approaching ncerts, ncerts bookmarking and important topics

Approaching NCERTs, NCERTs Bookmarking and

Important Topics

By Dr.Roman Saini

Approach & Importance of Science NCERTs

● The basics of science will not just help you in understanding the concepts of geography and ecology, but will also be of immense use in your daily life and as a civil servant.

● Having a command over NCERTs will not just help you in CSE, but also in other exams which most of you must be targeting like SSC, BANK PO, CDS and so on.

● Reading any reference book or science magazine without clearing your basic concepts is a fruitless exercise.

● You will not be able to grasp the mechanism or functioning of various new developments in SnT and will end up wasting your precious time on cramming facts.

● Being the most basic books and written in very simple language, NCERTs are lucid and have a neutral perspective which makes it the base for the entire preparation.

● Secondly, the language used for writing answers in the mains exam should be similar to the writing style of these books which makes them the fundamental element while preparing for the Mains examination.

● Science NCERTs are the Bible for your S&T preparation.

● Whether you have a science background or not, it does not matter.

● You have to read these NCERTS and it is a must to have a command over them if you want to cross the very first hurdle.

● In 2011-13, majority of the questions were based on basic concepts which were mostly lifted directly from the NCERTs.

● Class 6-7 NCERTs are still ignored by many aspirants.

● The trend in recent years has been to ask most of the questions from SnT related current affairs.

● For the last 2 years, almost 9-10 questions out of 100 were from SnT.

● Out of these 9 questions, 1-2 questions were based on basic concepts directly from science NCERTS.

Bookmarking - Class 6th

● Class 6th NCERT offers a smooth reading experience and there is nothing very complex or difficult to understand. You can easily finish it in 1-2 days.

● Just skip various activities and other stuff irrelevant to UPSC.

● Quickly read paras which seem less relevant and focus on important parts.

● To know important parts and what to focus on, first check out the PYQs especially from 2010 onwards.

● PYQs have also been listed in the previous lecture. You can revise it to get a hang of what actually is asked in the real exam.

Chapter Name Specifics

1 Food : Where Does It Come From

Nothing important

Finish it in 10 mins if you still want to read it.

2 Components Of Food

Jump to importance of nutrients for our body, vitamins, minerals and deficiency diseases.

Memorize table 2.3 (important)


3 Fibre To Fabric Skip this chapter.

Not important at all.

4 Sorting Material Into Groups

Skip this chapter too.


5 Separation Of Substances

Read this chapter quickly after the topic named sedimentation.

6 Changes Around Us

Read it quickly within 10 mins.

7 Getting To Know Plants

Very important chapter;

Introduces you to botany;

Read it well.


8 Body Movements Has to be read anyway to know about your body, it's joints and Movements.

Read speedily the content under the title, gait of animals.

9 The Living Organism And Their Surroundings

Very important chapter to know about adaptation and needs of various animals in different habitats.

Read it carefully.


10 Motion And Measurement Of Distances

Just read the last two pages to know about the types of motion.

Skip rest of the chapter.

11 Light, Shadows And Reflections

It introduces you to optics.

Give it a smooth reading.

Nothing much important.


12 Electricity And Circuits

Read this chapter quickly if you are not at all aware about conductors, insulators and switches.

Otherwise skip it.

13 Fun With Magnets Basics of magnetics;

Very important;

But can be read quickly in 15-20 mins.


14 Water You have to focus on water cycle, cloud formation, floods, droughts and rainwater harvesting

15 Air Around Us

Here you have to focus on the constituents of air, their constitution, and oxygen's role in atmosphere

16 Garbage In, Garbage Out

Important chapter for ecology part of the syllabus.

Read it well.


1 Nutrition In Plants Very important chapter;

Focus on photosynthesis and other modes of nutrition in plants.

2 Nutrition In Animals Important;

Understand the parts and functioning of the human digestive system.


3 Fibre To Fabric Least important chapter of this book; you can skip it.

Nothing important from either prelims or mains point of view.

