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
C4 d- and f-Block Elements
This unit carries about 7 marks in the paper. We split it into 42 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 26 of them. 16 were never asked. The top 5 topics make 36% of all the times this unit was asked. Last asked: Specimen 2027.
26asked by the board at least once
16in the syllabus, never asked
67times a topic of this unit was asked
5.4hours for one attempt at every topic
What the papers ask most
- Give reasons: transition metal ions are coloured, some colourless7 times, last Specimen 2027
- Give reasons: paramagnetic vs diamagnetic ions and metals5 times, last Specimen 2027
- Give reasons: consequences of lanthanoid contraction5 times, last 2025 improvement
- Acidified K2Cr2O7 with H2S, and its colour change4 times, last 2026
- Pick the coloured, colourless, para- or diamagnetic species3 times, last Specimen 2027
- Give reasons: transition metals readily form alloys3 times, last Specimen 2027
- Give reasons: KMnO4 decolourises; self-indicator in titrations3 times, last 2026
- Colour changes and gases in KMnO4 and K2Cr2O7 reactions3 times, last 2026
- Acidified KMnO4 with oxalic acid3 times, last 2025
- Acidified KMnO4 with KI3 times, last 2025 improvement
In the syllabus, never asked (16)
They can still come, because they are in the syllabus. Give each one clean attempt. Your plan has two practice questions for each.
- Position, occurrence and definition of transition elementsStatement
- Electronic configuration of 3d atoms and ions, unpaired electronsStructure or name
- Interstitial compounds: meaning, examples and propertiesStatement
- Lanthanoids and actinoids: configuration and oxidation statesStructure or name
- Lanthanoid reactions with O2, H2, halogens, S, N, C, waterReaction
- Actinoids: oxidation states and comparison with lanthanoidsComparison
- Structure and shape of the permanganate ionStructure or name
- KMnO4 from pyrolusite: equations of preparationReaction
- KMnO4 as oxidant: nascent oxygen and electrons gainedGive reason
- Alkaline KMnO4 with KIReaction
- Neutral KMnO4 with H2SReaction
- Structures and shapes of chromate and dichromate ionsStructure or name
- K2Cr2O7 from chromite ore: equations of preparationReaction
- Chromate-dichromate interconversion and effect of pHReaction
- K2Cr2O7 in neutral and alkaline mediumStatement
- Use of K2Cr2O7 in redox titrationsStatement
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