Syllabus overview
GATE CY syllabus 2027 with the official PDF, 100-mark exam pattern and complete section-wise topic tables for Chemistry.
Highlights
CY is the official GATE code for Chemistry.
The official syllabus contains 3 sections: Physical Chemistry; Inorganic Chemistry; Organic Chemistry.
The paper is a 3-hour Computer-Based Test for 100 marks, including 15 marks of General Aptitude.
Allowed second-paper codes when CY is primary: XE, XL.
The official IIT Madras PDF is available in the download section.
Quick facts
- Exam
- GATE
- Paper / stage
- CY · Chemistry
- Current cycle
- 2027
- Page type
- Syllabus
- Conducting body
- GATE
- Language
- English
Detailed syllabus
GATE CY Syllabus 2027 Overview
The official GATE CY syllabus 2027 for Chemistry is organized into 3 sections, covering Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry. This page follows the IIT Madras syllabus order, provides the correct 100-mark exam pattern, and links the official PDF so aspirants can prepare from a complete, verified checklist.
How to Prepare from the GATE CY Syllabus
- Create one checklist for every official section and retain the same sequence used in the PDF.
- Start with a diagnostic test, then allocate more study time to weak high-coverage sections instead of dividing time equally.
- Solve previous-year GATE questions immediately after completing each topic and record errors by concept, calculation and time pressure.
- Revise formulas, definitions and frequently confused conditions in short weekly cycles, followed by mixed-section tests.
- Use the official PDF as the final scope document; coaching notes should expand a listed topic, not introduce an unrelated syllabus.
GATE CY Official Source and Internal Links
The syllabus tables were checked against the IIT Madras GATE 2027 CY PDF. Use the download section for the database-hosted copy, the GATE syllabus hub to switch papers, and the notification page for registration dates and policy updates.
Exam pattern
GATE CY Exam Pattern 2027
| Section | Marks | How it applies |
|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | 15 | Common to all GATE papers |
| Core subject questions | 85 | Selected test-paper syllabus |
| Total | 100 | 3-hour CBT |
Section: General Aptitude
- Marks
- 15
- How it applies
- Common to all GATE papers
Section: Core subject questions
- Marks
- 85
- How it applies
- Selected test-paper syllabus
Section: Total
- Marks
- 100
- How it applies
- 3-hour CBT
GATE CY Question and Marking Rules
| Question type | Possible marks | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|
| MCQ | 1 or 2 | Yes: 1/3 for a wrong 1-mark MCQ; 2/3 for a wrong 2-mark MCQ |
| MSQ | 1 or 2 | No negative marking and no partial marking |
| NAT | 1 or 2 | No negative marking |
Question type: MCQ
- Possible marks
- 1 or 2
- Negative marking
- Yes: 1/3 for a wrong 1-mark MCQ; 2/3 for a wrong 2-mark MCQ
Question type: MSQ
- Possible marks
- 1 or 2
- Negative marking
- No negative marking and no partial marking
Question type: NAT
- Possible marks
- 1 or 2
- Negative marking
- No negative marking
Subject-wise syllabus
GATE CY Syllabus 2027 - Official Section-wise Topics
The tables below preserve the section order and complete topic coverage published by IIT Madras for the GATE 2027 CY paper. Use each table as a study and revision checklist, and verify any later corrigendum against the official PDF.
