Class 12 education is very crucial in the career of students as it is one of the deciding factors for many future endeavours. For example, your 12 class percentage is considered when shortlisting students for some colleges. You must try to score your best. Chemistry is an important subject for students from the science stream. It is also a scoring subject. It is not difficult to score 90+ marks in chemistry. Right planning and consistency will definitely lead you to success. The syllabus might look exhaustive to some students. It is best to start your preparations as early as possible. 

Students preparing for competitive exams:

Many students prepare for NEET or IIT JEE exams during their class 12. They often leave board exams for the last minute and pay attention to competitive exams. These exams are undoubtedly challenging, but you must understand that board exams are equally important. Board exams are not tough and a little hard work can take you a long way. Just do not rely on the last moment, assign some time every day to prepare for board exams too. The questions in board exams are descriptive and in competitive exams, they are objective. Students usually fall out of the habit of writing explanatory answers. Some additional efforts are required to write proper answers. We will discuss this in the following parts.

CBSE class 12 chemistry syllabus can be divided into three major topics: Physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and organic chemistry. Let us look at each of them:

  • Physical chemistry: The chapters included under this topic are solid state, solutions, electrochemistry, chemical kinetics, and surface chemistry. The questions from this topic are mostly numerical-based. You must be good at mathematical skills. You can brush up on your skills before you start with physical chemistry. Solve every question from your NCERT book. If you have solved all the questions twice or thrice, you can refer to other reference books too. Sometimes, questions are directly asked from the NCERT chemistry book in board exams. Therefore, it is compulsory to solve all the questions. Another important tip is to always keep the units in mind while solving questions from physical chemistry. Confusion in units leads to wrong answers. There are some important formulas in physical chemistry. Revise those formulas regularly. Sometimes, formula-based questions are also asked. You can make flashcards and stick them in your studying area. 
  • Inorganic chemistry: The chapters in inorganic chemistry are general principles and processes of isolation of elements, the p-block elements, d, and f-block elements. NCERT book is sufficient to prepare inorganic chemistry as it is according to the CBSE syllabus. Understand the basic concepts before diving into the details. Practice as much as you can. Try a variety of problems. Solve sample papers from the CBSE website. Make sure to solve previous years’ question papers. Go through the periodic table every day. Spending a few minutes every day will register all the important concepts in your mind. Memorize exceptions by writing them 3-4 times. Prepare short notes with all the important points. 
  • Organic chemistry: the chapters in organic chemistry are haloalkanes and haloarenes; alcohols, phenols, and ethers; aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids; organic compounds containing nitrogen; biomolecules; and chemistry in everyday life. Build a foundation by reading each and every concept very carefully. Read the first few chapters with concentration. These chapters have basics and help to strengthen your basic concepts. Invest time and effort to grasp the concepts. Organic chemistry has a lot of concepts based on structures and compounds. Know the chemical properties of various compounds. Prepare a chart of reactions of chemical reactions of different compounds. Solve mock tests to improve your analytical skills. Do not memorize, learn and understand the basic concepts. You need to memorize some topics like functional groups, acronyms, nomenclature terms, reagents names, functional and groups. Practice IUPAC nomenclature questions. Conversion-based questions are mandatorily asked in exams. Organic chemistry has a weightage of around 28 marks in class 12 board exams. Prepare this topic sincerely.

Some general tips to ace your preparation for chemistry subject are discussed below:

  • Do not rush to complete your syllabus. Start your preparation beforehand. Get your doubts solved immediately. You can discuss it with your teachers and friends. You can also refer to some lecture videos and reference books. Do not worry about your score. Try to give your best and enjoy the learning process. 
  • Self-evaluation is very important. Identify your weaknesses and strengths. If you are honest with yourself, you can work on your weaknesses and improve your performance in exams. If you feel that you are not good at memorizing, dedicate every day to revise the formulas. Solve mock test papers and analyze your solutions. Try to match your answers with the solutions and identify your mistakes. You can refer to model sample papers from the CBSE website to get an understanding to write answers.
  • Plan short breaks. Do not overburden yourself with unrealistic goals. Be easy on yourself. If you feel stuck with any concept, do not try to find shortcuts. It is better to invest some time to understand a concept thoroughly. Always take short breaks in the middle of your preparation. This will help to freshen your mind and will keep you motivated. 
  • Take your laboratories seriously and perform all the experiments yourself. It gives you a practical understanding of chemical reactions. You will get to learn better when you learn from your mistakes. 
  • Daily practice is important, especially for physical chemistry. Do not take long gaps. You might forget some concepts. Maintain consistency and solve a few problems daily. 
  • Know the marking scheme and work on your time management skills. Be thorough with the chemical formulas. Always remember to write the chemical equations in balanced form. Revise the entire subject at least 2-3 times after complete preparation of the syllabus. 
  • Last but not the least, be confident. Do not compare yourself with others and use your full potential to give your best. Do not get influenced by other students’ strategies and preparations. Everyone has their unique ways to study and so do you.