Career As Geochemist- Pattern ,Syllabus, Strategies & Tricks

GEOCHEMIST _EXAMINATION (NEW PATTERN) 

EXAMINATION  BODY ;   UPSC 

ELIGIBILITY :_ MSc.Chemistry 

UPSC -Conducts annually Geo-chemist Examination , for which number of applicants fill from & probability of final selection is very rare. For this prestigious exam , students work hard & are determinant for sure selection, Keeping this in mind , you need to known  very first -that what is required & how to face such a national examination. This blog is an eye opener, just scroll more down to get whole information.  Here , we are giving information about Geo-Chemists only:-

Stages of Examination

Stage:-1     Preliminary Test (Objective Type )	400 Marks
Stage:-2     Mains (Descriptive Type )	600 Marks
Stage :-3    Personality Test (Viva **)	200 Marks

STAGE :1 OBJECTIVE TEST(PRELIMINARY TEST) 

STAGE 1: - PRELIMINARY TEST	MARKS	DURATION
1. GENERAL STUDIES-I	100  MARKS	2 hours
2. CHEMISTRY -II	300 MARKS	2 hours

SYLLABUS FOR STAGE -1 

GENERAL STUDIES :- It covers 7 aspects

Paper-I : General Studies (Common for all streams)

• Current events of national and international importance.
• History of India and Indian National Movement.
• Indian and World Geography -Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
• Indian Polity and Governance -Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
• Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
• General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization
• General Science
  

CHEMISTRY :- It covers 11 chapters 

Detailed syllabus of chemistry -For Stage -1 ( 300 Marks) 

1. Chemical periodicity:

Schrödinger equation for the H-atom. Radial distribution curves for 1s,2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 3d orbitals. Electronic configurations of multi-electron atoms. Periodic table, group trends and periodic trends in physical properties.
Classification of elements on the basis of electronic configuration. Modern IUPAC Periodic table. General characteristics of s, p, d and f block elements.Effective nuclear charges, screening effects, atomic radii, ionic radii, covalent radii. Ionization enthalpy, electron gain enthalpy and electronegativity. Group trends and periodic trends in these properties in respect of s-, p- and d-block elements. General trends of variation of electronic configuration, elemental forms, metallic nature, magnetic properties, catenation and catalytic properties, oxidation states, aqueous and redox chemistry in common oxidation states, properties and reactions of important compounds such as hydrides, halides, oxides, oxy-acids, complex chemistry in respect of s-block and p-block elements.

BOOKS:-J.D.LEE, 11th NCERT Chemistry  

2. Chemical bonding and structure:

Ionic bonding: Size effects, radius ratio rules and their limitations. Packing of ions in crystals, lattice energy, Born-Landé equation and its applications, Born-Haber cycle and its applications. Solvation energy, polarizing power and polarizability, ionic potential, Fajan's rules. Defects in solids. Covalent bonding: Valence Bond Theory, Molecular Orbital Theory, hybridization. Concept of resonance, resonance energy, resonance structures. Coordinate bonding: Werner theory of coordination compounds, double salts and complex salts. Ambidentate and polydentate ligands, chelate complexes. IUPAC nomenclature of coordination compounds. Coordination numbers,
Geometrical isomerism. Stereoisomerism in square planar and octahedral complexes.

BOOKS:- J.D.LEE & 11Th Pardeep's Chemistry 

3. Acids and bases:

Chemical and ionic equilibrium. Strengths of acids and bases. Ionization of weak acids and bases in aqueous solutions, application of Ostwald's dilution law, ionization constants, ionic product of water, pH-scale, effect of temperature on pH, buffer solutions and their pH values, buffer action & buffer capacity; different types of buffers and Henderson's equation.

BOOKS :- J.D.LEE & 11th Pardeep Chemistry & 11th NCERT Chemistry 

4. Theoretical basis of quantitative inorganic analysis:

Volumetric Analysis: Equivalent weights, different types of solutions, normal and molar solutions. Primary and secondary standard substances. General principles of different types of titrations: i) acid-base, ii) redox, iii)
complexometric, iv) Precipitation. Types of indicators - i) acid-base, ii) redox iii) metal-ion indicators. 

BOOK :- Analytical Chemistry -S.Chand 

5. Kinetic theory and the gaseous state:

Kinetic theory of gases, average kinetic energy of translation, Boltzmann constant and absolute scale of temperature. Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of speeds. Calculations of average, root mean square and most probable velocities. Collision diameter; collision number and mean free path; frequency of binary
collisions; wall collision and rate of effusion.

BOOK:- 11th NCERT chemistry , 11th GRB Chemistry -Volume -1 

6. Chemical thermodynamics and chemical equilibrium:

First law and its applications to chemical problems. Thermodynamic functions. Total differentials and state functions. Free expansion, JouleThomson coefficient and inversion temperature. Hess’ law. Applications of Second law of thermodynamics. Gibbs function (G) and Helmholtz function (A), Gibbs-Helmholtz equation, criteria for thermodynamic equilibrium and spontaneity of chemical processes.

