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CUET Chemistry Syllabus 2025: Important topics [Unit-Wise]

Author : Paakhi Jain

October 22, 2024

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Overview: Chemistry is one of the most popular domain subjects in CUET 2025. Knowing the CUET Chemistry Syllabus 2025 for all the chapters, topics, and sub-topics is essential to score 200/200 if you take the Chemistry test. The syllabus includes 16 units from the Class 12 syllabus.

Chemistry is mandatory for admission to over 50 Science and Engineering UG courses offered by 260+ universities. Understanding the CUET Chemistry syllabus is important because:

  • In 2024, over 5,61,719 students appeared for the test paper, which will likely increase in 2025. 
  • There will be one Chemistry question paper with 50 questions, out of which 40 must be attempted.

Overview: CUET Chemistry Syllabus 2025 

For the CUET exam, half of the board exam syllabus, or the chapters and subjects covered in Class 12, are included in the syllabus for CUET Chemistry question paper. 

  • The Class 11 syllabus is not included in the CUET syllabus, unlike NEET and JEE Mains.
  • Although the exam's difficulty level is lower than these tests, it requires thorough preparation due to intense competition. 
  • You must review past years' question papers to gain further insights into the exam's topics, patterns, question types, and high-weightage topics.

CUET Eligibility for Science Courses 2025

  • Most colleges require you to have studied Chemistry in classes 11 and class 12. Visit the official websites of the respective college you desire to study. 
  • To be eligible to apply for the UG courses, you must also have a minimum valid score in chemistry in Class 12th. 
  • Relaxation applies to SC/ST/OBC/PWD/EWS category students.

Once you satisfy the eligibility requirement, complete the CUET application form 2025. 

cuet exam results

cuet exam results

CUET Chemistry Syllabus 2025 PDF Link

The chemistry syllabus for CUET 2025 is yet to be released. However, based on the previous year's trends and syllabus, the CUET chemistry syllabus 2025 will not change much overall; however, we can expect a few minor tweaks. 

Download complete CUET 2025 Chemistry Syllabus PDF 

CUET Chemistry Syllabus 2025 (Unit-wise)

  • The CUET syllabus for Chemistry includes 16 units to be covered.
  • There will be one Question Paper with 50 questions, out of which 40 must be attempted.
  • You must go through the CUET exam analysis for Chemistry for 2024 to know how the paper may look in 2025, what type of questions were asked, and the difficulty level. 

Here's the detailed distribution: 

Unit 1: Solid State

  • Classification of solids based on different binding forces: molecular, ionic, covalent, and metallic solids, amorphous and crystalline solids (basic concept)
  • Unit cells in two-dimensional and three-dimensional lattices
  • Calculation of density of unit cell
  • Packing in solids, packing efficiency, voids, number of atoms per unit cell in a cubic unit cell, point defects, electrical and magnetic properties
  • The band theory of metals, semiconductors, insulators, and n-type and p-type semiconductors.

Unit 2: Answers

  • Solid solutions, colligative properties – the relative reduction of vapour pressure
  • Raoult's law, elevation of B.P
  • Depression of freezing point, osmotic pressure
  • determination of molecular masses utilizing colligative qualities
  • Aberrant molecular mass, the Vant Hoff factor

While preparing, focus more on Physical and Organic Chemistry. Check the CUET cut-off trends for past years to set achievable targets for yourself. 

Unit 3: Electrochemistry

  • Redox reactions; conductance in electrolytic solutions
  • Specific and molar conductivity, conductivity variations with concentration
  • Kohlrausch's Law, electrolysis and laws of electrolysis (basic concept)
  • Dry cell – electrolytic cells and Galvanic cells; lead accumulator; EMF of a cell; standard electrode potential; Nernst equation and its application to chemical cells
  • Relationship between Gibbs energy change and a cell's electromotive force (EMF); corrosion

Unit 4: Chemical Kinetics

  • Rate of a reaction (average and instantaneous), elements affecting rates of reaction: concentration, temperature, catalyst
  • Order and molecularity of a reaction; rate law and particular rate constant
  • Integrated rate equations and half-life (only for zero- and first-order processes)
  • Collision theory (elementary idea, no mathematical treatment)
  • Activation energy, Arrhenius Equation

Once the CUET Chemistry syllabus pdf download is complete, don't get overwhelmed with more units. Review the syllabus carefully and divide your CUET preparation schedule to cover each unit. 