Section 1: Physical Chemistry
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| Structure | Postulates of quantum mechanics. Operators. Commutation relations and expectations values; the role of the wave function and its absolute squares, time dependent and time independent Schrödinger equations. Born interpretation. Dirac bra-ket notation. Examples of model solvable quantum mechanical systems. |
| Particle in a Box | Solutions and interpretations for finite length and infinite potential barrier; concept of tunnelling; particle in 1D, 2D and 3D-boxes; applications. |
| Harmonic Oscillator | Exact solutions of wave functions, properties of Hermite polynomials. eigenvalues in one dimension. Calculation of expectation values for potential and kinetic energy, harmonic and anharmonic potentials. Rotational Motion: Angular momentum operators (orbital and spin), spherical harmonics and their properties. |
| Hydrogen and Hydrogen -like Atoms | Atomic orbitals; radial and angular distribution functions and their probabilities; Atomic units, Multi-electron atoms: Orbital approximation; electron spin; Pauli exclusion principle; Slater determinants. Variational method and secular determinants; firs t order non -degenerate perturbation techniques. |
| Molecular Structure and Chemical Bonding | Born-Oppenheimer approximation; Valence bond theory treatment for hydrogen molecule and linear combination of atomic orbitals – molecular orbitals (LCAO -MO) theory. Concept of hybridization and hybrid orbitals. Applications of LCAO -MO theory to H 2+, H2; Molecular orbital theory (MOT) of homo-and heteronuclear diatomic molecules. Hückel theory, applications to simple molecules, small conjugated π-electron systems. |
| Group Theory | Symmetry elements and symmetry operations. Basic postulates of groups and group multiplication tables. Classes, reducible and irreducible representations of symmetry elements. Classification and labelling of molecular point groups. Symmetry based selectio n rules and their application to electronic and vibrational spectroscopy. Internal coordinates and symmetry labelling of vibrational modes; symmetry adapted linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO -MO); construction of hybrid orbitals using molecular po int group symmetry. |
| Spectroscopy | Atomic spectroscopy; Russell -Saunders coupling; Term symbols and spectral details; origin of selection rules. Rotational, Vibrational, Electronic and Raman spectroscopy of diatomic and simple polyatomic molecules. Line broadening and line widths; simple properties of Gaussian and Lorentzian line shapes. Molecular spectroscopy: Absorbance, Beer - Lambert’s law, Einstein’s coefficient, Jablonski diagram. Relationship of transition moment integral with molar extinction coefficient and oscillator strength. Basi c principles of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: Gyromagnetic ratio; Chemical shift, nuclear coupling. |
| Equilibrium | Laws of thermodynamics. Standard states. Thermochemistry. Thermodynamic functions and their relationships: Gibbs-Helmholtz and Maxwell relations, Gibbs-Duhem equation, Van’t Hoff equation. Criteria of spontaneity and equilibrium. Absolute entropy. Partial molar quantities. Thermodynamics of mixing. Chemical potential. Fugacity, Activity and Activity coefficient. Chemical equilibria. Dependence of equilibrium constant on temperature and pressure. |
| Solutions | Ideal and non-ideal solutions, Raoult’s Law and Henry’s Law. |
| Electrochemistry | Standard electrode potential and electrochemical cells. Nernst Equation and its application, relationship between electrode potential and thermodynamic quantities, Potentiometric and conductometric titrations. Ionic mobility and conductivity. Kohlrausch’s law, Debye -Hückel limiting law. Debye -Hückel-Onsager equation. |
| Phase Equilibria | Phase rule. Clausius-Clapeyron equation. Phase diagram of one component system: CO2, H2O, S; two component systems: liquid -vapor, liquid -liquid and solid -liquid systems. Fractional distillation. |
| Official coverage | Azeotropes and Eutectics. |
| Statistical Thermodynamics | Micro-canonical, Canonical and Grand canonical ensembles, Boltzmann distribution, Partition functions and thermodynamic properties. Statistical mechanics of non-interacting systems, ideal monoatomic, diatomic gases, translational, rotational, vibrational and electronic partition functions. |
| Kinetics and Reaction Dynamics | Elementary, parallel, opposing, and consecutive reactions. Steady state approximation. Mechanism of complex reactions. Unimolecular reactions. Potential energy surface and classical trajectories, Concept of saddle points, Transition state theory: Eyring equation, thermodynamic aspects. Kinetics of polymerization. Catalysis concepts and enzyme catalysis. Kinetic isotope effects. Fast reaction kinetics: relaxation and flow methods. Diffusion controlled reactions. Kinetics of unimolecular and bimolecular photophysical processes, Quantum yield calculation, static and dynamic quenching. |
| Surfaces and Interfaces | Physisorption and chemisorption. Langmuir, Freundlich and Brunauer -Emmett-Teller (BET) isotherms. Surface catalysis: Langmuir -Hinshelwood mechanism. Surface tension, viscosity, Self - assembly/ physical chemistry of colloids, micelles and macromolecules. |
Topic area: Structure
- Official syllabus coverage
- Postulates of quantum mechanics. Operators. Commutation relations and expectations values; the role of the wave function and its absolute squares, time dependent and time independent Schrödinger equations. Born interpretation. Dirac bra-ket notation. Examples of model solvable quantum mechanical systems.