BOOK;-  GRB PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY 

7. Solutions of non-electrolytes:

Colligative properties of solutions, Raoult's Law, relative lowering of vapour pressure, osmosis and osmotic pressure; elevation of boiling point and depression of freezing point of solvents. Solubility of gases in liquids and solid
solutions. 

BOOK :- PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY BY ATUL SINGHAL ( PEARSON PUBLICATION ) 

8. Electrochemistry:

Cell constant, specific conductance and molar conductance. Kohlrausch's law of independent migration of ions, ion conductance and ionic mobility. Equivalent and molar conductance at infinite dilution. Debye-Hückel theory.
Application of conductance measurements. Conductometric titrations. Determination of transport number by moving boundary method.

BOOK :-Physical chemistry Puri ,sharma & pathania 

9. Basic organic chemistry:

Delocalized chemical bond, resonance, conjugation, hyperconjugation, hybridisation, orbital pictures of bonding sp3, sp2, sp: C-C, C-N and C-O system), bond polarization and bond polarizability. Reactive intermediates:
General methods of formation, relative stability and reactivity of carbocations, carbanions and free radicals.

BOOK :- SN SANYAL 

10. Stereochemistry:

Configuration and chirality (simple treatment of elements of symmetry), optical isomerism of compounds containing two to three stereogenic centres, R,S nomenclature, geometrical isomerism in compounds containing two C=C double bonds (E,Z naming), and simple cyclic systems, Newman projection (ethane and substituted ethane).

BOOK :- Organic By O.P Tondon 

11. Types of organic reactions:-

Aliphatic substitution reactions: SN1, SN2 mechanisms, stereochemistry,relative reactivity in aliphatic substitutions. Effect of substrate structure, attacking nucleophile, leaving group and reaction medium and competitive 
reactions. Elimination reactions: E1, E2, mechanisms, stereochemistry, relative reactivity in aliphatic eliminations. Effect of substrate structure, attacking base, leaving group, reaction medium and competitive reactions, orientation of the double bond, Saytzeff and Hoffman rules. Addition reactions: Electrophilic, nucleophilic and radical addition reactions at carbon-carbon double bonds. Electrophilic and nucleophilic aromatic substitution: Electrophilic (halogenation, sulphonation, nitration, Friedal-Crafts alkylation and acylation), nucleophilic (simple SNAr, SN1 and aryne reactions).

BOOK :- Organic By O.P Tondon

12. Molecular Rearrangements:

Acid induced rearrangement and Wagner-Meerwein rearrangements. Neighboring group participation.

BOOKs :- Alluwalia , Jagadamga Singh Yadav

 

NOTE :- BOOKS YOU MUST HAVE  11th & 12th NCERT CHEMISTRY  11th & 12TH GRB CHEMISTRY Or Pardeep or Modern ABC Chemistry BOOKs of B.Sc  Chemistry Books of Msc (Ist Year or Ist  two semesters )

STAGE :-II ( Mains ) descriptive Type 

After qualifying stage -1 , successful candidates face 2nd phase of examination , here is the scheme for stage -II  

SUBJECTS _ DESCRIPTIVE TYPE		MARKS	DURATION
Chemistry -I	200 Marks		3 Hours
Chemistry -II	200 Marks		3 hrs
Chemistry-III	200 Marks		3 hrs
GENERAL ENGLISH ( COMPULSORY FOR ALL )	100 Marks		3 hrs

Chemistry Paper I (200 Marks)

Chemical periodicity	s-Block Elements
Chemical Bonding and structure	p-Block Elements
Chemistry of coordination compounds	Chemistry of d- and f- block elements
Acid-Base reactions	Organometallic compounds
Precipitation and Redox Reactions	Nuclear chemistry

Chemistry Paper II (200 Marks)

Kinetic theory and the gaseous state	Application of Second law of thermodynamics
Collision of gas molecules, Real gases	Thermodynamics and Equilibrium
Thermodynamics	Acids-bases and solvents
Liquid State	Solutions of non-electrolytes
Solids	Chemical kinetics and catalysis
Adsorption and Surface Chemistry	Electrochemistry
Photochemistry	Quantum Chemistry
Basic principles and application of spectroscopy	UV Spectra
PMR Spectra

Chemistry Paper III (200 Marks)

Part A- Analytical  (100 Marks)	Part B- Organic (100 Marks)
Theoretical basis of Quantitative inorganic analysis	Basic organic chemistry
Gravimetric Analysis	Organometallic compounds
Sampling and treatment of samples for chemical analysis	Bonding and physical properties
Acid base titrations	Aldol and related reactions
Redox Titrations	Mechanism of some name reactions
Potentiometry	Electro cyclic Reactions
Complexometric titrations	Organic Reaction Mechanisms
Chromatographic methods of analysis	Organic Spectroscopy
UV-Visible Spectroscopy
Flame photometry and Atomic absorption spectrometry
X-ray methods of Analysis
Inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy
Analysis of Minerals, Ores and Alloys
Analysis of petroleum and petroleum products
Analysis of coal and coke

Stage -III

Personality Test : 200 Marks 

Students who qualified Mains are eligible for Personality test. 

                    Stay Connected with AS-Chemistry 

1. Current Affairs for Geochemist