What the board asks
We went through the ISC board papers, question by question, and matched each question to a topic. Here is what was asked, how often, and what was never asked.
Chemistry: 384 topics in the 2027 syllabus, across 10 units. The board has asked 252 of them at least once. 132 were never asked in the papers we checked.
Pick a unit
C1 Solutions
This unit carries about 8 marks in the paper. We split it into 33 topics: each is one thing an examiner can ask, and you can practise it on paper in 5 to 25 minutes. The board has asked 23 of them. 10 were never asked. The top 5 topics make 37% of all the times this unit was asked. Last asked: Specimen 2027.
The syllabus says: Experimental details not required. Derivation of the expressions for molal depression and molal elevation constants is included.
23asked by the board at least once
10in the syllabus, never asked
59times a topic of this unit was asked
5.4hours for one attempt at every topic
What the papers ask most
- Degree of association of a dimerising solute5 times, last Specimen 2027
- Order solutions by colligative property using number of particles5 times, last Specimen 2027
- Abnormal molecular mass: predict and justify association or dissociation4 times, last Specimen 2027
- Colligative property of an electrolyte using modified formula with i4 times, last Specimen 2027
- Degree of dissociation of an electrolyte from colligative data4 times, last Specimen 2027
- Molar mass of a solute (protein, polymer) from osmotic pressure3 times, last Specimen 2027
- Freezing point depression: molar mass, mass of solute or molality3 times, last 2026
- Assertion-reason and true-statement items on colligative properties3 times, last 2026
- Osmotic pressure of a solution from mass and volume3 times, last 2026
- Relative lowering of VP: solution VP or molar mass3 times, last 2025 improvement
In the syllabus, never asked (10)
They can still come, because they are in the syllabus. Give each one clean attempt. Your plan has two practice questions for each.
- Types of solutions with examples; define concentration termsStatement
- Normality, ppm and molarity-to-molality conversion using densityNumericals
- Henry's law: solubility or mole fraction of a gasNumericals
- Vapour pressure and vapour composition of two volatile liquidsNumericals
- Vapour pressure-composition graphs: ideal, positive and negative deviationGraph
- Boiling point-composition diagram and fractional distillation of azeotropesGraph
- Colligative properties: definition, the four properties and examplesStatement
- Derive delta-Tb = Kb m; define ebullioscopic constantDerivation
- Derive delta-Tf = Kf m; define cryoscopic constantDerivation
- van't Hoff laws of osmotic pressure (Boyle, Charles, Avogadro)Statement
The 10 topics Chemistry papers ask most
Counted on the board papers from 2018 to the 2027 specimen paper, which every unit has been checked against.
- 1.IUPAC names of coordination compounds from formulaC5 Coordination Compounds · asked 8 times since 2018
- 2.Faraday's first law: mass, charge, current or timeC2 Electrochemistry · asked 7 times since 2018
- 3.Give reasons: transition metal ions are coloured, some colourlessC4 d- and f-Block Elements · asked 7 times since 2018
- 4.Alcohols from Grignard reagent: 1, 2, 3 degreeC7 Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers · asked 7 times since 2018
- 5.Williamson's synthesis of ethersC7 Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers · asked 7 times since 2018
- 6.Identify A, B, C, D in a given reagent chainC8 Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids · asked 7 times since 2018
- 7.Identify compounds from formula and test results (case problem)C8 Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids · asked 7 times since 2018
- 8.Identify A, B, C: amide, Hoffmann and amine-test chainsC9 Organic Compounds containing Nitrogen · asked 7 times since 2018
- 9.Gibbs energy and maximum work from cell emfC2 Electrochemistry · asked 6 times since 2018
- 10.Coordination number and oxidation state of the central metalC5 Coordination Compounds · asked 6 times since 2018