Top 10 IIT JAM Chemistry Questions Answered by Experts

The IIT Joint Admission Test for M.Sc. (IIT JAM) is one of the most popular entrance examinations for students who want to pursue postgraduate studies in chemistry or any other courses like applied geology, Master of Science, Integrated Phd, MSc Biotechnology, MSc Mathematics, etc, at India’s top and most renowned institutes.

Every year, thousands of students participate in the exam and compete for a very limited number of seats, making the exam highly competitive. For you to do well in the exam, you need to understand not just the syllabus but also the pattern of questions, difficulty level, and expert approaches to solving them.

In this article, we bring you the Top 10 IIT JAM Chemistry Questions , which are answered by experts, along with pro tips, previous year question patterns, and the best preparation strategies that you can follow.

Get Latest Updates on IIT JAM Exam 2026 here!

How Are These Questions Shortlisted?

The questions have been carefully chosen after analyzing JAM Chemistry papers from 2021 to 2024. While shortlisting, more importance is given to the ones that appear repeatedly, belong to chapters with higher weightage, or cover concepts that overlap across multiple units in the syllabus. This way, the selected set directly matches what you are expected to study. To make practice even more effective, the questions are also sorted by type, whether they are MCQs (single correct answer), MSQs (multiple correct answers), or NATs (numerical answer type).

Also check: MSQ Model Questions from IIT JAM Exam 2025

Top 10 JAM Chemistry Questions with Expert-Backed Answers

Below are the top 10 questions that you can refer to. These questions cover Physical, Organic, and Inorganic Chemistry, which chemistry experts answer. These are based on past papers and expert-curated practice sets.

Question 1: Calculate the entropy change for the reversible isothermal expansion of 1 mole of an ideal gas from volume V ₁ to V ₂ at temperature T .

Entropy Change Formula

Expert’s Answer:

ΔS = nR ln &frac; _{V 2} ^{V ₁}

Here, n = 1, R = 8.314 J·mol ^-1 ·K ^-1 .

Expert Suggestion: Understand the formula’s derivation and practice applying it carefully in problems involving volume changes for ideal gases.

Question 2: A reaction is first order in A and second order in B. Write the rate law and its unit.

Expert’s Answer:

Rate law:

Rate = k A1 B2

Unit of k : mol ^-2 L ² s ^-1 .

Expert Suggestion: Memorize how reaction order affects rate law units, and practice deducing rate laws from experimental data.

Question 3: What is the degeneracy of the n=3 energy level in a hydrogen atom?

Expert’s Answer: Degeneracy = n2=9

Expert Suggestion: Remember that degeneracy equals the square of the principal quantum number; practice with other energy levels.

Question 4: Name the geometry and hybridization of [Ni(CO) ₄ ].

Expert’s Answer: Geometry: Tetrahedral

Hybridization: sp ³ , due to strong field CO ligands causing pairing.

Expert Suggestion: Review ligand field theory and hybridization concepts; practice predicting geometries for coordination complexes.

Question 5: Predict the major product for the bromination of ethylbenzene under light.

Expert’s Answer: Side-chain bromination occurs at the benzylic position due to radical stability → C ₆ H ₅ CHBrCH ₃ .

Expert Suggestion: Understand radical bromination mechanisms and identify stable radical intermediates.

Question 6: In IR spectroscopy, the C=O stretching vibration appears near:

Expert’s Answer: Approximately 1700 cm ^-1 . Slight variations depend on conjugation and ring strain.

Expert Suggestion: Familiarize yourself with characteristic IR peaks and how substituents affect them.

Question 7: In a face-centered cubic lattice, what fraction of volume is occupied by atoms?

Expert’s Answer: Packing efficiency = 74%.

Expert Suggestion: Memorize packing efficiencies and visualize atomic arrangement in common crystal lattices.

Question 8: Write the Nernst equation for a cell reaction and explain each term.

