General Science Exam Survival Guide

Window: SSC/Bank/RRB • CUET/State CETs • UPSC Prelims GS-1/CSAT basics • Placement aptitude
Components: Physics • Chemistry • Biology • Earth/Env/Space • Data-in-science

Must-do topics (80/20 coverage)

Physics (concept > formula dump)

• Mechanics: units/dimensions, vectors, Newton’s laws & FBDs, work–energy–power, momentum/impulse, circular motion.
• Waves/SHM: v=fλv=f\lambdav=fλ, interference basics, resonance, simple pendulum & spring TTT.
• Heat/Thermo: temperature vs heat, specific heat/latent heat, gas laws, 1st law sign sense.
• Electricity & Magnetism: Ohm/Kirchhoff (series/parallel), capacitors basics, magnetic force qvBqvBqvB, induction (Faraday–Lenz).
• Optics: reflection/refraction (Snell), lens/mirror formula, magnification & sign rules.

Chemistry (micro–symbol–macro triangle)

• Atomic & Bonding: subatomic particles, isotopes, electronic config, periodic trends, ionic/covalent/metallic/H-bonding.
• Mole & Stoichiometry: mass–mole–volume ladder, limiting reagent, % composition.
• States/Solutions: colligative ideas, solubility factors, concentration (M, m, %).
• Thermo/Equilibrium: ΔH,ΔS,ΔG\Delta H,\Delta S,\Delta GΔH,ΔS,ΔG, Le Châtelier, KKK vs QQQ, ICE table.
• Acids/Bases & pH: strong vs weak (strength ≠ concentration), buffers (Henderson–Hasselbalch).
• Electrochem: redox basics, galvanic cell sign conventions, Nernst idea.

Biology (systems & mechanisms)

• Cell & Biomolecules: organelles, enzymes, DNA/RNA, transcription/translation direction.
• Genetics: gene/allele/trait, mono/di-hybrid crosses, linkage idea, chi-square goodness-of-fit, Hardy–Weinberg.
• Human Physiology: digestion, circulation, respiration, excretion, nervous & endocrine control, immunity (innate/adaptive).
• Plant Physiology: photosynthesis vs respiration, transport (xylem/phloem), hormones basics.
• Ecology: food chains/webs, 10% law, biomes, population growth (exponential/logistic), cycles (C/N/H₂O).
• Biotech & Health: PCR/gels/cloning, vaccines, antibio-resistance basics.

Earth/Env/Space

• Geosphere: plate tectonics, earthquakes/volcanoes, rocks & minerals, soil basics.
• Atmosphere & Weather: layers, winds/monsoon drivers, fronts, ozone vs greenhouse.
• Hydrosphere: ocean currents, El Niño/La Niña gist, water cycle.
• Environment: pollutants & units (PM2.5, BOD/COD), treaties (UNFCCC/CBD), protected-area types.
• Space: seasons (tilt), phases/eclipses, planets order, satellites & launch vehicle basics; magnitude/HR diagram gist.

Data-in-science (appears across sections): read tables/graphs with TAUSL (Title–Axes–Units–Scale–Legend), error bars, rates vs totals, log vs linear axes.

Top traps (avoid)

• Physics: forgetting net force = 0 at constant speed; mixing mass/weight; Dijkstra-style “current used up” (it isn’t); amplitude ≠ speed; lens/mirror sign mistakes.
• Chem: using stoich by mass not by mole; including solids/liquids in KKK; “exothermic ⇒ spontaneous” (not always—ΔG\Delta GΔG decides); mixing strength with pH; wrong units/log base in Nernst.
• Bio: allele/trait conflation; meiosis I vs II separations; teleological evolution (“needed to”); plants “respire only at night.”
• Earth/Env: seasons by Sun–Earth distance (wrong); greenhouse vs ozone hole; map/location mismatches.
• Data: reading log plots as linear; comparing rates to counts; percentage change vs percentage-points.

Last-48h checklist (do exactly this)

• Physics: 20 Q mixed numericals (work–energy, circuits, Snell) + 10 concept T/F with quick sketches (FBD, rays).
• Chem: 15 stoich + 10 equilibrium/ICE + 10 acid–base pH mini-problems; write one-line reason per miss.
• Bio: 10 genetics grids + 1 chi-square, 10 physiology “pathway” questions, 10 ecology energy/graph reads.
• Earth/Env/Space: 20 map/location one-liners (parks, rivers, layers), 10 climate/El Niño conceptual.
• Data drills: 6 figures (1 log, 1 stacked, 1 with error bars); apply TAUSL verbally each time.
• Formula/idea ring (1 page): lens/mirror + Ohm/Kirchhoff + v=fλv=f\lambdav=fλ + ΔG=ΔH−TΔS\Delta G=\Delta H-T\Delta SΔG=ΔH−TΔS + H–H + KKK vs QQQ + 10% energy rule + seasons=tilt + key units (ppm, ppb, m/s², J, Pa).

Quick facts & frames (carry card)

• FBD rule: draw W, N, T, f; constant vvv ⇒ ∑F=0\sum F=0∑F=0.
• Work areas: area under F ⁣− ⁣xF\!-\!xF−x or P ⁣− ⁣VP\!-\!VP−V = work; series: same III; parallel: same VVV.
• Optics: 1/f=1/do+1/di1/f=1/d_o+1/d_i1/f=1/do​+1/di​; m=−di/dom=-d_i/d_om=−di​/do​; denser medium → bend toward normal.
• Stoich ladder: mass ⇄ moles (by MrM_rMr​) ⇄ volume (gases/solutions). Limit first, % yield last.
• Equilibrium: write QQQ from present; compare with KKK to know direction; exclude s, l.
• Buffers: pH=pKa+log⁡[A−][HA]\text{pH}=pK_a+\log\frac{[A^-]}{[HA]}pH=pKa​+log[HA][A−]​ (use ratio logic).
• Genetics: dihybrid 9:3:3:1 only if independent; recomb% ≈ cM map distance (small).
• H–W: p2:2pq:q2p^2:2pq:q^2p2:2pq:q2 & assumptions (no selection/migration/mutation; large, random mating).
• Ecology: trophic energy ≈ 10% step; rest lost as heat/respiration.
• Seasons: axial tilt controls sun angle/day length, not distance.

Speed tactics (during test)

• Sketch first: FBD/ray/ICE table/flow diagram before numbers.
• Units audit: write target unit; convert once, compute once; kill options with wrong dimensions.
• Prefer ratios & bounds to heavy arithmetic; estimate order-of-magnitude.
• For graphs: say TAUSL aloud; identify rate vs total before answering.
• If stuck @ 60–90 s: switch method (diagram ↔ proportion; numeric ↔ conceptual) or mark & move.

Exam-day mini-plan

• 3-min warm-up: 1 circuit, 1 stoich, 1 genetics grid, 1 graph read.
• Pass 1: bank clean concept Qs (definition/graph/units).
• Pass 2: short numericals (work–energy, pH, lens) then maps.
• Final 8–10 min: unit/sign audits; recheck EXCEPT/NOT stems.

Practice cycle (weekly)

1. Diagnose: 40-Q mixed (10 per pillar) + 2 figure sets; tag misses: [Units] [Sign] [Graph/Scale] [Limit/LeChatelier] [Genetics] [Map].
2. Deep fix: 5 problems per tag with written “why wrong → correct frame.”
3. Retest: fresh 30-Q set + 1 figure set.
4. Summarize: update ring; add one exemplar diagram per pillar (FBD, ICE, ray, H-W, map).