IIT JAM CY study plan

Build a one-page formula sheet covering the first law, enthalpy and Hess's law, entropy, Gibbs free energy, Maxwell relations and the Clausius–Clapeyron equation, writing each relation from memory before checking it against a textbook.

Solve 40 numericals on thermochemistry, spontaneity and phase equilibria, recording the full setup and unit conversion for each so that every wrong answer can be traced to a specific step.

Derive the Nernst equation and apply it to calculate EMF of galvanic cells, concentration cells and cells with gas electrodes, then convert E° values into ΔG° and equilibrium constants.

Work 20 problems on ionic and chemical equilibria (pH of weak acids and buffers, solubility product, common-ion effect, hydrolysis of salts) and tabulate the recurring mistakes.

Apply the particle-in-a-box and hydrogen-atom models to compute energy levels, transition wavelengths, radial and angular node counts, and to justify selection rules for given quantum numbers.

Solve 25 problems on rotational and vibrational spectroscopy, extracting bond length from the rotational constant B and force constant from the wavenumber, and predicting how isotopic substitution shifts each.

Derive integrated rate laws for zero-, first- and second-order reactions and use them to compute half-lives, Arrhenius activation parameters and steady-state concentrations for simple mechanisms.

Explain the photoelectric effect, de Broglie wavelength, Heisenberg uncertainty and their order-of-magnitude consequences in 3 short worked examples, then re-derive each result without notes.

Draw molecular orbital diagrams for N2, O2, NO, CO and HF, and rank the species by bond order, bond length and magnetic behaviour with a one-line justification for each ranking.

Apply VSEPR and hybridization arguments to predict and sketch the geometry of 30 given species, explicitly flagging the cases where VSEPR fails or gives an ambiguous answer.

Work 25 crystal field theory problems covering CFSE, high-spin versus low-spin choice, magnetic moments, colour and the position of ligands in the spectrochemical series.

Summarise periodic trends (ionization energy, electron affinity, electronegativity, atomic and ionic radii, lanthanide contraction) in a table that states the cause of each named anomaly, such as the Ga/In and Tl/Pb irregularities.

Tabulate the s- and p-block elements by preparation route, characteristic properties and key compounds, including boranes and carboranes, interhalogens, oxoacids of P, S and Cl, and the silicones and silicates.

Apply Wade's rules to closo, nido and arachno boranes and predict the structure of at least 8 examples, stating the electron count used.

Apply the 18-electron rule to predict the structure and metal–metal bonding of mononuclear and dinuclear carbonyls, nitrosyls and sandwich complexes, flagging the known exceptions.

Classify the main classes of organometallic reaction (insertion, oxidative addition, reductive elimination, migratory insertion) and identify the industrial or biological example of each, including chlorophyll and haemoglobin roles.

Assign R/S, E/Z and cis/trans descriptors to 30 structures and decide optical activity, including meso compounds, compounds with a pseudoasymmetric centre and cases where R/S flips on desymmetrisation.

Predict the stereochemical outcome and relative rates of SN1, SN2, E1, E2 and E1cb reactions for given substrate, nucleophile, base and solvent combinations, and justify each prediction with competing-factor reasoning.

Apply Hückel's rule to decide aromatic, antiaromatic or nonaromatic for neutral, charged and heterocyclic species, and predict the directing effect and reactivity order in electrophilic aromatic substitution.

Draw full arrow-pushing mechanisms for 25 named transformations across oxidation, reduction, substitution and protection/deprotection steps.

Predict the products of nucleophilic addition and condensation chemistry at carbonyl groups, including crossed aldol, Claisen, Reformatsky, Mannich and Wittig cases, and rank the reactivity of acid derivatives.

Select the correct reagent for a stated functional-group interconversion across 30 pairs, and defend each choice against at least one plausible alternative reagent.

Apply frontier orbital reasoning to classify and predict the regiochemistry and stereochemistry of Diels–Alder, sigmatropic rearrangement and electrocyclic reactions.

Determine the structure of unknown compounds from combined IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and MS data, using integration, multiplicity and fragmentation as explicit evidence.

Propagate errors through multi-step calculations and apply the t-test, F-test and Q-test to small data sets, deciding significance and reporting answers to the correct number of significant figures.

Solve 25 volumetric and gravimetric calculation problems covering primary standards, back-titration, complexometric and redox titrations, and the weighing form of a precipitate.

Explain the principles of TLC, GC and HPLC and use retention time, retention factor, plate count and resolution to interpret a chromatogram, and apply Beer–Lambert law, UV–Vis, AAS and flame photometry to analytical results.

Distinguish the working principles of potentiometry, conductometry, polarography and amperometry, and choose the right electroanalytical method for a stated sample problem with a stated reason.

Sit two full-length mock papers of 3 hours each under exam conditions, applying a fixed time allocation across the four equal-weight sections and skipping any item that overruns its budget.

Rework every item in the accumulated error logs from weeks 1 through 7, marking the ones that fail a second time for a final targeted pass.

Drill rapid recall of named reagents, named reactions, periodic anomalies and standard analytical formulae, using self-made flash cards until automatic.

Compress all four formula and fact sheets into a single one-page revision sheet that can be reconstructed from memory within 20 minutes.