Unit 5: Surface Chemistry

  • Adsorption - physisorption and chemisorption; variables influencing the adsorption of gases on solids homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis,
  • Activity and selectivity: enzyme catalysis;
  • Colloidal state: the distinction between genuine solutions, colloids, and suspensions; lyophilic, lyophobic, multimolecular, and macromolecular colloids; colloidal properties
  • The Tyndall effect, Brownian movement, electrophoresis, and coagulation
  • Emulsions – emulsion varieties

Unit 6: General Isolation Principles and Procedures for Elements

  • Extraction principles and techniques include concentration
  • Oxidation, electrolytic reduction method, and refining
  • The occurrence and extraction principles of aluminium, copper, zinc, and iron

The CUET Chemistry syllabus is vast. In 2024, around 6 questions were included from these two units, making it one of the most important topics to focus on during preparation. Go through the CUET previous year question papers to get hold of this topic and improve speed and accuracy.

Unit 7: P-Block Elements

  • Group 15 elements: General introduction, electronic configuration, occurrence, oxidation states, trends in physical and chemical properties; nitrogen – preparation, properties, and uses; compounds of nitrogen
  • Preparation and properties of ammonia and nitric acid, oxides of nitrogen (structure only); Phosphorous-allotropic forms; compounds of phosphorus: preparation and properties of phosphine, halides (PCl3, PCl5) and oxoacids; carbon – general introduction, electronic configuration, occurrence (elementary idea only)
  • Group 16 elements: General introduction, electronic configuration, oxidation states, occurrence, and trends in physical and chemical properties; dioxygen: manufacture, properties, and applications; oxide classification; ozone. Sulfur – allotropic forms; compounds of sulfur
  • Preparation, properties, and applications of sulfur dioxide; sulphuric acid: industrial process of production, properties, and applications; oxoacids of sulfur (structures only)
  • Compounds of halogens: production, characteristics, and uses of chlorine and hydrochloric acid, interhalogen compounds, oxoacids of halogens (structures only)
  • Group 18 elements: Introduction, electronic configuration, occurrence, physical and chemical property trends, and applications

Unit 8: d and f Block Elements

  • General introduction, electronic configuration, occurrence and properties of transition metals
  • General trends in first-row transition metals - metallic character, ionization enthalpy, oxidation states, ionic radii, colour, catalytic property, magnetic property, interstitial compounds, alloy formation.
  • The synthesis and physical characteristics of K2Cr2O7 and KMnO4
  • Lanthanoids — electronic structure, oxidation states, chemical reactivity, and lanthanoid contraction and its effects
  • Actinoids –Electronic configuration, oxidation states, and comparison with lanthanoids for actinoids

Unit 9: Coordination Compounds

  • Importance of coordination compounds: Introduction, ligands, coordination number, color, magnetic characteristics and forms
  • IUPAC nomenclature of mononuclear coordination compounds, bonding
  • Werner's theory VBT, CFT; isomerism (structural and stereo) (in qualitative analysis, extraction of metals and biological systems)

Unit 10: Haloalkanes and Haloarenes

  • Haloalkanes: Nomenclature, nature of the C-X bond, physical and chemical properties, substitution reaction process. The optical rotation of light.
  • Haloarenes: C-X bond nature and substitution reactions (directive influence of halogen for monosubstituted compounds only).
  • Uses and environmental consequences of dichloromethane, trichloromethane, tetrachloromethane, iodoform, freons, and DDT.

The CUET Chemistry Syllabus and question paper will test you heavily on application, concept, and case study-based questions. Review each aspect of the syllabus to clear the cut-off for maximum CUET universities for UG courses. 

Unit 11: Alcohols, Phenols, and Ethers

  • Alcohols: Nomenclature, methods of synthesis, physical and chemical properties (of primary alcohols only);
  • Identification of primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols; dehydration mechanism, applications, with particular reference to methanol and ethanol
  • Phenols: Nomenclature, preparation methods, physical and chemical properties, the acidity of phenol, electrophilic substitution processes, and applications
  • Ethers: Nomenclature, preparation methods, physical and chemical properties, and application

Unit 12: Aldehydes, Ketones, and Carboxylic Acids

  • Aldehydes and Ketones: Nomenclature, nature of carbonyl group, techniques of manufacture, physical and chemical properties,
  • The process of nucleophilic addition, alpha hydrogen's reactivity in aldehydes; applications
  • Carboxylic Acids: Nomenclature, acidity, synthesis methods, physical and chemical properties, and applications

Unit 13: Organic Compounds Containing Nitrogen 

  • Amines: Nomenclature, categorization, structure, preparation methods, physical and chemical properties, applications, and identification of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines.
  • Cyanides and isocyanides – will be mentioned in context-appropriate areas.
  • Diazonium salts: Preparation, chemical interactions, and significance of diazonium salts in synthetic organic chemistry.