Topic area: Particle in a Box
- Official syllabus coverage
- Solutions and interpretations for finite length and infinite potential barrier; concept of tunnelling; particle in 1D, 2D and 3D-boxes; applications.
Topic area: Harmonic Oscillator
- Official syllabus coverage
- Exact solutions of wave functions, properties of Hermite polynomials. eigenvalues in one dimension. Calculation of expectation values for potential and kinetic energy, harmonic and anharmonic potentials. Rotational Motion: Angular momentum operators (orbital and spin), spherical harmonics and their properties.
Topic area: Hydrogen and Hydrogen -like Atoms
- Official syllabus coverage
- Atomic orbitals; radial and angular distribution functions and their probabilities; Atomic units, Multi-electron atoms: Orbital approximation; electron spin; Pauli exclusion principle; Slater determinants. Variational method and secular determinants; firs t order non -degenerate perturbation techniques.
Topic area: Molecular Structure and Chemical Bonding
- Official syllabus coverage
- Born-Oppenheimer approximation; Valence bond theory treatment for hydrogen molecule and linear combination of atomic orbitals – molecular orbitals (LCAO -MO) theory. Concept of hybridization and hybrid orbitals. Applications of LCAO -MO theory to H 2+, H2; Molecular orbital theory (MOT) of homo-and heteronuclear diatomic molecules. Hückel theory, applications to simple molecules, small conjugated π-electron systems.
Topic area: Group Theory
- Official syllabus coverage
- Symmetry elements and symmetry operations. Basic postulates of groups and group multiplication tables. Classes, reducible and irreducible representations of symmetry elements. Classification and labelling of molecular point groups. Symmetry based selectio n rules and their application to electronic and vibrational spectroscopy. Internal coordinates and symmetry labelling of vibrational modes; symmetry adapted linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO -MO); construction of hybrid orbitals using molecular po int group symmetry.
Topic area: Spectroscopy
- Official syllabus coverage
- Atomic spectroscopy; Russell -Saunders coupling; Term symbols and spectral details; origin of selection rules. Rotational, Vibrational, Electronic and Raman spectroscopy of diatomic and simple polyatomic molecules. Line broadening and line widths; simple properties of Gaussian and Lorentzian line shapes. Molecular spectroscopy: Absorbance, Beer - Lambert’s law, Einstein’s coefficient, Jablonski diagram. Relationship of transition moment integral with molar extinction coefficient and oscillator strength. Basi c principles of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: Gyromagnetic ratio; Chemical shift, nuclear coupling.
Topic area: Equilibrium
- Official syllabus coverage
- Laws of thermodynamics. Standard states. Thermochemistry. Thermodynamic functions and their relationships: Gibbs-Helmholtz and Maxwell relations, Gibbs-Duhem equation, Van’t Hoff equation. Criteria of spontaneity and equilibrium. Absolute entropy. Partial molar quantities. Thermodynamics of mixing. Chemical potential. Fugacity, Activity and Activity coefficient. Chemical equilibria. Dependence of equilibrium constant on temperature and pressure.
Topic area: Solutions
- Official syllabus coverage
- Ideal and non-ideal solutions, Raoult’s Law and Henry’s Law.
Topic area: Electrochemistry
- Official syllabus coverage
- Standard electrode potential and electrochemical cells. Nernst Equation and its application, relationship between electrode potential and thermodynamic quantities, Potentiometric and conductometric titrations. Ionic mobility and conductivity. Kohlrausch’s law, Debye -Hückel limiting law. Debye -Hückel-Onsager equation.
