First-year general chemistry papers look broadly alike from school to school. Expect a written exam of about 2 to 3 hours. Many papers are in two parts: an objective section of multiple-choice or short-answer questions that sweeps the whole syllabus, and a theory and calculation section where you "answer any three (or four)" of five or six longer questions, usually worth 10 to 20 marks each, often split into parts (a), (b), (c). Some papers have one compulsory question instead. Continuous assessment (tests and practicals) usually carries the remaining marks.

The same kinds of question come up again and again:

Definitions and statements (2 to 3 marks each): element, compound, isotope, relative atomic mass, orbital, the Aufbau principle, Pauli exclusion principle and Hund's rule, ionisation energy, electronegativity, the mole, limiting reagent, Arrhenius and Brønsted–Lowry acids, pH, buffer, and the gas laws.
Atomic structure: particles in atoms and ions, relative atomic mass from abundances, Rutherford's experiment with observations and conclusions, quantum numbers, and electronic configurations (with Cr and Cu as traps).
Periodicity and bonding: explain a trend with reasons; dot-and-cross diagrams; VSEPR shapes with bond angles; hydrogen bonding and its effects.
Calculations: moles and particles, percentage composition, empirical and molecular formulas, reacting masses and gas volumes, limiting reagent and percentage yield, gas law problems, concentration and dilution, pH of strong acids and bases, titrations, and buffer pH.

Most marks live in the working. Write the formula before you substitute; show the mole ratio from a balanced equation; convert temperatures to kelvin and volumes to dm³ where the formula needs them; carry units on every line; and give the final answer with its unit and sensible significant figures (pH to 2 decimal places). A right answer with no working often earns only a fraction of the marks; a wrong answer with clear, correct method usually keeps most of them.

A calm plan for the day: read the whole paper first and choose your optional questions before writing. Share your time in proportion to the marks and leave ten minutes to check arithmetic. Practise beforehand on the calculator you will use: know the log and 10ˣ keys (for pH and back), the EXP or ×10ˣ key for numbers like $6.02 \times 10^{23}$, and keep intermediate values in memory so you round only once, at the end. Bring the data you are given (relative atomic masses, $R$, $L$, molar volume) into every answer explicitly; it shows the examiner exactly what you did.