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Exam Day Tips for 12th Chemistry Board Exam

A targeted approach to answering your 12th CBSE Board Question Paper can ensure good marks. Given below are a few tips, tricks, and strategies for scoring well in your Chemistry Board Exam.

Before the Exam

- Have a good, restful night of sleep the day before the exam. A calm, relaxed mind eases the anxiety and helps you think clearly.

- On the exam day, keep all the relevant documents (hall ticket, school ID proof, etc.) required for the exam center, handy.

- Carry an extra pen and pencil, in addition to the eraser, pencil sharpener and a scale for drawing the diagrams.

- Use only a black or a blue ink pen for writing the examination.

- Carry a water bottle to avoid water breaks during the test.

- Reach the exam venue at least 45 min before the exam starts.

- Go to the restroom before the exam starts.

- Have a chocolate before the exam begins to give you the extra sugar kick and to calm your overworked nerves.

- Breathe deep and relax.

During the Examination

- You will be provided with the answering sheets 15-20 min before the exam commences. You must fill in your details (Roll No, Centre Code, etc.) correctly.

- Number each page of the answering sheet.

- If you wish to enhance your paper presentation and have time for the same, you may draw borders and margins with the pencil and scale.

- Assign the last page of the sheet for rough work. Write the title as ‘For Rough Work Only.’ All rough work should be done here and nowhere else. In some schools, an additional paper is provided for Rough Work.

- The question paper will be handed out 5-10 min before the exam begins. Read the question paper and mark a small dot with a pencil against the questions that would require more of your time or for which you don’t have an immediate answer.

- Time your question paper and spend only the necessary amount of time on answering it. Skip and go to the next question if the answer requires too much of your time. The length of the answer depends on the allotted marks.

- Answer in bullet points, write what is relevant and important. Underline important phrases and keywords.

- Leave sufficient gap between two answers. It should not look muddled.

- Begin by answering those questions which you are most confident. Preferably, start by answering the questions that carry the highest weightage. Start with the last 5- mark questions and arrive at the easy 1-mark questions in the end.

- The questions carrying the maximum mark require more time and focus. Also, if you are unable to finish your paper on time, it is better to have lost a 1-mark question than on a 5-mark one. Do let the examiner know of your decision by writing a statement at the start by mentioning, ‘the questions are answered from the last to the first, in that order.

- Think clearly before you write the answers. Write an outline in the rough work section, inserting the keywords and short points, before writing the actual answers.

- Write clearly, legibly and preferably in print handwriting. Scratch neatly and rewrite for any wrong answers. Do not overwrite.

- Assign correct numbers to your answers. Do not mix up the order. Also, if you do not know the answer to a question, mark it as dash against the question number on your answer sheet. If you have attempted the question later at the end, don’t forget to mention it by writing ‘the question number X has been attempted on page Y.’

- For questions where you must differentiate or write a comparison, it is preferable to write the answer by making two columns and showing clear differentiating points with relevant examples.

- If you run out of time and are unable to write lengthy answers or statements, try answering it by drawing a flowchart carrying all the important keywords.

- For questions, you have no clue about, guess the answers as the correction method involves no negative marking. Try and attempt such questions only at the end.

- Look out for synonyms in a question. For example, outline/ briefly discuss/ explain, all mean the same thing.

- Do no rough work on your writing table, wall or the clipboard.

Physical Chemistry Questions

a) Always write the statement/laws or the principle involved in a process.

b) Draw neatly labeled diagrams wherever expected and necessary.

c) Give at least one example for all the definitions and the short note type of questions.

d) For the numerical problems, start by writing the given data, the formula to be used and convert the units wherever required (Example, o C to K). Put the values in the working formula correctly. Express the final answer in scientific notation and in correct SI units. Underline and highlight the final answer.

e) For the answers requiring graphical presentation, mention the X and the Y-axis variables. Write the information that is obtained from the graph, the equation of a straight line, the slope and the intercept.

Value Based Question

 - Use the correct adjectives in displaying a behavior and try not to be overly wordy. Be precise and concise.

Organic Chemistry Questions

a) Write the statement that is followed by the chemical reaction or vice-versa. Do not write blank statements or just a reaction.

b) Mention the type of the reaction taking place. Example, electrophilic or nucleophilic addition reaction, displacement reaction, etc.

c) The chemical reaction must be written as one line and should be balanced. Use the correct reaction and electron transfer curly arrows.

d) Preferably, write the reagents or any catalysts taking part in the reaction above the reaction arrow and the reaction conditions (time, temp.) below the arrow.

e) All the substrates and the products should be named according to the IUPAC nomenclature.

f) The proper suffix should be assigned to the parent chain.

