenyl ether, 1 question | Hydroboration-oxidation product, 1 question |
| 2023 | Distinguish o-nitrophenol vs p-nitrophenol by steam distillation (2 marks) | Conversion propene to propan-2-ol, 1 question | Williamson synthesis limitation, 2 questions |
| 2022 | IUPAC naming of a polyhydric alcohol and an ether (3 marks) | Lucas test discrimination, 2 questions | Acidity of phenol vs ethanol, 1 question |
| 2021 | - | - | - |
Full year-wise PYQ map: Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Class 12 Chemistry NCERT Solutions
Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Weightage Compared Across Class 12 Chemistry Chapters
The visual below maps typical CBSE Board marks across all 10 chapters of the 2026-27 NCERT, averaged over the last five board papers. Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers sits in the upper band along with Electrochemistry and Chemical Kinetics.
Author, Edition and Publisher Information for the Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers NCERT PDF
The PDF on this page is from the official publication, not a third-party reprint. Always study from the latest print.
- Book: Chemistry Part-II, Class 12 (Textbook for Class XII)
- Chapter: 7 - Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers (legacy Chapter 11)
- Publisher: National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
- Edition: 2026-27 reprint
- Pages: 34
- Languages: English, Hindi (Rasayan Vigyan Bhag-II)
Related Links:
- Class 12 Chemistry NCERT Book PDF (All Chapters)
- CBSE Class 12 Chemistry Sample Papers 2026
- CBSE Class 12 Chemistry Previous Year Question Papers
More Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Chemistry Class 12 Resources
- Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Class 12 Chemistry NCERT Solutions
- Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Class 12 Chemistry Notes
- Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Class 12 Chemistry Formula Sheet
- Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Class 12 Chemistry NCERT Exemplar Book PDF
- Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Class 12 Chemistry NCERT Exemplar Solutions
- Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Class 12 Chemistry Handwritten Notes
NCERT Book PDF for Class 12 Chemistry: All Chapters
The table lists every chapter of the Class 12 Chemistry 2026-27 NCERT, each linking to its dedicated Collegedunia NCERT Book PDF page.
| Chapter | Resource |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | Solutions NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 2 | Electrochemistry NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 3 | Chemical Kinetics NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 4 | The d- and f-Block Elements NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 5 | Coordination Compounds NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 6 | Haloalkanes and Haloarenes NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 8 | Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 9 | Amines NCERT Book PDF |
| Chapter 10 | Biomolecules NCERT Book PDF |
Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Class 12 Chemistry NCERT Book PDF FAQs
Ques. Where can I download the Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 7 Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers NCERT Book PDF?
Ans. You can download the Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Class 12 Chemistry NCERT Book PDF directly from this page. Both the Normal and HD versions are available and both are free, with no registration required.
Ques. Is the Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers chapter aligned with the 2026-27 NCERT?
Ans. Yes. The PDF reflects the current 2026-27 syllabus for Class 12 Chemistry. The chapter retains all six core sections on classification, nomenclature, structure of functional groups, preparation and chemical reactions of alcohols and phenols, commercially important alcohols, and ethers; only the extended pharmacology discussion on commercial alcohols has been shortened in the new edition.
Ques. How many pages is the Class 12th Chemistry Alcohols Phenols Ethers NCERT Book PDF?
Ans. The chapter runs roughly 34 pages including the 6 numbered sections, 11 intext examples, the summary, and the 33 end-of-chapter exercises.
Ques. How many marks does Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers carry in the CBSE Class 12 Chemistry Board exam?
Ans. Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers typically carries 6 to 8 marks in the Class 12 Chemistry Board exam, sitting in the upper band along with Electrochemistry, Chemical Kinetics, and Aldehydes/Ketones/Carboxylic Acids. The marks are usually split as one 3-mark conversion or mechanism question plus one 5-mark phenol-reactions case study.
Ques. Why was the chapter renumbered from 11 to 7?
Ans. The 2026-27 NCERT reduced the Class 12 Chemistry book from 16 chapters (across Parts I and II) to 10 chapters. Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers moved from old Chapter 11 to current Chapter 7 in this consolidation. The chapter content itself is largely retained; only the numbering changed.
Ques. Which intext examples in Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers are most important for Boards?
Ans. Examples 7.5 (Lucas test reactivity order), 7.6 (acid-catalysed dehydration of ethanol mechanism), 7.9 (Kolbe's reaction), and 7.11 (Williamson ether synthesis) are the highest-yield. Practise each at least twice before the exam.
Ques. Has any topic been removed from Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers in the latest NCERT edition?
Ans. No major sub-topic was fully removed. The extended pharmacological uses and biological function discussion of commercial alcohols was trimmed in the 2026-27 print; all six numbered sections and every named reaction (Kolbe, Reimer-Tiemann, Williamson, Lucas, Friedel-Crafts on anisole) are intact.
Ques. How long should I take to complete the Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers NCERT chapter?
Ans. A four-day plan of about 10 to 11 hours total is realistic: one day for classification, nomenclature, and structure; one for preparation and physical properties of alcohols and phenols; one for chemical reactions of alcohols and phenols; and one for ethers plus full revision. The Collegedunia multi-day study plan further up on this page breaks the hours down section by section.
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