Topic area: Phase Equilibria
- Official syllabus coverage
- Phase rule. Clausius-Clapeyron equation. Phase diagram of one component system: CO2, H2O, S; two component systems: liquid -vapor, liquid -liquid and solid -liquid systems. Fractional distillation.
Topic area: Official coverage
- Official syllabus coverage
- Azeotropes and Eutectics.
Topic area: Statistical Thermodynamics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Micro-canonical, Canonical and Grand canonical ensembles, Boltzmann distribution, Partition functions and thermodynamic properties. Statistical mechanics of non-interacting systems, ideal monoatomic, diatomic gases, translational, rotational, vibrational and electronic partition functions.
Topic area: Kinetics and Reaction Dynamics
- Official syllabus coverage
- Elementary, parallel, opposing, and consecutive reactions. Steady state approximation. Mechanism of complex reactions. Unimolecular reactions. Potential energy surface and classical trajectories, Concept of saddle points, Transition state theory: Eyring equation, thermodynamic aspects. Kinetics of polymerization. Catalysis concepts and enzyme catalysis. Kinetic isotope effects. Fast reaction kinetics: relaxation and flow methods. Diffusion controlled reactions. Kinetics of unimolecular and bimolecular photophysical processes, Quantum yield calculation, static and dynamic quenching.
Topic area: Surfaces and Interfaces
- Official syllabus coverage
- Physisorption and chemisorption. Langmuir, Freundlich and Brunauer -Emmett-Teller (BET) isotherms. Surface catalysis: Langmuir -Hinshelwood mechanism. Surface tension, viscosity, Self - assembly/ physical chemistry of colloids, micelles and macromolecules.
Section 2: Inorganic Chemistry
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| Main Group Elements | Shapes and structures of molecules using VSEPR postulates, Hydrides, halides, oxides, oxoacids, nitrides, sulfides - shapes and reactivity. Structure and bonding of boranes, carboranes, silicones, silicates, boron nitride, borazine and phosphazenes: electron counting in polyhedral boranes, isolobal analogy. Allotropes of carbon, phosphorus and sulfur. Industrial synthesis of compounds of main group elements such as NH3, H 2SO4 and HNO 3. Chemistry of noble gases and interhalogen compounds. Acid -base concepts and principles (Lewis, Brønsted, HSAB and acid-base catalysis). |
| Transition Metals | Coordination chemistry – structure and isomerism, theories of bonding (VBT, CFT, and MOT). Metal-metal multiple bonds. Energy level diagrams in various crystal fields, CFSE, applications of CFT, Jahn-Teller distortion. Electronic spectra of transition met al complexes: spectroscopic term symbols, selection rules, Orgel and Tanabe -Sugano diagrams, nephelauxetic effect and Racah parameter, charge -transfer spectra. Magnetic properties of transition metal complexes. Ray -Dutt and Bailar twists, Reaction mechanis ms: kinetic and thermodynamic stability, associative, dissociative substitution and redox reactions. |
| Lanthanides and Actinides | Recovery. Periodic properties, spectral and magnetic properties. |
| Organometallics | 18-Electron rule; metal-alkyl, metal-carbonyl, metal-olefin and metal-carbene complexes and metallocenes. Fluxionality in organometallic complexes. Types of organometallic reactions. Homogeneous catalysis – Hydrogenation, hydroformylation, methanol to ace tic acid process, olefin metathesis and Wacker oxidation. Heterogeneous catalysis – Fischer-Tropsch reaction, Ziegler-Natta polymerization. |
| Bioinorganic Chemistry | Ion (Na+ and K+) transport, oxygen binding, transport and utilization, electron transfer reactions, nitrogen fixation, metalloenzymes containing magnesium, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, copper and zinc. |
| Solids | Crystal systems and lattices, Miller planes, crystal packing, crystal defects, Bragg’s law, ionic crystals, structure of AX, AX 2, ABX 3 type compounds, spinels, band theory, metals and semiconductors, Zeolites and their applications. |
| Instrumental Methods of Analysis | UV-visible, fluorescence and FT -IR spectrophotometry, NMR and ESR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, atomic absorption spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy (Fe and Sn) and X - ray crystallography. Electroanalytical methods – cyclic voltammetry, ion-selective electrodes. Thermo-analytical methods: TGA, DTA and DSC. |
Topic area: Main Group Elements
- Official syllabus coverage
- Shapes and structures of molecules using VSEPR postulates, Hydrides, halides, oxides, oxoacids, nitrides, sulfides - shapes and reactivity. Structure and bonding of boranes, carboranes, silicones, silicates, boron nitride, borazine and phosphazenes: electron counting in polyhedral boranes, isolobal analogy. Allotropes of carbon, phosphorus and sulfur. Industrial synthesis of compounds of main group elements such as NH3, H 2SO4 and HNO 3. Chemistry of noble gases and interhalogen compounds. Acid -base concepts and principles (Lewis, Brønsted, HSAB and acid-base catalysis).