Expert’s Answer:

E = E ^∘ − (0.0591 / n) log Q, where n = number of electrons, Q = reaction quotient.

Expert Suggestion: Practice Nernst equation applications for non-standard conditions and varying ion concentrations.

Question 9: State the 18-electron rule and give one example.

Expert’s Answer: Stable organometallic complexes have 18 valence electrons.

Example: Fe(CO) ₅ .

Expert Suggestion: Learn electron counting techniques and study commonly encountered organometallic complexes.

Question 10: Define enantiomers.

Expert’s Answer: Non-superimposable mirror images have identical physical properties except for optical rotation.

Expert Suggestion: Understand stereochemistry basics and practice identifying enantiomers and their optical activity.

Check IIT JAM Previous Year Questions:

Expert Tips for Cracking IIT JAM Chemistry Exam 2026

• While undergoing preparations, you must understand the concepts, rather than just memorize them, as questions in IIT JAM chemistry are mostly application-based. Experts suggest mastering fundamentals so that you can solve complicated problems.
• While preparing, combine theory with practice. For example, after studying the laws of thermodynamics, solve both numerical and conceptual problems related to them.
• You must always follow the official syllabus and avoid studying irrelevant topics.
• Time Management is one of the key fundamentals you should look out for. This will help you during the examination. Practice solving 60 questions in 3 hours with both MCQ and NAT patterns.
• You must always analyse your errors, review your mistakes regularly so that you avoid repeating them in the main exam.

Pro Tip: Practice Multi-Concept Questions

The best way to prepare for IIT JAM is by practicing questions that test multiple concepts together. Example Questions:

• A spectroscopy problem integrating IR and NMR data for compound identification.

• A thermodynamics problem requiring entropy change and spontaneity analysis.
• A reaction mechanism problem testing both intermediates and stereochemistry.

These prepare you for the most tricky, high-value questions often asked in JAM.

Importance of IIT JAM Previous Year Questions

When you go through previous year questions, you don’t just practice concept application; you also notice clear patterns about which subjects contribute most to certain types of problems and the overall difficulty level of the exam. Below are some of the key trends seen in JAM Chemistry PYQs

Subject-Wise PYQ Trends:

• Physical Chemistry: Physical Chemistry contributes the most numerical-based questions.
• Organic Chemistry: Organic Chemistry often has conceptual MSQs that test the reaction mechanisms knowledge of students.
• Inorganic Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry features fact-based MCQs on coordination chemistry, periodic properties, and spectroscopy.

Difficulty Analysis:

• Average difficulty: Moderate to High.
• About 30–35% of questions are direct applications of formulas.

Examples of questions from previous years:

• 2023: Question on how the crystal field can split into octahedral vs. tetrahedral complexes.
• 2022: Calculation of Gibbs free energy from enthalpy and entropy data provided.
• 2021: Predicting aromaticity of given compounds using Huckel's rule.

IIT JAM Chemistry Exam Preparation Strategy

1. Build Strong Foundations: You must first cover NCERT Chemistry of Class XI & XII basics, then shift to IIT JAM standard books like Atkins for Physical Chemistry , Morrison & Boyd for Organic Chemistry , and J.D. Lee for Inorganic Chemistry .
2. Solve Previous Years' Question papers & give Mock Tests: You must at least attempt 10–15 previous year papers. While solving the question papers, there should be a time limit within which the question paper must be solved. This will give you exam mode preparations. Also, you must look forward to giving some mock tests in the same manner.
3. Revise with Short Notes: It will be good for you to maintain formula sheets for Physical Chemistry and reaction summaries for Organic Chemistry; these notes will help you to prepare in an organised manner.
4. Focus on Weak Areas: After solving multiple previous years' questions, giving mock tests, you will get an idea of the concepts or areas that are weak, allocate more time to those concepts, and continue your preparation in an organised manner.
5. Simulate Exam Pressure: You should look forward to practicing some CBT (Computer-Based Test) mock exams to gain some familiarity with online answering tools and also the time limit.

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