UPSC Civil Services (Mains)
Chemistry optional
- 2 papers
- 250 marks each
- 3 h per paper
- 5 of 8 questions, Q1 and Q5 compulsory
Paper II covers organic chemistry and spectroscopy.
All years
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Paper II, organic chemistry and spectroscopy
Question paper, 2026
UPSC Civil Services (Mains), Chemistry optional. 23 pages, as issued by UPSC.
Every question of 2026, one page each28 parts in 8 questions, with the question as text and its full model answer
Question 1 50 marks
- 1(a)[10]Annulene isomers; sydnone and tropolone10 marks
- 1(b)Solvolysis of anti- and syn-7-norbornenyl tosylates10 marks
- 1(c)Friedel–Crafts, Wittig, dihydroxylation and pinacol rearrangement10 marks
- 1(d)HCl on 1-phenylpropyne: E/Z, kinetic and thermodynamic products10 marks
- 1(e)Diels–Alder of o-xylylene; photochemistry of butadiene10 marks
Question 2 50 marks
Question 3 50 marks
Question 4 50 marks
Question 5 50 marks
Question 6 50 marks
Question 7 50 marks