Topic area: Transition Metals
- Official syllabus coverage
- Coordination chemistry – structure and isomerism, theories of bonding (VBT, CFT, and MOT). Metal-metal multiple bonds. Energy level diagrams in various crystal fields, CFSE, applications of CFT, Jahn-Teller distortion. Electronic spectra of transition met al complexes: spectroscopic term symbols, selection rules, Orgel and Tanabe -Sugano diagrams, nephelauxetic effect and Racah parameter, charge -transfer spectra. Magnetic properties of transition metal complexes. Ray -Dutt and Bailar twists, Reaction mechanis ms: kinetic and thermodynamic stability, associative, dissociative substitution and redox reactions.
Topic area: Lanthanides and Actinides
- Official syllabus coverage
- Recovery. Periodic properties, spectral and magnetic properties.
Topic area: Organometallics
- Official syllabus coverage
- 18-Electron rule; metal-alkyl, metal-carbonyl, metal-olefin and metal-carbene complexes and metallocenes. Fluxionality in organometallic complexes. Types of organometallic reactions. Homogeneous catalysis – Hydrogenation, hydroformylation, methanol to ace tic acid process, olefin metathesis and Wacker oxidation. Heterogeneous catalysis – Fischer-Tropsch reaction, Ziegler-Natta polymerization.
Topic area: Bioinorganic Chemistry
- Official syllabus coverage
- Ion (Na+ and K+) transport, oxygen binding, transport and utilization, electron transfer reactions, nitrogen fixation, metalloenzymes containing magnesium, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, copper and zinc.
Topic area: Solids
- Official syllabus coverage
- Crystal systems and lattices, Miller planes, crystal packing, crystal defects, Bragg’s law, ionic crystals, structure of AX, AX 2, ABX 3 type compounds, spinels, band theory, metals and semiconductors, Zeolites and their applications.
Topic area: Instrumental Methods of Analysis
- Official syllabus coverage
- UV-visible, fluorescence and FT -IR spectrophotometry, NMR and ESR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, atomic absorption spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy (Fe and Sn) and X - ray crystallography. Electroanalytical methods – cyclic voltammetry, ion-selective electrodes. Thermo-analytical methods: TGA, DTA and DSC.