Unit 14: Biomolecules

  • Carbohydrates – Classification (aldoses and ketoses), monosaccharide (glucose and fructose), D-L configuration, oligosaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose), polysaccharides (starch, cellulose, glycogen) and significance
  • Proteins - Basic concept of a-amino acids, peptide bonds, polypeptides, proteins, primary structure, secondary structure, tertiary structure, quaternary structure (qualitative concept only), denaturation of proteins, and enzymes.
  • Hormones –Basic understanding (excluding structure)
  • Vitamins – Classification and functions of vitamins
  • Nucleic Acids: DNA and RNA are Nucleic Acids

The last 2 units of the CUET Chemistry Syllabus are short, yet two of the important units. To be eligible for maximum universities, solve as many CUET Chemistry sample papers as possible to improve your accuracy and speed.

Unit 15: Polymers

  • Classification of Polymers – Natural and Synthetic, Polymerization Methods (Addition and Condensation)
  • Copolymerization. Natural and manmade polymers, including polythene, nylon, polyesters, bakelite, and rubber
  • Biodegradable and non-biodegradable polymers

Unit 16: The Chemistry of Everyday Life

  1. Chemicals in pharmaceuticals - analgesics, tranquillizers, antiseptics, disinfectants, antimicrobials, antifertility drugs, antibiotics, antacids, and antihistamines.
  2. Chemicals in food - preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and an introduction to antioxidants
  3. Cleansing agents, including soaps and detergents, and cleansing action

How to prepare CUET Chemistry Syllabus 2025

  • Read your NCERT books and prepare good notes for revision. 
  • Take regular quizzes and solve practice questions in your CUET preparation books for Chemistry regularly.
  • Prioritize Physical Chemistry and cover topics such as Chemical Kinetics, Surface Chemistry, Solutions, and Electrochemistry. 
  • For Organic Chemistry, focus on chapters such as Haloalkanes and Haloarenes, Biomolecules, Aldehydes, Ketones, Carboxylic Acids, Alcohols, Phenols, Ethers, Polymers, and Chemistry in Everyday Life. 
  • Inorganic chemistry is a challenging topic because it requires memorizing. Study using a mind map and making notes.
  • Focus on P-block elements, Coordination Compounds, General Principles and Processes of Isolation of Elements, and d- and f-block Elements. For this, you can use flashcards, write the formulae on paper, and paste them at your study table so you can take a glance often.
  • Solve 10-15 mocks monthly to check your performance and improvement over the months.

Prepare with: CUET Mock Test 2025

Best Preparation Books for CUET Chemistry Syllabus 2025

For preparing the important CUET Chemistry chapter-wise weightage topics, here are the top books suggested by toppers and experts:

Books  Author
A Textbook of Physical Chemistry Dr RK Gupta
A Textbook of Organic Chemistry Dr OP Tandon
A Textbook of Inorganic Chemistry Dr OP Tandon
Concise Inorganic Chemistry J D Lee
Organic Chemistry Morrison and Boyd 
Chemistry Textbooks for Class 12 NCERT

Key Takeaways

  • Understand the exam pattern- Firstly, know the question paper structure to decide on the preparation strategy.
  • Focus on Fundamentals- Complete all the fundamentals of 16 CUET Chemistry Syllabus 2025 units from your NCERT books. 
  • Choose the right books- Select the latest and updated books with 30-40 chapter-wise practice questions.
  • Practice from mock tests and previous year's question papers- Take weekly and monthly tests to analyze your score and improve your weaknesses.
  • Analyze your Performance- Only taking tests is not enough. Get your mocks analysed by teachers or experts to improve accuracy and your score.
  • Join Marathon Classes- You can join SuperGrads CUET online coaching 2025 for marathon sessions for your performance evaluation and expert guidance. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it vital to study the NCERTs for Class 12 for the CUET Chemistry Syllabus?

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Are there any colleges that provide Chemistry classes that may be used toward the CUET score?

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What kind of preparation should we do for the CUET Chemistry Syllabus?

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Where can I obtain the full CUET Chemistry Syllabus PDF?

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What is the total number of chapters included in the CUET Chemistry Syllabus?

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Can I refer to the previous years' question papers to understand the pattern of the Chemistry section in CUET?

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Can I expect questions beyond the prescribed syllabus in the Chemistry section of CUET 2025?

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How can I effectively prepare for the Chemistry section of CUET 2025?

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