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

C7 Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers

This unit carries about 7 marks in the paper. We split it into 51 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 33 of them. 18 were never asked. The top 5 topics make 35% of all the times this unit was asked. Last asked: Specimen 2027.

The syllabus says: Chemical properties of primary alcohols only. Manufacture of methanol and ethanol: outline only, detail not required.

33asked by the board at least once

18in the syllabus, never asked

85times a topic of this unit was asked

6.6hours for one attempt at every topic

What the papers ask most

  • Alcohols from Grignard reagent: 1, 2, 3 degree7 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Williamson's synthesis of ethers7 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Identify alcohol and its products from clues (A, B, C)6 times, last 2026
  • Iodoform test on alcohols: which alcohols respond and why5 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Lucas test: tell 1, 2 and 3 degree alcohols apart5 times, last 2026
  • Phenol to benzene with zinc dust4 times, last 2026
  • Reimer-Tiemann reaction: phenol to salicylaldehyde4 times, last 2025
  • Why phenol is more acidic than alcohols (reasons, assertion-reason)3 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Alcohols with PCl3, PCl5 and SOCl2 (Darzens)3 times, last 2026
  • Dehydration of ethanol: ethene at 443 K, ether 413 K3 times, last 2025 improvement

In the syllabus, never asked (18)

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

  • Classify alcohols and name them by IUPACStructure or name
  • Primary, secondary, tertiary alcohols: structure, physical and chemical differencesComparison
  • Alcohols from alkenes: direct, indirect hydration, hydroboration-oxidationReaction
  • Alcohols from alkyl halides, carbonyl compounds and primary aminesReaction
  • Manufacture of methanol (Bosch) and ethanol (fermentation)Reaction
  • Mechanism of acid-catalysed esterificationMechanism
  • Alcohols with hydrogen halides: equations and reactivity orderReaction
  • Alcohols with acid chlorides and acid anhydridesReaction
  • Uses of methanol and ethanolStatement
  • Classify and name phenolsStructure or name
  • Phenol with sodium hydroxide and sodiumReaction
  • Phenol with acetyl chloride, acetic anhydride and PCl5Reaction
  • Sulphonation of phenol: effect of temperatureReaction
  • Why -OH activates the ring and directs ortho/paraGive reason
  • Ether with chlorine: substitution in dark and lightReaction
  • Ether with HI: cold and hot, excess HIReaction
  • Anisole: halogenation, nitration and Friedel-Crafts reactionsReaction
  • Uses of ethersStatement

All the topics in Chemistry: Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers →

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

See when each unit comes in your plan