4 Heat Jump to the heading Transfer of heat and start reading from there.


5 Acids, Bases And salts

Just know the basic properties and examples;

Neutralisation and its examples in everyday life is important.

6 Physical And Chemical Changes

In the last few years, direct questions were asked in prelims on this chapter;

Skip the chemical formulae and reactions and focus on practical applications.


7 Weather, Climate And Adaptations Of Animal To Climate

Very very important chapter;

Read very carefully after the heading Climate and adaptation.

8 Winds, Storm And Cyclones

You will study these phenomena in detail in geography.

Here focus on the science behind them.


9 Soil Here focus on soil profile, different horizons and their constituents, properties of different soil types and crops grown in them.

10 Respiration In Organisms

Focus on the functioning of the human respiratory system.


11 Transportation In Animals And Plants

Another very important chapter; Focus on human circulatory system, RBCs and WBCs, sections and functioning of human heart; Human excretory system; Transport of substances in plants.

12 Reproduction In Plants

Important chapter, Know the types and mechanism of sexual and asexual reproduction in plants; Read this chapter carefully.


13 Motion And Time You can skip this chapter; Not of much importance for exams

14 Electric Current And Its Effect

Just read the heating and magnetic effects of electric current.

15 Light Important chapter; Know about reflection and refraction, Properties and applications of different types of lenses and mirrors.


16 Water: A Precious Resource

Read quickly,Just get an idea of the looming water crisis.

17 Forests: Our Lifeline

Given in the form of a story; Look for concepts given in between; Know how a forest ecosystem works in general.

18 Wastewater Story Read quickly,Not of much importance for prelims.


1 Crop Production And Management

Here focus on examples of Kharif and Rabi crops, role of manures and fertilizers, modern methods of irrigation and protection from weeds.

2 Microorganisms: Friend And Foe

Very very important chapter;

You must read it line by line from beginning to end.


3 Synthetic Fibres And Plastics

Know the types of fibres and their usages in daily life;

Not of much importance for UPSC, but you should know these basics.

4 Materials: Metals And Non-metals

Read quickly;

Skip all the chemical reactions.


5 Coal And Petroleum Know about coal formation and its products, petroleum products and their uses.

6 Combustion And Flame

Focus on the concepts of ignition temperature, methods to control fire, working of fire extinguisher, and ecological damage due to fuel burning


7 Conservation Of Plants And Animals

Important chapter for ecology part of the syllabus, read it well.

8 Cell-Structure And Function

These basics are generally asked in SSC type exams. Do focus on this chapter.

9 Reproduction In Animals

Very important chapter; read it well. Direct or applied questions can be asked in prelims from this chapter.


10 Reaching The Age Of Adolescence

Again an important chapter for prelims; You need to study it well; Focus on hormones, glands and their functions.

11 Force And Pressure Read quickly;

Focus on the practical applications of concepts like force, pressure, friction etc.


12 Friction Important chapter for prelims; Understand all the practical applications related to friction very well.

13 Sound Give this chapter a smooth reading. Focus on the characteristics of sound like pitch, loudness etc.

14 Chemical Effects Of Electric Current

Jump to electroplating and its applications.


15 Some Natural Phenomena

Lightning is explained well.

Do understand it clearly.

16 Light Important chapter;

Understand processes like diffusion, refraction etc well ;

Also know the functioning of human eye.


17 Stars And The Solar System

Very very important chapter to know the basics of astronomy;

Almost every alternate year a question is asked from astronomy in prelims. Prepare it well.

18 Pollution Of Air And Water

Important for ecology part of the syllabus;

The basics of air pollution is covered well.


1 Matter In Our Surrounding

Read quickly; Focus on the processes like evaporation, vaporization etc and their practical applications.

2 Is Matter Around Us Pure

Just know about Tyndall effect and colloids and their properties

3 Atoms And Molecules

Skip this chapter. Not of much importance for the exam.


4 Structure Of The Atoms

Nothing much important from UPSC point of view.

You can skip it or read it quickly.

5 The Fundamental Unit Of Life

You have already learnt the basics of cell in earlier class NCERTs.