Section 3: Organic Chemistry
| Topic area | Official syllabus coverage |
|---|---|
| General Concepts | Structure dependence on properties such as basicity and acidity. Role of aromatic stability on physical properties of organic compounds. |
| Stereochemistry | Chirality and symmetry of organic molecules with or without chiral centres and determination of their absolute configurations and optical purity. Relative stereochemistry in compounds having more than one |
| Official coverage | stereogenic centre. Homotopic, enantiotopic and diastereotopic atoms, groups and faces. Conformational analysis of acyclic and cyclic compounds. Geometrical isomerism and optical isomerism. Configurational and conformational effects, atropisomerism , and neighbouring group participation on reactivity and selectivity/specificity. Stereoselective and stereospecific synthesis. Enantiomeric excess. |
| Reaction Mechanisms | Basic mechanistic concepts and energy profile diagrams - kinetics versus thermodynamic control, Hammond’s postulate and Curtin -Hammett principle. Methods of determining reaction mechanisms through kinetics, identification of products, intermediates and is otopic labelling. Solvent effects in substitution and elimination reactions. Linear free-energy relationship – Hammett and Taft equations. |
| Types of Reactions | Nucleophilic and electrophilic substitution reactions (both aromatic and aliphatic). Addition reactions to carbon -carbon and carbon -heteroatom (N and O) multiple bonds. Elimination reactions. Reactive intermediates – carbocation, carbanion, carbenes, nitrenes, arynes and free radicals. Molecular rearrangements. Barton decarboxylation and Barton-McCombie reaction, Hunsdiecker reaction. |
| Organic Synthesis | Synthesis, reactions, mechanisms and selectivity involving the following classes of compounds – alkenes, alkynes, arenes, alcohols, phenols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, nitriles, halides, nitro compounds, amines and amides. Uses of Mg, Li, Cu, B, Zn, P, S, Sn and Si based reagents in organic synthesis. Carbon -carbon bond formation through coupling reactions – Heck, Suzuki, Stille, Sonogashira , Negishi, Kumada, Hiyama, Tsuji-Trost reactions; olefin metathesis, McMurry coupling and Buchwald -Hartwig amination reactions. Baylis -Hillman, Henry, Ritter, Sakurai, Tebbe olefination, Pauson -Khand and Nazarov cyclization reactions. Concepts of multistep synthesis – retrosynthetic analysis, strategic disconnections, synthons and synthetic equivalents. Atom economy and green chemistry, Umpolung reactivity – formyl and acyl anion equivalents. Selectivity in organic synthesis – chemo-, regio-and stereoselectivity. Protection and deprotection of functional groups. Concepts of asymmetric synthesis – resolution (including enzymatic), desymmetrization and use of chiral auxiliaries, organocatalysis. Carbon -carbon and carbonheteroatom bond forming reactions through enolates (including boron enolates), enamines and silyl enol ethers. Stereoselective addition to C=O groups (Cram, Prelog and Felkin-Anh models). Asymmetric aldol reactions – Evans reaction and proline catalyzed reaction. |
| Oxidation | Oxidation of alcohols involving metal and non -metal-based (chromium, manganese, DMSO, and hypervalent iodine) reagents. Peracid oxidation of alkenes and carbonyls. Alkenes to diols (manganese and osmium-based reagents), alkenes to carbonyls with bond cleavage (ozonolysis), and alkenes to alcohols/carbonyls without bond cleavage (hydroboration -oxidation). Asymmetric epoxidations (Sharpless and Jacobsen) and Sharpless asymmetric hydroxylation. |
| Reduction | Catalytic homogeneous and heterogeneous hydrogenation. Metal based reductions using Li/Na in liquid ammonia, magnesium, zinc, titanium, and samarium. Hydride transfer reagents: NaBH 4, L -selectride, K-selectride, Luche reduction, LiAlH4 and DIBAL-H. |
| Pericyclic Reactions and Photochemistry | Electrocyclic, cycloaddition and sigmatropic reactions. Diels-Alder reaction, Claisen and Cope rearrangements and their applications in organic synthesis. FMO method of analysis. Woodward-Hoffmann rules. Photochemistry of alkenes, arenes and carbonyl compounds. Photo -oxidation and photo-reduction. Di-π-methane rearrangements, Norrish type-I and II reactions. Paternό -Büchi reaction, Photo-Curtius and Wolff rearrangements. Barton and Hofmann-Lӧffler-Freytag reactions. |
| Heterocyclic Compounds | Nomenclature of mono - and bicyclic, as well as mono - and di -heteroatomic compounds, Structure, preparation, properties and reactions of furan, pyrrole, thiophene, pyridine, indole, quinoline and isoquinoline. |
| Biomolecules | Structure, properties and reactions of mono - and di-saccharides, physicochemical properties of amino acids, chemical synthesis of peptides, chemical structure determination of peptides and proteins, structural features of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, steroids, terpenoids, carotenoids, and alkaloids. |
| Experimental Techniques in Organic Chemistry | Optical rotation (polarimetry). Application of various chromatographic techniques such as thin -layer, column, HPLC and GC. Applications of UV -visible, IR, NMR spectroscopy and Mass spectrometry in the structural determination of organic molecules. |
Topic area: General Concepts
- Official syllabus coverage
- Structure dependence on properties such as basicity and acidity. Role of aromatic stability on physical properties of organic compounds.
