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

C5 Coordination Compounds

This unit carries about 7 marks in the paper. We split it into 23 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 18 of them. 5 were never asked. The top 5 topics make 48% of all the times this unit was asked. Last asked: Specimen 2027.

18asked by the board at least once

5in the syllabus, never asked

65times a topic of this unit was asked

4hours for one attempt at every topic

What the papers ask most

  • IUPAC names of coordination compounds from formula8 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Identify the type of structural isomerism in a pair6 times, last Specimen 2027
  • VBT of octahedral complexes: inner (d2sp3) vs outer (sp3d2)6 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Coordination number and oxidation state of the central metal6 times, last 2026
  • Deduce structural formula from AgCl moles or conductance5 times, last Specimen 2027
  • VBT of four-coordinate complexes: tetrahedral sp3 vs square planar dsp25 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Chemical test to tell ionisation isomers apart4 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Give reasons and evaluate claims: hybridisation and magnetism4 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Five-mark question on one complex: name, isomers, test, structure4 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Geometrical (cis-trans, fac-mer) isomers: draw them3 times, last Specimen 2027

In the syllabus, never asked (5)

They can still come, because they are in the syllabus. Give each one clean attempt. Your plan has two practice questions for each.

  • Define coordination compound; differ from double saltStatement
  • Formula of a coordination compound from its IUPAC nameStructure or name
  • Optical isomers of octahedral chelate complexesStructure or name
  • Crystal field splitting diagram: octahedral and tetrahedralDiagram
  • Give reasons: colour and magnetism of complexes by CFTGive reason

All the topics in Chemistry: Coordination Compounds →

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. 1.IUPAC names of coordination compounds from formulaC5 Coordination Compounds · asked 8 times since 2018
  2. 2.Faraday's first law: mass, charge, current or timeC2 Electrochemistry · asked 7 times since 2018
  3. 3.Give reasons: transition metal ions are coloured, some colourlessC4 d- and f-Block Elements · asked 7 times since 2018
  4. 4.Alcohols from Grignard reagent: 1, 2, 3 degreeC7 Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers · asked 7 times since 2018
  5. 5.Williamson's synthesis of ethersC7 Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers · asked 7 times since 2018
  6. 6.Identify A, B, C, D in a given reagent chainC8 Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids · asked 7 times since 2018
  7. 7.Identify compounds from formula and test results (case problem)C8 Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids · asked 7 times since 2018
  8. 8.Identify A, B, C: amide, Hoffmann and amine-test chainsC9 Organic Compounds containing Nitrogen · asked 7 times since 2018
  9. 9.Gibbs energy and maximum work from cell emfC2 Electrochemistry · asked 6 times since 2018
  10. 10.Coordination number and oxidation state of the central metalC5 Coordination Compounds · asked 6 times since 2018

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