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.

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C6 Haloalkanes and Haloarenes

This unit carries about 6 marks in the paper. We split it into 37 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 19 of them. 18 were never asked. The top 5 topics make 50% of all the times this unit was asked. Last asked: Specimen 2027.

The syllabus says: Directive influence of halogen in monosubstituted compounds only.

19asked by the board at least once

18in the syllabus, never asked

36times a topic of this unit was asked

5.3hours for one attempt at every topic

What the papers ask most

  • Two or three step conversions within haloalkanes and haloarenes4 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Chlorobenzene to phenol and aniline: conditions4 times, last 2026
  • Wurtz-Fittig and Fittig reactions4 times, last 2025 improvement
  • Chloroform properties: phosgene, storage, silver powder, nitric acid3 times, last 2026
  • Iodoform: preparation from ethanol or acetone, and properties3 times, last 2026
  • KCN vs AgCN and KNO2 vs AgNO2: ambident nucleophiles2 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Wurtz reaction: haloalkane with sodium in dry ether2 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Finkelstein and Swarts reactions: halide exchange2 times, last 2025
  • SN1 vs SN2: mechanism, rate law and stereochemistry2 times, last 2025
  • Case study: ambident nucleophiles give different productsonce, last Specimen 2027

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 halogen compounds: 1, 2, 3, allylic, benzylic, vinylic, arylStatement
  • Common and IUPAC names of mono, di and tri-halo compoundsStructure or name
  • Nature of C-X bond in haloalkanes: polarity and reactivityGive reason
  • Haloalkane from alkane and halogen (free radical substitution)Reaction
  • Hunsdiecker reaction: silver salt of fatty acid with bromineReaction
  • Haloalkanes: state, boiling point and solubility order with reasonsComparison
  • Order of reactivity of halides towards SN1 or SN2Comparison
  • Haloalkane with silver salt of fatty acid and with LiAlH4Reaction
  • Grignard reagent from haloalkane or haloarene and magnesiumReaction
  • Structures of freons and DDTStructure or name
  • Uses and environmental effects of polyhalogen compoundsStatement
  • Give reasons: haloarenes resist nucleophilic substitutionGive reason
  • Sandmeyer and Gattermann reactions to make haloarenesReaction
  • Haloarenes: melting point of para isomer and other propertiesComparison
  • Give reasons: halogen is ortho-para directing yet deactivatingGive reason
  • Nucleophilic substitution in haloarenes: mechanism and nitro effectMechanism
  • Reduction of chlorobenzene to benzeneReaction
  • Identify A, B, C in a halo compound chainConversion

All the topics in Chemistry: Haloalkanes and Haloarenes →

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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