How to Prepare Chemistry Section for NEET 2025? Smart Ways, Important Chapters, Best Books and Things to Avoid

How to Prepare Chemistry Section for NEET: Preparing for the Chemistry section in NEET 2025 requires a focused strategy that balances conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills. Chemistry accounts for 45 out of the total 180 questions in the NEET 2025 exam.

Students should focus on mastering NCERT textbooks, practicing previous year’s questions, and revising key topics such as Organic, Inorganic, and Physical Chemistry. Prioritize topics based on their weightage like Chemical Bonding, Thermodynamics, and Organic Reactions, practice with mock tests, and focus on time-bound problem-solving to enhance speed and accuracy.

This article will discuss in detail how to prepare chemistry section for NEET.

What Makes Chemistry Difficult For Medical Aspirants?

Chemistry can be challenging for many NEET aspirants due to the mixture of theoretical concepts, problem-solving, and application-based questions. Here are a few reasons why medical aspirants often find chemistry difficult:

• Diverse Syllabus: The chemistry syllabus for NEET is vast, encompassing three major sections: Physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Inorganic Chemistry. Each section requires a different approach to study, making it tough for students to manage all aspects.
• Complex Formulas and Reactions: Chemistry, especially Physical and Organic Chemistry, involves complex formulas and chemical reactions that must be understood and memorized. Students often struggle to recall multiple equations, reaction mechanisms, and properties of elements, under exam pressure.
• Memorization in Inorganic Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, in particular, is often challenging because it requires a significant amount of memorization, such as periodic trends, properties of elements, and coordination compounds. Many students find it difficult to retain such vast amounts of information without regular revision.
• Interlinking Topics: Many topics in chemistry are interconnected. For example, understanding the periodic table is essential for grasping concepts in both Inorganic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry. Similarly, Organic Chemistry requires a deep knowledge of functional groups, bonding, and reaction mechanisms. This can be difficult for students who don’t understand the basics thoroughly.
• Time Management: Due to the varied nature of questions in NEET Chemistry, students need to balance speed with accuracy. Physical Chemistry problems often require time-consuming calculations, while Organic Chemistry questions require analytical thinking. Managing time effectively across these sections can be difficult for medical aspirants.

Also Read: Time Management Tips for NEET Exam

How To Approach The Subject?

Each of the three topics in Chemistry, that is, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry require a different approach when studying. Here are some study strategies students can follow-

Inorganic Chemistry

Inorganic Chemistry is fact-based and requires rote learning. The best way to approach this section is by reading and revising NCERT thoroughly. Most questions in NEET are directly from the NCERT book, especially for topics like p-block, d-block, and f-block elements.

Focus on memorizing periodic trends, reactions, and properties of elements. Flashcards can help with quick recall of these facts. Consistent revisions are crucial for Inorganic Chemistry. Keep revisiting important reactions and tables.

Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry revolves around understanding reaction mechanisms and functional groups. It is a concept-heavy section, requiring a strong grasp of the basics such as hybridization, bond formation, and electrophilic/nucleophilic reactions.

Start with the basic concepts and gradually move to complex reactions. Study named reactions in detail, and write down mechanisms step-by-step while practicing, as this helps in solidifying your understanding of reaction pathways. Solve problems based on functional group identification and reaction mechanisms to enhance application skills.

Physical Chemistry

This section involves both theoretical concepts and numerical problem-solving. It requires a thorough understanding of formulas and concepts. Focus on understanding the derivations of important formulas rather than just memorizing them. This helps in tackling numerical more easily.

Solve a wide range of problems daily, starting from basic NCERT-level problems to more advanced NEET-level questions from reference books. Prepare a separate formula sheet for quick revision and practice questions where multiple formulas are applied.

Periodic Table

The periodic table is crucial in Chemistry, especially in Inorganic Chemistry. Understand concepts like atomic radius, ionization energy, electronegativity, etc., as questions are frequently based on these properties. Make sure you understand the group-wise and period-wise properties of elements.

Also Read: Do or Die Chapters for NEET

Smart Ways to Prepare Chemistry Section

Chemistry will account for 45 of the 180 questions on the NEET. Candidates with a good grasp of the topic can easily achieve 100 out of 120 marks in NEET. However, scoring higher than this in NEET Chemistry is challenging. 

