Overview: Do you know that NTA has reduced the units in the CUET Chemistry syllabus from 16 to 10? Since Chemistry is one of the most popular domain subjects in CUET 2026, knowing the entire syllabus including, all the chapters, topics, and sub-topics is essential to score 250/250 if you take the Chemistry test.
Chemistry is mandatory for admission to over 50 Science and Engineering UG courses offered by 280+ universities. In 2024, over 5,61,719 students appeared for the test paper, which will likely increase in 2026. Understanding the Chemistry CUET syllabus is important because:
There will be one Chemistry question paper with 50 questions, of which all 50 questions are compulsory.
The syllabus includes 10 units based on the Class 12 syllabus.
CUET Chemistry Syllabus 2026 Overview
For the CUET exam, half of the board exam syllabus, or the chapters and subjects covered in Class 12, are included in the syllabus for CUET Chemistry question paper.
Unlike NEET and JEE Mains, the Class 11 syllabus is not included in the CUET syllabus.
Although the exam's difficulty level is lower than these tests, it requires thorough preparation due to intense competition.
You must review past years' question papers to gain further insights into the exam's topics, patterns, question types, and high-weightage topics.
CUET Chemistry Syllabus 2026 PDF Download Link
The chemistry syllabus for CUET 2026 has been released. Unlike the previous year's syllabus, the CUET exam chemistry syllabus 2026 has been reduced from 16 units to 10 units.
CUET Chemistry Syllabus 2026 (Unit-Wise)
Here's the detailed distribution:
Unit 1: Solutions
Solid solutions, colligative properties – the relative reduction of vapour pressure
Types of solutions, expression of concentration of solutions of solids in liquids, solubility of gases in liquids, solid solutions,
Raoult's law, elevation of B.P
Depression of freezing point, osmotic pressure
determination of molecular masses utilizing colligative qualities
Aberrant molecular mass, the Vant Hoff factor
Unit 2: Electrochemistry
Redox reactions; conductance in electrolytic solutions
Specific and molar conductivity, conductivity variations with concentration
Kohlrausch's Law, electrolysis and laws of electrolysis (basic concept)
Dry cell – electrolytic cells and Galvanic cells; lead accumulator; EMF of a cell; standard electrode potential; Nernst equation and its application to chemical cells
Relationship between Gibbs energy change and a cell's electromotive force (EMF); corrosion
Unit 3: Chemical Kinetics
Rate of a reaction (average and instantaneous), elements affecting rates of reaction: concentration, temperature, catalyst
Order and molecularity of a reaction; rate law and particular rate constant
Integrated rate equations and half-life (only for zero- and first-order processes)
Collision theory (elementary idea, no mathematical treatment)
Activation energy, Arrhenius Equation
While preparing, focus more on Physical and Organic Chemistry from the syllabus of CUET Chemistry. Check the CUET cut-off trends for past years to set achievable targets for yourself.
Unit 4: d and f Block Elements
General introduction, electronic configuration, occurrence and properties of transition metals
General trends in first-row transition metals - metallic character, ionization enthalpy, oxidation states, ionic radii, colour, catalytic property, magnetic property, interstitial compounds, alloy formation.
The synthesis and physical characteristics of K2Cr2O7 and KMnO4
Lanthanoids — electronic structure, oxidation states, chemical reactivity, and lanthanoid contraction and its effects
Actinoids –Electronic configuration, oxidation states, and comparison with lanthanoids for actinoids
Unit 5: Coordination Compounds
Importance of coordination compounds: Introduction, ligands, coordination number, color, magnetic characteristics and forms
IUPAC nomenclature of mononuclear coordination compounds, bonding
Werner's theory VBT, CFT; isomerism (structural and stereo) (in qualitative analysis, extraction of metals and biological systems)
Once the CUET Chemistry syllabus pdf download is complete, don't get overwhelmed with more units. Review the syllabus carefully and divide your CUET preparation schedule to cover each unit.
The CUET Chemistry syllabus is vast. In 2024, around 6 questions were included from these units, making it one of the most important topics to focus on during preparation. Go through the CUET previous year question papers to get a hold of this topic and improve speed and accuracy.
