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Writer's pictureharshita gupta

How to Prepare for Chemistry Optional of UPSC IAS Exam?




Chemistry is one of the optional subjects offered by the UPSC for the government officials Mains Exam. this text throws light on the advantages of this optional subject, the success rate during this optional subject covers a decade, and therefore the important reference books while preparing for Chemistry optional subject.


Chemistry Optional – Advantages

It is a core science subject and typically opted for by those with a science background at their graduation level. Being a science subject, the topics are very precise with little or no scope for subjectivity by the examiner. So, you'll make certain of how you fared within the exam, unlike the humanities subjects. Certain topics during this subject are associated with current affairs topics like environment, global climate change, etc.


  • The first thing to recollect is to know the UPSC syllabus for chemistry

  • There are two papers for the optionals. Each paper is of 250 marks making it a complete of 500 marks.

  • The major branches in paper-I are chemistry and chemistry.

  • The topics of atomic structure and chemical bonding are straightforward and will be studied from the essential books.

  • You can expect numerical problems within the sections of solid-state chemistry and gaseous state.

  • Other topics where you would like to practice numerical problems are thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry.

  • It is recommended that you simply study the section coordination chemistry as lengthy questions are often expected from it.

  • Paper-II mainly covers chemistry. it's scoring due to more numerical, factual questions, and objective questions.

  • Take care to incorporate diagrams in your answers wherever necessary.


Chemistry Optional for government officials Mains Exam – Recommended Books

Multiple reference books are provided below for Physical, Organic, and chemistry.


Physical Chemistry


  • Principles of chemistry – Puri, Sharma & Pathway (for the gaseous state, phase rule, solutions, thermodynamics, colligative properties, electrochemistry, catalysis, and colloids)

  • Advanced chemistry – Gurdeep Raj (for chemical kinetics)

  • A Text-Book of Chemistry (Volume IV) – K.L. Kapoor (for photochemistry)


Inorganic Chemistry


  • Principles of chemistry – Puri, Sharma & Pathwa (for atomic structure)

  • Advanced chemistry – J.D. Lee

  • Chemical Periodicity, Chemical bonding, Coordination compound- Maden, Malik, and Tuli

  • Theoretical Principles of chemistry – G.S. Manku

  • Principles of chemistry – Puri, Sharma, Jauhar (for extraction of metals)


Organic Chemistry


  • Bonding and shape of organic molecules, Stereochemistry of carbon compound – Reactions and reagents – O.P. Agarwal

  • A Guide to Mechanism in chemistry – Peter Sykes

  • A Text-Book of chemistry – Bahl & Bahl

For those who are preparing for IAS Exam, I hope this article is very useful and you can also enroll in IAS Online Course which provides better preparation.

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