To score above this, one must have an extensive understanding of the subject. Here are some preparation tips candidates can follow to prepare Chemistry section for NEET and ace the exam.

Understand the NEET Chemistry Syllabus

Familiarize yourself with the NEET Chemistry syllabus, which includes Physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Inorganic Chemistry. Focus on the weightage of each unit to prioritize your study time.

Know the Chemistry NEET 2025 Exam Pattern 

According to the revised exam pattern, the Chemistry portion is separated into two sections. Section A has 35 questions, and Section B has 15 questions, 10 of which must be attempted. The table below contains the exam pattern of the Chemistry section in NEET, which can help you prepare chemistry section for NEET.

Have a Strong Base with NCERT Books

Since NEET is based largely on the NCERT curriculum, ensure you thoroughly study NCERT textbooks for Chemistry. Pay attention to important concepts, reactions, and definitions.

Create a Study Schedule 

Develop a well-structured study plan that allocates specific time for each topic in Chemistry. Here is a sample day-wise timetable for your reference.

Revise Regularly

Set aside time for regular revisions to reinforce what you have learned. Periodic reviews help retain information and identify areas that need more focus.

Practice Previous Year Question Papers

Take regular NEET mock tests and solve NEET previous year's papers to assess your preparation level and get accustomed to the exam format. Analyze your performance and work on your weak areas.

Join Study Groups

Consider studying in groups occasionally. Discussing concepts with peers can provide new insights and make learning more interactive.

Stay Updated

Be aware of any changes in the exam pattern or syllabus. Follow NEET-related updates and announcements to ensure you’re well-prepared.

Also Read: How To Score 720 In NEET? Preparation Tips, Strategies

Important Chapters for the NEET Chemistry Section

The Chemistry NEET important chapters and chapter wise weightage is a valuable resource for NEET candidates. The NEET exam relies heavily on chemistry.

Candidates must efficiently split their study time among these chapters. Here is the chapter-wise weightage for Chemistry, provided in table below.

Also Read: Physical Chemistry Chapters for NEET with Weightage

Best Books from Toppers to Prepare Chemistry Section

Here is the list of the major NEET books that students must refer to while learning Chemistry for NEET. It is important to note that before referring to the books given below, you should complete the NCERT and school textbooks for Chemistry, such as Modern's ABC of Chemistry for Classes 11 and 12. 

Also Read: NEET Syllabus 2025 - Download Subject wise PDF

Things to Avoid to Prepare Chemistry Section Effectively

Here are a few things candidates should be mindful about and avoid while preparing for Chemistry section of the NEET exam.

1. Relying Only on NCERT for Organic Chemistry: While NCERT is crucial, particularly for Inorganic Chemistry, relying solely on it for Organic Chemistry can be a big mistake. NEET often tests deeper understanding, especially in reaction mechanisms, which requires other reference books for detailed explanations.

2. Neglecting Numericals in Physical Chemistry: Physical Chemistry has a significant portion of numericals. Make sure to practice problems on thermodynamics, electrochemistry, and chemical equilibrium regularly to stay clear with the calculations.

3. Not Focusing Reaction Mechanisms in Organic Chemistry: Memorizing reactions without understanding their mechanisms is a common mistake in Organic Chemistry. Students should avoid rote learning and instead focus on how and why reactions occur, which will help in solving tricky application-based questions.

4. Memorizing Instead of Understanding Concepts: In Physical Chemistry, memorizing formulas without grasping the underlying concepts is a mistake. To solve tricky questions, an understanding of derivations and how to apply formulas in different contexts is essential.

5. Using Multiple Reference Books: Referring to too many books can overwhelm you with information. Stick to NCERT as your base, and choose one or two good reference books like OP Tandon or MTG for in-depth preparation. 

6. Skipping Regular Revisions: Many students focus too much on learning new concepts without revising previous ones. This is especially harmful for Inorganic Chemistry, where forgetting reactions and periodic trends is common. Plan regular revisions to retain information over time.

Also Read: Are NCERT Books Enough for Cracking NEET?