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
C8 Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids
This unit carries about 8 marks in the paper. We split it into 62 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 42 of them. 20 were never asked. The top 5 topics make 25% of all the times this unit was asked. Last asked: Specimen 2027.
42asked by the board at least once
20in the syllabus, never asked
116times a topic of this unit was asked
7.5hours for one attempt at every topic
What the papers ask most
- Identify A, B, C, D in a given reagent chain7 times, last Specimen 2027
- Identify compounds from formula and test results (case problem)7 times, last Specimen 2027
- Cannizzaro reaction: disproportionation of aldehydes without alpha-H5 times, last Specimen 2027
- Distinguish aldehydes from ketones (and from alcohols)5 times, last Specimen 2027
- Acid chlorides and anhydrides from carboxylic acids5 times, last Specimen 2027
- Dry distillation of calcium salts of carboxylic acids5 times, last 2026
- Clemmensen reduction: C=O to CH25 times, last 2026
- Rosenmund reduction: acid chloride to aldehyde5 times, last 2025 improvement
- Iodoform reaction: equation and which compounds respond4 times, last Specimen 2027
- Aldol condensation: aldol and its dehydration4 times, last Specimen 2027
In the syllabus, never asked (20)
They can still come, because they are in the syllabus. Give each one clean attempt. Your plan has two practice questions for each.
- Structure and polarity of the carbonyl groupStatement
- Acid chloride with dialkyl cadmium to ketoneReaction
- Nitrile with Grignard reagent to ketoneReaction
- From esters: partial reduction to aldehydesReaction
- State and boiling points of aldehydes and ketonesComparison
- Mechanism of nucleophilic addition (HCN as example)Mechanism
- Reduction with red phosphorus and HI to alkanesReaction
- Mechanism of aldol condensationMechanism
- Mechanism of Cannizzaro reaction (hydride transfer)Mechanism
- Distinguish formaldehyde and acetaldehydeTell apart (test)
- Uses of aldehydes and ketonesStatement
- Etard reaction: toluene to benzaldehyde with chromyl chlorideReaction
- Carbonyl compounds with PCl5: gem-dichloridesReaction
- Electrophilic substitution in benzaldehyde (meta products)Reaction
- Carboxylic acids: classification, structure, IUPAC namesStructure or name
- Physical properties of acids: state, boiling point, solubilityComparison
- Acidity of benzoic acids, phenol and alcohols comparedComparison
- Benzoic acid: meta nitration and sulphonationReaction
- Uses of formic, acetic and benzoic acidsStatement
- Give reasons and assertion-reason items across the unitGive reason
All the topics in Chemistry: Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids →
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