Eg. CH3-CH2-CHO is a propanal and not propanol

g) The specific reagents used in a Name Reaction should be mentioned correctly.

Inorganic Chemistry Questions

a) The Inorganic reaction equations should be balanced. If you find it hard to memorize the complete reaction, try to learn at least the change in the oxidation state of the metal involved in the reaction.

b) In addition to the balanced chemical equation, the observations of a reaction and its conclusion must be mentioned.

c) Always write the name of the reagents and substrates taking part in the reaction.

d) If the question asks for the geometry of a compound/ co-ordination number/ shape of the molecule, always draw its structure.

Reasoning Questions

The ‘cause’ and the ‘effect’ of any observed anomaly must be mentioned specifically as two separate points.

Final Revision

- The last 13 min must be allotted for the answer revision.

- Check for spelling mistakes.

- Look out for the Carbon valency in all the organic chemistry structures. There should be no Pentavalent Carbon.

- The charge or the lone pair in an atom must be correctly displayed.

- Recheck all the numerical problem calculations for any errors. The answer must be expressed in scientific notation with the correct SI unit.

After the Examination

- Grade yourself for each answer and find your expected score. If you find a huge difference in the expected and the obtained marks, submit for re-evaluation.

Chemistry 12th Board

Course on Introductory Organic Chemistry 



Introductory Organic Chemistry Course covers the fundamentals of organic chemistry in 13 detailed chapters –

  • Atoms

  • Bonding in Atoms

  • Covalent Bond 

  • Electronic Displacements in a Covalent Bond 

  • Common Reaction Types 

  • Drawing Organic Structures 

  • Functional Groups 

  • Structural Isomerism 

  • Intermolecular Forces 

  • Physical Properties 

  • Fundamentals of Organic Reactions 

  • Reactive Intermediates 

The course simplifies the language of Organic Chemistry with pictures, metaphors, and common words that anyone can understand.

It is a detailed, handy primer for building a strong foundation in Organic Chemistry.

Subscribers Only Premium Tutorials

What is Organic Chemistry?

  • Introduction
  • Elements of a Chemical Reaction
  • Components of a Chemical Reaction

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Atom

  • Size of an atom- The world belongs to the tiniest!
  • Power of Protons
  • Mass Number
  • Average Atomic Mass
  • Molecule and Molecular Mass
  • The Electrons- An Atom’s Reactive Component
  • Atomic Orbitals- s, p, d, f
  • Filing of Atomic Orbitals and Writing Electronic Configuration
  • Valence and Core Electrons- How to Determine

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Bonding In Atoms

  • Octet Rule- Introduction and Bonding
  • Limitations of Octet Rule
  • Ionic Bond- Introduction and Formation
  • Formation of Ionic Compound
  • Requirements for Ionic Bonding
  • Appearance and Nature of Ionic Compounds
  • Physical Properties of Ionic Solids- Conductance, Solubility, Melting Point, and Boiling Point
  • Covalent Bond - How it Forms
  • Covalent Bond - Why it Forms?
  • Covalent Bond- Bond Pair (Single, Double, Triple) and Lone Pair
  • Number of Covalent Bonds- Valency
  • Types of Covalent Bonds- Polar and Nonpolar
  • Metallic Bonds- Introduction and Nature
  • Significance of Metallic Bonding
  • Impact of Metallic Bonding on the Physical Properties
  • Applications of Metallic Bonding
  • Difference Between Metallic and Ionic Bond

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Covalent Bond

  • Theories on Covalent Bond Formation
  • Valence Bond Theory- Introduction and Covalent Bond Formation
  • Valence Bond Theory- Types of Orbital Overlap Forming Covalent Bonds
  • Applications, Limitations, and Extensions of Valence Bond Theory
  • Hybridization- Introduction and Types
  • sp3 Hybridization of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Oxygen
  • sp2 Hybridization of Carbon, Carbocation, Nitrogen, and Oxygen
  • sp Hybridization of Carbon and Nitrogen
  • Shortcut to Determine Hybridization
  • VSEPR Theory- Introduction
  • Difference between Electron Pair Geometry and Molecular Structure
  • Finding Electron Pair Geometry and Related Shape
  • Predicting Electron-Pair Geometry and Molecular Structure Guideline
  • Predicting Electron pair geometry and Molecular structure - Examples
  • Finding Electron-Pair Geometry and Shape in Multicentre Molecules
  • Drawbacks of VSEPR Theory
  • Covalent bond Characteristics- Bond length
  • Factors affecting Bond Length
  • How does Electron delocalization (Resonance) affect the Bond length?
  • Covalent bond Characteristics- Bond Angle
  • Factors affecting Bond Angle
  • Covalent bond Characteristics- Bond Order
  • How Bond Order Corresponds to the Bond Strength and Bond Length
  • Solved Examples of Bond Order Calculations
  • Covalent Bond Rotation
  • Covalent Bond Breakage
  • Covalent Bond Properties -Physical State, Melting and Boiling Points, Electrical Conductivity, Solubility, Isomerism, Non-ionic Reactions Rate, Crystal structure