Unit 6: Haloalkanes and Haloarenes
Haloalkanes: Nomenclature, nature of the C-X bond, physical and chemical properties, substitution reaction process. The optical rotation of light.
Haloarenes: C-X bond nature and substitution reactions (directive influence of halogen for monosubstituted compounds only).
Uses and environmental consequences of dichloromethane, trichloromethane, tetrachloromethane, iodoform, freons, and DDT.
Unit 7: Alcohols, Phenols, and Ethers
Alcohols: Nomenclature, methods of synthesis, physical and chemical properties (of primary alcohols only);
Identification of primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols; dehydration mechanism, applications, with particular reference to methanol and ethanol
Phenols: Nomenclature, preparation methods, physical and chemical properties, the acidity of phenol, electrophilic substitution processes, and applications
Ethers: Nomenclature, preparation methods, physical and chemical properties, and application
Unit 8: Aldehydes, Ketones, and Carboxylic Acids
Aldehydes and Ketones: Nomenclature, nature of carbonyl group, techniques of manufacture, physical and chemical properties,
The process of nucleophilic addition, alpha hydrogen's reactivity in aldehydes; applications
Carboxylic Acids: Nomenclature, acidity, synthesis methods, physical and chemical properties, and applications
The last 2 units of the CUET Chemistry Syllabus are short, yet two of the important units. To be eligible for maximum universities, solve as many CUET Chemistry sample papers as possible to improve your accuracy and speed.
Unit 9: Amines
Amines: Nomenclature, classification, structure, methods of preparation, physical and chemical properties, uses, identification of primary, secondary and tertiary amines.
Diazonium salts: Preparation, chemical reactions and importance in synthetic organic chemistry.
Unit 10: Biomolecules
Carbohydrates – Classification (aldoses and ketoses), monosaccharide (glucose and fructose), D-L configuration, oligosaccharides (sucrose, lactose, maltose), polysaccharides (starch, cellulose, glycogen) and significance
Proteins - Basic concept of a-amino acids, peptide bonds, polypeptides, proteins, primary structure, secondary structure, tertiary structure, quaternary structure (qualitative concept only), denaturation of proteins, and enzymes.
Vitamins – Classification and functions of vitamins
Nucleic Acids: DNA and RNA are Nucleic Acids
The CUET Chemistry Syllabus and question paper will test you heavily on application, concept, and case study-based questions. Review each aspect of the syllabus to clear the cut-off for maximum CUET universities for UG courses.
CUET Chemistry Paper Pattern 2026
The CUET syllabus for Chemistry includes 10 units to be covered.
The CUET Chemistry question paper will have 50 questions, out of which all 50 must be attempted.
You must go through the CUET exam analysis for Chemistry for 2025 to know how the paper may look in 2026, what type of questions were asked, and the difficulty level.
Best Preparation Books for CUET Chemistry Syllabus 2026
Read your NCERT books and prepare good notes for revision.
Take regular quizzes and solve practice questions in your CUET preparation books for Chemistry regularly.
Prioritize Physical Chemistry and cover topics such as Chemical Kinetics, Surface Chemistry, Solutions, and Electrochemistry.
For Organic Chemistry, focus on chapters such as Haloalkanes and Haloarenes, Biomolecules, Aldehydes, Ketones, Carboxylic Acids, Alcohols, Phenols, Ethers, Polymers, and Chemistry in Everyday Life.
Inorganic chemistry is a challenging topic because it requires memorizing, as highlighted in the CUET Chemistry Syllabus. Study using a mind map and making notes.
Focus on P-block elements, Coordination Compounds, General Principles and Processes of Isolation of Elements, and d- and f-block Elements. For this, you can use flashcards, write the formulae on paper, and paste them on your study table so you can take a glance often.
Solve 10-15 mocks monthly to check your performance and improvement over the months.
CUET Eligibility for Science Courses 2026
Most colleges require you to have studied Chemistry in classes 11 and 12. Visit the official websites of the respective colleges you desire to study at.
To be eligible to apply for the UG courses, you must also have a minimum valid score in chemistry in Class 12th.
Relaxation applies to SC/ST/OBC/PWD/EWS category students.