CBSE Class 12th Chemistry exam on Feb 28; tips to approach the question paper

Read More | Exclusive | Next session, 3 languages in CBSE Class 6 — English can be a ‘foreign’ option

Focus on the most important chapters first. Give top priority to these high-scoring units:

1. Solutions
2. Electrochemistry
3. Chemical Kinetics
4. Aldehydes, Ketones & Carboxylic Acids
5. Alcohols, Phenols & Ethers
6. Coordination Compounds
7. d- and f-Block Elements
8. Amines

Even if short on time, never skip:

– Electrochemistry
– Chemical Kinetics
– Coordination Compounds
– Aldehydes & Ketones
– Amines

High Weightage Chapters – The “Core Scoring Units”

Physical Chemistry (23 marks)
– Solutions
– Electrochemistry
– Chemical Kinetics

Focus Areas:
– Nernst Equation
– Kohlrausch’s Law
– First-order reaction
– Colligative properties

Organic Chemistry (26 marks)
– Haloalkanes & Haloarenes
– Alcohols, Phenols & Ethers
– Aldehydes, Ketones & Carboxylic Acids
– Amines
– Biomolecules

Focus Areas:
– Name reactions
– Conversions
– Distinction tests
– Mechanisms (SN1, SN2, Electrophilic substitution)

Inorganic Chemistry (14 marks)
– d- and f-Block
– Coordination Compounds

Focus Areas:
– Crystal Field Theory
– Isomerism
– Magnetic moment formula
– IUPAC naming

Essential formulae to memorise

Keep these on your “hotlist”:

Physical Chemistry

– Raoult’s Law
– Elevation in Boiling Point
– Depression in Freezing Point
– Nernst Equation
– ΔG = –nFE
– First-order reaction
– Half-life formula

Inorganic Chemistry

– Magnetic Moment: μ=n(n+2) BM

Mnemonics for Rapid Recall

– Reactivity Series

“Please Stop Calling Me A Careless Zebra Instead Try Learning How Copper Saves Gold”

(K, Na, Ca, Mg, Al, Zn, Fe, Pb, H, Cu, Hg, Ag, Au)

– Order of Field Strength (Ligands – Weak to Strong)

“I SCaN You Bravely Carry Mighty Flag”

(I⁻, SCN⁻, Cl⁻, NH₃, en, CN⁻, CO)

– Oxidation stage of Mn

“2, 4, 7 Heaven”

(+2, +4, +7 common states)

The “Last Moment” Preparation Checklist

If short on time, revise these guaranteed topics:

Derivations:

– Nernst Equation
– Half-life of first-order reaction
– Elevation in boiling point

Important Named Reactions:

– Etard reaction
– Cannizzaro reaction
– Hoffmann bromamide degradation
– Kolbe’s reaction
– Reimer-Tiemann reaction

Important Tests:

– Tollen’s test
– Fehling’s test
– Carbylamine test
– Hinsberg test

Graph-Based Questions

– First-order reaction
– Conductivity vs dilution
– EMF vs concentration

NCERT Must-Do:

– In-text questions
– Back exercise questions
– “Reasoning-based” questions
– NCERT examples. Remember – Inorganic = Direct from NCERT lines.

Strategy for “Bouncer” Questions

– If stuck in Organic conversion: Write intermediate steps logically. Partial marks are awarded.
– In Numericals: Even writing formulas and substitution gives step marks.
– In Coordination Compounds: If confused in hybridisation, calculate oxidation state first.
– In Reasoning questions: Use keywords like: Due to higher electronegativity, due to resonance stabilisation, due to +I / –I effect, due to hydrogen bonding

Exam Day Management

– Start with organic or physical (whichever is strongest).
– Attempt numericals when your mind is fresh.
– Keep last 15 minutes for: checking units, rechecking structures, balancing equations, counting pages
– Use reading time wisely to identify internal choices, mark sure-shot question

Frequently Asked Questions (Most Repeated Topics)

Physical Chemistry

– Numericals on Nernst equation
– Cell potential & ΔG
– First-order kinetics
– Colligative property numericals

Organic Chemistry

– Conversions
– Distinguish between compounds
– Name reactions
– Mechanism-based questions
– Biomolecules structures

Organic Chemistry

– IUPAC naming of complexes
– Isomerism
– Magnetic moment
– Colour explanation
– Lanthanoid contraction

The author is PGT Chemistry, Silverline Prestige School