Topic area: Stereochemistry
- Official syllabus coverage
- Chirality and symmetry of organic molecules with or without chiral centres and determination of their absolute configurations and optical purity. Relative stereochemistry in compounds having more than one
Topic area: Official coverage
- Official syllabus coverage
- stereogenic centre. Homotopic, enantiotopic and diastereotopic atoms, groups and faces. Conformational analysis of acyclic and cyclic compounds. Geometrical isomerism and optical isomerism. Configurational and conformational effects, atropisomerism , and neighbouring group participation on reactivity and selectivity/specificity. Stereoselective and stereospecific synthesis. Enantiomeric excess.
Topic area: Reaction Mechanisms
- Official syllabus coverage
- Basic mechanistic concepts and energy profile diagrams - kinetics versus thermodynamic control, Hammond’s postulate and Curtin -Hammett principle. Methods of determining reaction mechanisms through kinetics, identification of products, intermediates and is otopic labelling. Solvent effects in substitution and elimination reactions. Linear free-energy relationship – Hammett and Taft equations.
Topic area: Types of Reactions
- Official syllabus coverage
- Nucleophilic and electrophilic substitution reactions (both aromatic and aliphatic). Addition reactions to carbon -carbon and carbon -heteroatom (N and O) multiple bonds. Elimination reactions. Reactive intermediates – carbocation, carbanion, carbenes, nitrenes, arynes and free radicals. Molecular rearrangements. Barton decarboxylation and Barton-McCombie reaction, Hunsdiecker reaction.
Topic area: Organic Synthesis
- Official syllabus coverage
- Synthesis, reactions, mechanisms and selectivity involving the following classes of compounds – alkenes, alkynes, arenes, alcohols, phenols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, nitriles, halides, nitro compounds, amines and amides. Uses of Mg, Li, Cu, B, Zn, P, S, Sn and Si based reagents in organic synthesis. Carbon -carbon bond formation through coupling reactions – Heck, Suzuki, Stille, Sonogashira , Negishi, Kumada, Hiyama, Tsuji-Trost reactions; olefin metathesis, McMurry coupling and Buchwald -Hartwig amination reactions. Baylis -Hillman, Henry, Ritter, Sakurai, Tebbe olefination, Pauson -Khand and Nazarov cyclization reactions. Concepts of multistep synthesis – retrosynthetic analysis, strategic disconnections, synthons and synthetic equivalents. Atom economy and green chemistry, Umpolung reactivity – formyl and acyl anion equivalents. Selectivity in organic synthesis – chemo-, regio-and stereoselectivity. Protection and deprotection of functional groups. Concepts of asymmetric synthesis – resolution (including enzymatic), desymmetrization and use of chiral auxiliaries, organocatalysis. Carbon -carbon and carbonheteroatom bond forming reactions through enolates (including boron enolates), enamines and silyl enol ethers. Stereoselective addition to C=O groups (Cram, Prelog and Felkin-Anh models). Asymmetric aldol reactions – Evans reaction and proline catalyzed reaction.
Topic area: Oxidation
- Official syllabus coverage
- Oxidation of alcohols involving metal and non -metal-based (chromium, manganese, DMSO, and hypervalent iodine) reagents. Peracid oxidation of alkenes and carbonyls. Alkenes to diols (manganese and osmium-based reagents), alkenes to carbonyls with bond cleavage (ozonolysis), and alkenes to alcohols/carbonyls without bond cleavage (hydroboration -oxidation). Asymmetric epoxidations (Sharpless and Jacobsen) and Sharpless asymmetric hydroxylation.