Here focus on the components of cell and their functions.


6 Tissues A bit technical chapter, so you might find it difficult to understand and retain; Do not go into too much depth and focus on general understanding.

7 Diversity In Living Organisms

Gives the foundation of biology; You should know the classification and types of various species; Again, do not go into much depth. Just a broad understanding is enough from the exam point of view.


8 Motion Skip this chapter.

Important for school kids, not govt job aspirants.

9 Force And Laws Of Motion

Just focus on the three laws of motion and their practical applications;

Skip all the formulae and numericals.


10 Gravitation Important chapter;

Know the basics of gravitation, thrust, pressure, buoyancy and relative density;

Skip all the formulae and numericals.

11 Work And Energy

You should know the concepts of work and energy, forms of energy and their characteristics, laws of conservation of energy, power and its measurement.


12 Sound Here you have to understand how sound travels, characteristics of sound wave, reflection of sound and its uses, applications of ultrasound, sonar and working of human ear; Important chapter, read it well.

13 Why We Fall Ill

Important chapter for prelims and for general understanding; Give it a smooth reading; nothing complex.


14 Natural Resources Very important chapter for ecology part of the syllabus;

Focus on pollution and biogeochemical cycles.

15 Improvement In Food Resources

Again a very important chapter for prelims.

Read line by line from starting till end.


1 Chemical Reactions And Equations

Just read the last page - corrosion and rancidity. Skip rest of the chapter. Nothing important for exams.

2 Acids, Bases And Salts

Just read the importance of pH in everyday life and the uses of bleaching powder and different types of soda (baking, washing etc.).


3 Metals And Non-Metals

Just know the basic properties of metals and non-metals and the basics of corrosion and its prevention

4 Carbon And Its Compounds

You have to be very selective in this chapter; The “Do you know!” and “More to know!” boxes given on different pages are a must read. Skip all the chemical reactions, structure and formulae; working of soaps and detergents.


5 Periodic Classification Of Elements

Skip this chapter

6 Life Process Very very important chapter;

Read it very carefully, line by line.

Skip activities, reactions etc.


7 Control And Coordination

Another important chapter for prelims;

Focus more on coordination in plants and hormones in animals

8 How Do Organisms Reproduce

Focus more on asexual reproduction in single organisms and sexual reproduction in plants


9 Heredity And Evolution

Important chapter for understanding genetics; Give it a smooth reading;

10 Light - Reflection And Refraction

Be very selective while reading this chapter; Skip all the ray diagrams, images formed of various mirrors and lenses, activities and numericals; Just know the basic working of different types of mirrors and lenses and their applications in daily life.


11 The Human Eye And The Colourful World

Very important chapter for prelims; Understand all the natural optical phenomena well.

12 Electricity Just read the heating effects of electric current and skip rest of the chapter; Nothing relevant for UPSC.


13 Magnetic Effects Of Electric Current

Again, be very selective in reading this chapter; The working of solenoid, motor, generator etc will not be asked in the exam. You should know the basic characteristics of bar magnet, concept of electromagnetic induction, and working of an electric fuse.

14 Sources Of Energy

Very important chapter to know the basics of different types of energy sources.


15 Our Environment Some important concepts of ecology have been given in this chapter.

16 Management Of Natural Resources

Not of much importance for prelims, but it has some content from mains perspective. Read quickly and try to finish it asap.

Class 11th & 12th

● You can skip the physics and chemistry books. These are too technical and not relevant for govt exam preparation especially UPSC.

● But some units of Chemistry book part 2 are relevant for the exam especially, environmental chemistry.

● Just focus on the biology (XII more than XI) books and read them very selectively.

● Read further on the topics that you have studied till class 10.

● Do not go into depth. Just have a general understanding and move on.

Science NCERTs Class 11 Class 12

Chemistry Part II Unit 14 Unit 14, 15 & 16

Biology Unit 4 & 5 Unit 8, 9 & 10

Thank You!

approaching ncerts, ncerts bookmarking and important topics

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