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Electronic Displacement in a Covalent Bond

  • Electronegativity- Introduction
  • Factors Affecting Electronegativity- Atomic number, Atomic size, Shielding effect
  • Factors Affecting Electronegativity-s-orbitals, Oxidation state, Group electronegativity
  • Application of Electronegativity in Organic Chemistry
  • Physical Properties Affected by Electronegativity
  • Inductive effect- Introduction, Types, Classification, and Representation
  • Factors Affecting Inductive Effect- Electronegativity
  • Factors Affecting Inductive Effect- Bonding Order and Charge
  • Factors Affecting Inductive Effect- Bonding Position 
  • Application of Inductive Effect- Acidity Enhancement and Stabilization of the counter ion due to -I effect 
  • Application of Inductive Effect-Basicity enhancement and stabilization of the counter ion due to +I effect
  • Application of Inductive Effect-Stability of the Transition States
  • Application of Inductive Effect-Elevated Physical Properties of Polar Compounds
  • Is the Inductive Effect the same as Electronegativity?
  • Resonance- Introduction and Electron Delocalization 
  • Partial Double Bond Character and Resonance Hybrid
  • Resonance Energy
  • Significance of Planarity and Conjugation in Resonance
  • p-orbital Electron Delocalization in Resonance
  • Sigma Electron Delocalization (Hyperconjugation)
  • Significance of Hyperconjugation
  • Resonance Effect and Types
  • Structure Drawing Rules of Resonance (Includes Summary)
  • Application of Resonance
  • Introduction to Covalent Bond Polarity and Dipole Moment
  • Molecular Dipole Moment
  • Lone Pair in Molecular Dipole Moment
  • Applications of Dipole Moment
  • Formal Charges- Introduction and Basics
  • How to Calculate Formal Charges (With Solved Examples)
  • Difference between Formal charges and Oxidation State

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Common Types of Reactions

  • Classification of common reactions based on mechanisms
  • Addition Reactions
  • Elimination Reactions (E1, E2, E1cb)
  • Substitutions (SN1, SN2, SNAr, Electrophilic, Nucleophilic)
  • Decomposition
  • Rearrangement
  • Oxidation-Reduction

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Drawing Organic Structures

  • Introduction
  • Kekulé
  • Condensed
  • Skeletal or Bond line
  • Polygon formula
  • Lewis Structures- What are Lewis structures and How to Draw
  • Rules to Draw Lewis structures- With Solved Examples
  • Lewis structures- Solved Examples, Neutral molecules, Anions, and Cations
  • Limitation of Lewis structures
  • 3D structure representation- Dash and Wedge line
  • Molecular models for organic structure representation- Stick model, Ball-stick, and Space-filling
  • Molecular Formula

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Functional Groups in Organic Chemistry

  • What are functional groups? 
  • Chemical and Physical Properties affected by the Functional Groups
  • Identifying Functional Groups by name and structure
  • Functional Group Categorization- Exclusively Carbon-containing Functional Groups
  • Functional Group Categorization- Functional Groups with Carbon-Heteroatom Single Bond
  • Functional Group Categorization- Functional Groups with Carbon-Heteroatom Multiple Bonds
  • Rules for IUPAC nomenclature of Polyfunctional Compounds
  • Examples of polyfunctional compounds named according to the priority order
  • Examples of reactions wherein the functional group undergoes transformations

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Structural Isomerism

  • Introduction
  • Chain Isomerism
  • Position Isomerism
  • Functional Isomerism
  • Tautomerism
  • Metamerism
  • Ring-Chain Isomerism