Topic area: Reduction
- Official syllabus coverage
- Catalytic homogeneous and heterogeneous hydrogenation. Metal based reductions using Li/Na in liquid ammonia, magnesium, zinc, titanium, and samarium. Hydride transfer reagents: NaBH 4, L -selectride, K-selectride, Luche reduction, LiAlH4 and DIBAL-H.
Topic area: Pericyclic Reactions and Photochemistry
- Official syllabus coverage
- Electrocyclic, cycloaddition and sigmatropic reactions. Diels-Alder reaction, Claisen and Cope rearrangements and their applications in organic synthesis. FMO method of analysis. Woodward-Hoffmann rules. Photochemistry of alkenes, arenes and carbonyl compounds. Photo -oxidation and photo-reduction. Di-π-methane rearrangements, Norrish type-I and II reactions. Paternό -Büchi reaction, Photo-Curtius and Wolff rearrangements. Barton and Hofmann-Lӧffler-Freytag reactions.
Topic area: Heterocyclic Compounds
- Official syllabus coverage
- Nomenclature of mono - and bicyclic, as well as mono - and di -heteroatomic compounds, Structure, preparation, properties and reactions of furan, pyrrole, thiophene, pyridine, indole, quinoline and isoquinoline.
Topic area: Biomolecules
- Official syllabus coverage
- Structure, properties and reactions of mono - and di-saccharides, physicochemical properties of amino acids, chemical synthesis of peptides, chemical structure determination of peptides and proteins, structural features of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, steroids, terpenoids, carotenoids, and alkaloids.
Topic area: Experimental Techniques in Organic Chemistry
- Official syllabus coverage
- Optical rotation (polarimetry). Application of various chromatographic techniques such as thin -layer, column, HPLC and GC. Applications of UV -visible, IR, NMR spectroscopy and Mass spectrometry in the structural determination of organic molecules.
GATE CY Syllabus 2027: exam pattern and key details
| Detail | Current information |
|---|---|
| Exam | GATE |
| Paper / stage | CY · Chemistry |
| Current cycle | 2027 |
| Page type | Syllabus |
| Conducting body | GATE |
| Language | English |
Detail: Exam
- Current information
- GATE
Detail: Paper / stage
- Current information
- CY · Chemistry
Detail: Current cycle
- Current information
- 2027
Detail: Page type
- Current information
- Syllabus
Detail: Conducting body
- Current information
- GATE
Detail: Language
- Current information
- English
Common mistakes to avoid
Do not prepare from an old syllabus without comparing it with the latest official notice and the requirements for your exact exam stage.
Candidates also ask
The official CY syllabus contains 3 sections: Physical Chemistry; Inorganic Chemistry; Organic Chemistry. The complete topic coverage is arranged in section-wise tables on this page.
GATE CY is a 100-mark, 3-hour Computer-Based Test. General Aptitude carries 15 marks and the remaining marks follow the paper-specific distribution shown above.
The initial GATE 2027 combination table permits these secondary codes when CY is primary: XE, XL. Check the official portal for later changes.
Frequently asked questions
Use the featured PDF button on this page. It opens the database-hosted copy of the official IIT Madras CY syllabus.
Yes. General Aptitude is compulsory in every GATE 2027 test paper and carries 15 marks.
The paper uses Multiple Choice Questions, Multiple Select Questions and Numerical Answer Type questions carrying one or two marks.
Negative marking applies only to incorrect MCQs. MSQ and NAT questions have no negative marking, and MSQs have no partial marking.
Follow the official section order, complete topic-level concepts and examples, solve previous-year questions after each unit, and use full-length mock tests only after completing the major sections.
Downloads
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Topics covered
- GATE CY syllabus 2027
- Chemistry
- GATE 2027 PDF
- IIT Madras
Research methodology and editorial review
Research methodology
GovtJobsNet editors compare the latest official GATE notice, conducting-body resources and published amendments before updating this page. Where an official 2027 document is pending, the page is marked and reviewed again after release.
- Last updated
- 4 August 2026
- Content cycle
- GATE 2027
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