General Science — Chemistry (Elements, Reactions, Acids/Bases, Everyday Chemistry)

What should you study in General Science?

• Periodic table, chemical bonding, acids/bases, pH
• Polymers — natural & synthetic; plastics issue
• Nanomaterials — properties, applications (medicine, agriculture)
• Common chemicals in news — fertilizers, medicines, fuels

How often is General Science asked in UPSC Prelims?

Asked in 4 of 10 years, including 2 of the last 5. Highlighted years below are the ones it appeared in.

1. 2016: not asked
2. 2017: asked
3. 2018: not asked
4. 2019: asked
5. 2020: not asked
6. 2021: asked
7. 2022: not asked
8. 2023: asked
9. 2024: not asked
10. 2025: not asked

About the Prelims GS Paper I paper

General Studies Paper I is the Prelims paper that decides the cut-off: 100 multiple-choice questions for 200 marks, with negative marking for wrong answers. See all 88 Prelims GS Paper I topics.

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