UPMSP Intermediate Chemistry study plan
UPMSP Intermediate Chemistry · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Haloalkanes, Haloarenes, Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers & Aldehydes, Ketones, Carboxylic Acids and Amines
Classify and name haloalkanes, haloarenes, alcohols, phenols and ethers using IUPAC rules, drawing structures from names and names from structures
Write out the SN1, SN2, E1 and E2 mechanisms for haloalkanes, predicting the major product for at least ten given substrate/nucleophile/base combinations
Distinguish aldehydes from ketones and aliphatic from aromatic amines by writing the specific named tests and the observed result for each
Explain the acidity order of phenols versus alcohols versus carboxylic acids in terms of conjugate base stability and resonance
Your checkpoint
A handwritten reaction map of 30 named conversions across Domains 5 and 6, each with reagent, condition and one-line mechanism note, self-checked against the textbook
Aldehydes, Ketones, Carboxylic Acids and Amines & Haloalkanes, Haloarenes, Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers
Construct the full reaction sequences for the aldol condensation, Cannizzaro reaction, Clemmensen and Wolff-Kishner reductions, and Haloform reaction with conditions
Predict products of nucleophilic addition to carbonyls when a mixture of aldehyde and ketone is present, justifying the reactivity difference
Outline the Hoffmann bromamide degradation and Gabriel phthalimide synthesis and state why each gives a pure primary amine
Solve 25 mixed conversion and product-prediction problems under timed conditions
Your checkpoint
A timed 25-question self-test on Domains 5 and 6 scored out of 25, with every wrong answer rewritten as a corrected one-line rule
The d- and f-Block Elements and Coordination Compounds
Write the electronic configurations of first-row transition metals and their common ions, and use them to explain observed oxidation states and colour
Explain the magnetic moment and colour of complexes using crystal field splitting in octahedral and tetrahedral fields
Apply IUPAC nomenclature and isomer counting to coordination compounds including linkage, geometrical and optical isomerism
Compare the stability and reactivity of complexes using the chelate effect and the spectrochemical series
Your checkpoint
A one-page reference sheet listing ten complexes with name, geometry, hybridisation, magnetic behaviour and one supporting calculation each
Chemical Kinetics & Solutions
Derive and apply the integrated rate laws for zero-, first- and second-order reactions, calculating half-life and time to a given fraction remaining
Determine reaction order from given concentration-time data without being told the order
Explain how temperature, catalyst and concentration affect rate using collision theory and the Arrhenius equation
Calculate molarity, molality, mole fraction and mass percentage for solutions, and apply Raoult's law and Henry's law to given data
Compute colligative properties (relative lowering of vapour pressure, elevation of boiling point, depression of freezing point, osmotic pressure) from given constants
Your checkpoint
A worked numerical set of 20 problems split evenly between kinetics and solutions, each with units shown and a final answer boxed
Electrochemistry & Solid State and Surface Chemistry
Assign oxidation numbers and balance redox equations in acidic and basic media by the ion-electron method
Apply the Nernst equation to calculate cell potential and equilibrium constant for given half-cell data
Distinguish galvanic from electrolytic cells and predict the products of electrolysis for molten and aqueous electrolytes
Describe the packing of solids (simple cubic, bcc, fcc) and calculate packing efficiency and unit-cell dimensions from given data
Distinguish physisorption from chemisorption and state the Freundlich and Langmuir relationships qualitatively
Your checkpoint
A numerical sheet of 12 problems covering Nernst calculations, conductivity and unit-cell density, with a short note on which formula was chosen and why
p-Block Elements and Hydrogen & General Principles of Metallurgy and s-Block Elements
Compare the group 15, 16, 17 and 18 elements for trends in atomic radius, ionisation enthalpy, oxidation state and anomalous behaviour of the first member
Write the preparation and key reactions of ammonia, nitric acid, sulphuric acid, chlorine and hydrogen peroxide with conditions
Describe the industrial extraction of aluminium and iron, naming the ore, the concentrating step, the reducing agent and the furnace
Explain the diagonal relationship of lithium with magnesium and beryllium with aluminium using at least two properties each
State the biological and industrial importance of the s-block compounds sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate and calcium oxide
Your checkpoint
Two comparison tables: one for p-block group trends and one flowchart-style table for the metallurgy of aluminium and iron, each with at least eight rows
Biomolecules and Polymers & Basic Principles of Organic Chemistry and Hydrocarbons
Classify carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids by structure, and explain the difference between reducing and non-reducing sugars with a test for each
Distinguish addition and condensation polymers and classify five common polymers as thermoplastic or thermosetting with a use for each
Apply hybridisation, inductive, electromeric, resonance and hyperconjugation effects to rank the stability of given carbocations and the acidity of given compounds
Predict the major product of electrophilic addition to alkenes and of substitution on benzene rings bearing given substituents
Your checkpoint
A single annotated revision sheet of 20 short-answer items spanning biomolecules, polymers and organic principles, with model answers written in the candidate's own words
Practical Chemistry and Laboratory Skills & Solutions & Electrochemistry & Chemical Kinetics & The d- and f-Block Elements and Coordination Compounds & Haloalkanes, Haloarenes, Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers & Aldehydes, Ketones, Carboxylic Acids and Amines & Biomolecules and Polymers & Solid State and Surface Chemistry & p-Block Elements and Hydrogen & General Principles of Metallurgy and s-Block Elements & Basic Principles of Organic Chemistry and Hydrocarbons
Identify the cation and anion in an unknown salt using the standard systematic qualitative analysis scheme, listing the group reagent and the confirming test
State the correct procedure, indicator and calculation for an acid-base titration and a redox titration, and name the apparatus used
Explain the safe handling of concentrated acids, bromine water and organic solvents, and describe first aid for acid on skin
Complete three full-length timed mock papers and record the score per domain to locate remaining weak areas
Your checkpoint
A scored mock-exam log for three papers showing domain-wise accuracy, plus a final one-page list of the ten weakest sub-topics with the specific action to fix each before the exam
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 18/25 on the timed Domains 5 and 6 self-test, and correctly write the mechanism for SN1, SN2, aldol and Cannizzaro reactions from memory without notes
Week 4: Solve 16 of 20 kinetics and solutions numericals correctly with correct units, and correctly name and describe the bonding in eight of ten coordination complexes
Week 6: Correctly answer at least 80 percent of practice questions on p-block trends, metallurgy steps and s-block properties, and reproduce the aluminium and iron extraction flowcharts from blank paper
Week 8: Average at least 65 percent across three full-length mocks with no single domain below 50 percent accuracy, and have a written action for each of the ten weakest sub-topics