AOA
All the forum members aspirants

I appeared twice with Chemistry in CE-12 and CE-13.
The lesson learned by me in the process is shared below:-

I opted chemistry because:-

I am M.Sc Chemistry and very good at it.

I thought it would save my time in preparation.

Chemistry is a science and science subjects ensure full marks for the correct answers.

Being M.Sc, it will very little effort and time to prepare.

It would give me an edge and a jumping point to CSS.

Preparing any other subject would be hectic.

I am a science student and opting humanities and arts subjects sucks and too difficult to grasp them, so better to stick with chemistry ; which would serve for 200 marks in CSS. So the slog is ON.


What happens in preparing Chemistry for CSS?

Atomic Structure
(too hectic to prepare for most MSc Chemistry people except those of Physical).
There is still only a chance that a question might come from it or not. You can see the paper. (After 2010, it could find place in Paper in 2013 only).

Thermo and Electro (They must be prepared well. Thermo ensures you marks in Paper-I).

Industrial Chemistry and Metallurgy (The examiner can include it in paper at his will. Last year full question from Metallurgy and this year nothing). But you have to prepare it.

Transition Elements . It is the foremost part of Paper-I. You have to do it very well. To have a grasp at CFT and MOT etc, you will have to prepare MOT, VBT, Hybridization which will prepare the First Chapter or part of Paper-II (Bonding ). So never skip it.

Paper-II

Bonding
As I mentioned above, prepare Bonding before going to prepare Transition Elements in Paper-I. Its a must part.

Chemical Kinetics
Surface Chemistry and Catalysis

These are tricky portions. Questions from these portions are not easy to attempt.

Physical Organic Chemistry
Organic Halogen Compounds
Chemistry of Carbonyl Compounds
Aromatic Chemistry
Organic Nitrogen Compounds


This is the main portion of Paper-II; which you are studying from College times and most students are well aware of it and this portion makes 3 questions easily. And there would be no one opting chemistry who does not prepare bonding so under the ideal situation Paper-II should be attempted with bonding + Physical Organic Chemistry + Organic Halogen Compounds + Chemistry of Carbonyl Compounds + Aromatic Chemistry.

So to conclude:-
Paper - I should be attempted with

Thermodynamics - 1 Q
Chemistry of Transition Elements - 1 Q
Electrochemistry - 1 Q
Metallurgy +/ Industry - 1 Q or 1.5 Q
Atomic Structure -1 Q (if the examiner touches it)

and for Paper - II

Bonding - 1 Q

and 3-Questions from

Physical Organic Chemistry
Organic Halogen Compounds
Chemistry of Carbonyl Compounds
Aromatic Chemistry
Organic Nitrogen Compounds

But what is happening

Actually, the FPSC has bigger plans than the aspirants. They have started mixing the things and hence have shattered the dreams of the people who are opting chemistry.

They are not letting you get away with it so easily.
This year (2013) what happened is as under :-

Paper - II


Nomenclature 25 Marks 31% of the paper
General Chemistry 6 Marks (Reaction Types)

Portion wise

Theory of Chemical Bonding 10 Marks (It had a major role earlier)

Kinetics 10 Marks

Carbonyls 14 Marks (Conversions from Alkynes, FC etc)

Natural Products 20

Industrial Org Chem 20

Unexpectedly, Colloids have been asked in Paper-II. Luminescence, Colloids have been asked which is a bit over-stepping from course as the course is already too lengthy.

No question form Organic Halogens, Aromatics,Nitrogen Compounds. Also Main portions of big chapters of course which eat alots of time of the students to prepare have been altogether missed or given very few percentage.


The paper setter made it look like M/Phil Paper. Even M.Phil Organic Chemistry Student cannot prepare so much for one paper.



Similarly in Paper - I

They mixed Questions such that you cannot leave anything on choice.

Atomic Structure (Schrodinger wave equation) mixed with Acid rain and Global Warming on Plants,

Electro Chemistry with De-Broglie (if u have done electro and left atomic; then you would scratch head)

Similarly

Transition Elements; which is itself too lengthy and conceptual, did not suffice for the examiner to be included in paper as a full 20 marks question and he mixed Werner Theory (8 marks) with Chlorine (8 marks) and 4 marks about ozone layer.
However, in another question, he gives 14 marks to transition elements but adds a 6 marks portion of Cement.

Also, he gave Thermo in parts and mixed it badly with other things; you can see the paper.


So to conclude he just played a game of mixing up the things and made a pudding of whole syllabus. Somewhere he overstepped the course.


So Chemistry Course is itself too lengthy but to the surprise of aspirants, FPSC is still not happy and making it more and more unattractive for us. Paper seems to milk away the marks from us. Its more like game and less like a fair paper.

Important point

We should keep in mind that such a lengthy course of chemistry can never be attempted in a day in two papers. In universities, semester system allows us enough time to prepare for 5 papers at the end of semester. Nowhere such a lengthy course is to be passed in a one go. So this is the main point.


Inorganic Chemists will find Paper-I easy and Organic Chemists would find the other and those of physical would gave their own edges in the syllabus. But we have to realize that we have never prepared so long and vast syllabus at once.

Also, the trends of FPSC are very discouraging for us. The paper is set such that it milks away 20 to 25 marks from us. That is where the Chemistry aspirants lag behind. The advantage of high scoring being a science subject fires back and kills.

The paper is either too General or too difficult.

You can see the past papers, sometimes the papers are too general and students do not prepare such topics for example Paper-II of CE-2013 (Emulsions, Colloids, Gels etc). And somewhere it is overwhelmingly difficult like Paper-II of CE-2013 again ; Oxidize secondary alcohol to Aldehyde etc. I mean, somewhere examiner goes beyond the level of MSc or even MPhil and ask such conceptual things which they themselves had not taught to their students in their life times.

Chemistry is a very vast subject. Examiner has very broad margin to test us and unfortunately students have to prepare 1000 marks of other subjects in addition to chemistry as well.

In the End i want to tell you:-

Chemistry is scoring and high scoring; if by luck, the paper is according to your preparation. Chemistry can ruin you, if you receive the unexpected paper. So luck has a big part in it. In this context, chemistry can make you but it can break you as well. Risk factor is high, keep it in mind. Also preparing chemistry is very hectic job too.

I love Chemistry, I love this subject and i wished to slaughter the papers in CSS but the things did not happen so.

Chemistry Stuff

I have discussed in detail about the books to study for CSS.

You can download books from my post

http://www.cssforum.com.pk/css-optio...load-free.html





You can always ask me for any help regarding Chemistry Preparation on Forum and also my e-mail ID from my profile.


Best luck for your Chemistry, Regards