Chemistry is 30% of NET-Applied Sciences, about 60 of the 200 questions, and it is not on NET-Engineering at all. Spend your first chemistry weeks on organic reactions and on the short physical-chemistry numericals, because both reward drilling and both turn into fast, reliable marks.
Key facts
- NET-Applied Sciences is Biology 50%, Chemistry 30%, English 20%
- It is the paper for Pre-Medical candidates applying to BS Biotechnology, Environmental Science, Agriculture, Food Science and Technology, Bioinformatics, Chemistry or Physics
- About 60 chemistry questions is derived from the 200-MCQ total. NUST publishes percentages only
- Our bank has 1,340 chemistry MCQs across 22 chapters
Source: NUST, Subjects included in NET with weightings, checked October 2026. Bank counts from the SailToNUST question bank.
Who sits chemistry in NET
Only NET-Applied Sciences candidates. Chemistry was dropped from NET-Engineering in the 2025 restructure, so an engineering applicant who spends time on it is studying for a paper they will not sit. If you are unsure which paper you need, read which NET paper you should take first.
On the Applied Sciences paper, biology carries 100 derived questions and chemistry 60. Chemistry questions often need a calculation or a reaction worked through in your head, so they take longer than biology recall items. Plan for that in your timing.
What our bank covers, and what it does not
Be honest with yourself about where your practice comes from. Our syllabus page lists 33 chemistry chapters. Twenty-two have MCQs in our bank, and the bank leans heavily organic: about 1,100 of the 1,340 questions sit in the organic chapters.
| Block | Chapter | MCQs in our bank |
|---|---|---|
| Organic | Basics of organic chemistry | 498 |
| Organic | Hydrocarbons | 202 |
| Organic | Hydroxy compounds | 112 |
| Organic | Carbonyl compounds and carboxylic acids | 102 |
| Organic | Aromatic hydrocarbons | 97 |
| Organic | Halogenoalkanes | 51 |
| Physical | States and phases of matter | 34 |
| Physical | Chemical bonding | 28 |
| Physical | Stoichiometry | 20 |
| Physical | Atomic structure | 18 |
| Physical | Electrochemistry | 17 |
| Physical | Chemical equilibrium | 14 |
| Inorganic | Halogens | 24 |
| Inorganic | Nitrogen and sulfur | 17 |
| Inorganic | Transition metals | 16 |
The small counts in physical chemistry do not mean those chapters matter less. They mean our bank is thin there, so you should work the end-of-chapter numericals in your textbook as well.
Which chapters to do first
NUST does not publish a chapter breakdown, so this order is our judgement.
- Organic core. Basics of organic chemistry (functional groups, isomerism, hybridisation), then hydrocarbons, aromatic compounds, halogenoalkanes, alcohols and phenols, and carbonyl compounds. These chapters build on each other, and a reagent-to-product table covers a large share of the questions.
- Physical numericals. Stoichiometry, gas laws, equilibrium, energetics, kinetics and electrochemistry. Each has two or three formulas. Once you can run them without notes, these are some of the most reliable marks on the paper.
- Structure. Atomic structure, bonding and periodic trends. Mostly rules and exceptions.
- Descriptive inorganic and the rest. Group 2, halogens, nitrogen and sulfur, transition metals, polymers, biochemistry and separation techniques. Learn these with flashcards in short sessions.
The question shapes you will see
Reaction outcome. "A Grignard reagent reacts with water. The product is?" An alkane, because water protonates the carbanion. "Benzaldehyde with CH₃MgI, then hydrolysis, gives?" 1-phenylethanol.
Distinguishing tests. "Which gives a positive iodoform test: 1-propanol or 2-propanol?" 2-propanol, because it has the CH₃CH(OH)- group that oxidises to a methyl ketone.
Trends and extremes. "Least reactive alkyl halide?" R-F, because the C-F bond is the strongest. "Shortest C-C bond: ethane, ethene, ethyne or benzene?" Ethyne, the triple bond.
Counting. "How many aromatic isomers have the formula C₈H₁₀?" Four: ethylbenzene and the ortho, meta and para xylenes.
Mole arithmetic. "Mass of 10⁻³ mol of MgSO₄?" The molar mass is 24 + 32 + 64 = 120 g/mol, so 0.12 g.
Applied reasoning. "How do you separate benzoic acid from benzophenone?" Shake with aqueous NaOH. The acid dissolves as sodium benzoate and the ketone stays behind.
Speed tactics for chemistry
Use round molar masses. H 1, C 12, N 14, O 16, Na 23, Mg 24, S 32, Cl 35.5. NET numbers are chosen to work out cleanly with these.
Write the functional group, not the whole molecule. For most organic stems, you only need to know what happens at one carbon. Sketching the full structure wastes 30 seconds a question.
Know the direction of each trend and its exceptions. Ionisation energy across a period, electronegativity, acidity of alcohols against phenols against carboxylic acids. Exceptions are where the examiner sets the trap.
Answer recall items in one pass. If you do not know a descriptive fact in 15 seconds, guess, save and move on. There is no negative marking, and the time is worth more on a numerical you can solve.
How to practise chemistry for NET
Pair every organic chapter with a one-page reaction map: reagent on the arrow, conditions under it, product at the end. Redraw it from memory every few days. Then drill the chapter in our bank until you can name the product before reading the options.
For physical chemistry, solve ten textbook numericals per chapter by hand, then do our bank questions timed.
Biology carries more marks on this paper than chemistry, so read the NET biology guide next and split your hours accordingly.
FAQ
Is chemistry included in NET Engineering?
No. NET-Engineering is mathematics 50%, physics 30% and English 20%. Chemistry is only on NET-Applied Sciences, where it is 30%.
How many chemistry MCQs are in NET Applied Sciences?
About 60 of 200. NUST publishes the 30% weighting, and the count is derived from it.
Which chemistry chapters are most important for NET?
Start with the organic chapters and the physical-chemistry numericals. NUST does not publish chapter weights, so use this as a study order.
Do pre-medical students take NET Applied Sciences?
Pre-Medical candidates applying to BS Biotechnology, Environmental Science, Agriculture, Food Science and Technology, Bioinformatics, Chemistry or Physics take NET-Applied Sciences. Pre-Medical candidates applying for engineering or computing take NET-Engineering instead.