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Intermolecular Forces

  • Ion-Dipole Interactions-Introduction and Occurrence
  • Factors Affecting the Ion-Dipole Strength
  • Importance of Ion-Dipole Interactions
  • Ion-Induced Dipole- Introduction, Strength and Occurrence
  • Factors Affecting the Strength of Ion-Induced Dipole Interactions
  • Ion-Induce Dipole Interactions in Polar Molecules
  • Vander Waals Forces -Introduction
  • Examples of Vander Waals' forces
  • Vander Waals Debye (Polar-Nonpolar) Interactions
  • Factors affecting the Strength of Debye Forces
  • Vander Waals Keesom Force- Introduction, Occurrence and Strength
  • Vander Waals London Forces- Introduction, Occurrence, And Importance
  • Factors Affecting the Strength of London Dispersion Forces- Atomic size and Shape
  • Introduction, Occurrence and Donor, Acceptors of Hydrogen Bond
  • Hydrogen bond Strength, Significance and Types
  • Factors Affecting Hydrogen Bond Strength
  • Impact of Hydrogen bonding on Physical Properties- Melting and boiling point, Solubility, and State
  • Calculation of the Number of Hydrogen Bonds and Hydrogen bond Detection

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Physical Properties

  • Physical Properties- Introduction, Role of Intermolecular Forces
  • Physical State Change-Melting Point
  • Role of Symmetry, Role of Carbon numbers, Role of Geometry
  • Physical State Change-Boiling Point
  • Intermolecular Forces and their Effect on the Boiling Point, Role of Molecular Weight (Size), Molecular Shape, Polarity
  • Boiling Point of Special Compounds- Amino acids, Carbohydrates, Fluoro compounds
  • Solubility in Water
  • Density

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Fundamentals of Organic Reactions

  • Types of Arrows Used in Chemistry
  • Curved Arrows in Organic Chemistry- with Examples
  • Electrophiles- Introduction, Identification and Reaction
  • Formation and Classification of Electrophiles- Neutral and Charged 
  • Difference between Electrophiles and Lewis Acids
  • Nucleophile- Identification and Role in a Reaction
  • Types of Nucleophiles- Lone Pair
  • Types of Nucleophiles- Pie Bond
  • Types of Nucleophiles- Sigma Bond
  • Periodic Trend and Order in Nucleophilicity
  • Introduction to Reactions Involving Nucleophiles
  • Nucleophile Reactions- Aliphatic Displacement type - SN1, SN2
  • Nucleophile Reactions- Acyl Displacement type
  • Nucleophile reactions- Aromatic Displacement type- Electrophilic, Nucleophilic
  • Addition Reactions- Electrophilic, Nucleophilic, and Acyl
  • Ambident Nucleophiles- Introduction and Formation 
  • Ambident Nucleophile - Nature of the Substrate
  • Ambident Nucleophile- Influence of the Positive Counter Ions
  • Ambident Nucleophile- Effect of Solvent 
  • Lone Pair - Introduction and Formation
  • Physical Properties Affected by the Lone Pair- Shape and Bond Angle
  • Physical Properties Affected by the Lone Pair- Hydrogen Bonding
  • Physical Properties Affected by the Lone Pair- Polarity and Dipole Moment
  • Chemical property affected by the Lone pair- Nucleophilicity
  • Leaving Group- Introduction and Nature
  • Good and Bad Leaving Group
  • Factors Determining Stability of the Leaving Groups- Electronegativity, Size, Resonance Stability
  • Using pKa as a Measure of Leaving Group Ability
  • Leaving Groups in Displacement Reactions
  • Leaving Groups in Elimination Reactions

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Reactive Intermediates

  • Carbocation- Introduction, Nature, and Types
  • Formation of Carbocation
  • Stability of Carbocations- Inductive, Resonance, and Hyperconjugation
  • Other Structural Features Increasing Carbocation Stability
  • Structural Feature Decreasing Carbocation Stability
  • Fate of the Carbocation
  • General Carbocation Formation Reactions
  • Carbanion- Introduction, Nature, and Types
  • Formation of Carbanions
  • Carbanion Stabilization
  • Ease of Formation of Carbanion -Acidic proton
  • Fate of the Carbanion
  • Free Radical- Introduction and Types of Carbon-Centred Radicals
  • Structure of Carbon-Centred Free Radical
  • Formation of Radicals
  • Stability of the Carbon-Centred Radicals
  • Other Structural Feature Increasing Free Radical Stability
  • Comparing Free Radical Stability using Dissociation energies (D-H) 
  • Fate of Free Radicals
  • Common Reactions Involving Carbon-Free Radicals

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