NEET UG · Chemistry · Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure

VSEPR Theory: NEET previous year questions

13 questions in ten years of NEET, in 9 of 10 papers. Pattern: Every year. Here is how it is asked and which ideas come back.

Asked in 10 years: 13; about 1.2 per paper
Years asked: 9/10; last asked 2026
Chance of a question next paper: 84%; historical rate, how we compute it
Weighted estimate: 1.4; model; history: 1.2 a paper on average, typically 1–2

Key findings

01
Asked in 9 of 10 papers, 13 questions in all: #48 of 204 topics by ten-year total. It comes back every 1.1 years on average.
02
73% of its questions since 2018 tested an idea never asked before; none repeated an idea from the year before.
03
The most repeated idea is Molecular Shape Prediction, asked 3 times (2021, 2024, 2026), usually as “match list on molecular shapes”.
04
NEET has asked 8 of the 80 ideas in this topic; 62 have never been asked, directly or indirectly.
05
Mostly asked as one-line MCQ (62%); 31% easy, 8% hard, and up from 1.1 to 1.6 questions a paper since 2024.

Questions per year

Up to 2023: 1.1; per paper
Since 2024: 1.6; +0.5
Usual gap: 1.1 yrs; between papers asking it
Swing: ±0.6; questions, year to year

Recent framings

match list on species and geometry
order/ranking of polarity
count correct statements on molecular properties

Revise first

Molecular Shape Prediction (2021 2024 2026); Molecular Polarity (2021 2025); Polarity of Organic Functional Groups (2026)

How it is asked

Difficulty, format and skill

Across all 13 questions on VSEPR Theory since 2017.

Difficulty

QUESTIONS

Easy4 · 31%
Medium8 · 62%
Hard1 · 8%

Format

One-line MCQ · 8 Q62%
Match the lists · 3 Q23%
Other · 2 Q15%

Skill tested

Application · 7 Q54%
Concept · 2 Q15%
Multi-step · 2 Q15%
Recall · 2 Q15%

Repeats

New idea, or one asked before?

Each column is a paper. Blue questions tested an idea NEET had not asked before; navy ones went back to an idea from an earlier paper. 2017 is the first paper, so everything in it counts as new.

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

Idea asked for the first time
Idea asked in an earlier paper

Coverage of the topic

NEET has asked 8 of the 80 ideas in this topic. 62 have never been asked yet.

81062

Asked directly8 · 10%
Touched inside another question10 · 13%
Never asked62 · 78%

Ideas come from Lumi’s syllabus map of NCERT. A never-asked idea is not a safe skip: most new questions come from exactly these.

Drill down

Idea, year, question

Every idea NEET tested in this topic, with its ten papers. Open one to read the questions.

ideaAskedShareYears’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

Repeated3 · 23%23%3/10
- 2026 · Q75
  Match the species in List I with their geometry in List II List I | List II A. $\mathrm{PCl_5}$ | I. Tetrahedral B. $\mathrm{BrF_5}$ | II.…
  mediumMatch the lists
- 2024 · Q60
  Match List I with List II. List I (Compound) | List II (Shape/geometry) A. NH $_3$ | I. Trigonal Pyramidal B. BrF $_5$ | II. Square Planar…
  easyMatch the lists
- 2021 · Q67
  Match List - I with List - II. List - I | List - II (a) $\mathrm{PCl_5}$ | (i) Square pyramidal (b) $\mathrm{SF_6}$ | (ii) Trigonal planar…
  easyMatch the listsNew idea
Repeated2 · 15%15%2/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10

Squares are the ten papers, 2017 to 2026; darker means more questions. Share is of the level above.

Ideas

Every idea inside this topic

10 different ideas were tested; 2 came more than once. Electron Pair Geometry is the foundation for 66 other ideas in the syllabus.

Molecular Shape Prediction3×
match list on molecular shapes
Match the lists · 11% next · foundation for 40
Molecular Polarity2×
identify nonpolar molecule among options
Other · 6% next · foundation for 2
Polarity of Organic Functional Groups1×
order/ranking of polarity
Other · 6% next
Resonance Hybrid Geometries1×
true statement selection on bonding
One-line MCQ · 6% next
Exceptions to the Octet Rule1×
count species with given property
One-line MCQ · 4% next
Lone Pair Repulsion Effects1×
compare lone pair repulsions among molecules
One-line MCQ · 4% next · foundation for 12
Zero Dipole Moment Geometries1×
identify set with zero dipole moment
One-line MCQ · 4% next
Interhalogen Compound Shapes1×
count lone pairs on central atom
One-line MCQ · 4% next
Electron Pair Geometry1×
identify species with given bond angle
One-line MCQ · 4% next · foundation for 66
Isostructural Species Identification1×
identify isoelectronic and isostructural pair
One-line MCQ · 4% next

Idea	Times	Format	Chance next	Foundation for
Molecular Shape Predictionmatch list on molecular shapes	3	Match the listsRecall	11%	40 ideas
Molecular Polarityidentify nonpolar molecule among options	2	OtherApplication	6%	2 ideas
Polarity of Organic Functional Groupsorder/ranking of polarity	1	OtherConcept	6%	–
Resonance Hybrid Geometriestrue statement selection on bonding	1	One-line MCQConcept	6%	–
Exceptions to the Octet Rulecount species with given property	1	One-line MCQApplication	4%	–
Lone Pair Repulsion Effectscompare lone pair repulsions among molecules	1	One-line MCQApplication	4%	12 ideas
Zero Dipole Moment Geometriesidentify set with zero dipole moment	1	One-line MCQApplication	4%	–
Interhalogen Compound Shapescount lone pairs on central atom	1	One-line MCQApplication	4%	–
Electron Pair Geometryidentify species with given bond angle	1	One-line MCQApplication	4%	66 ideas
Isostructural Species Identificationidentify isoelectronic and isostructural pair	1	One-line MCQMulti-step	4%	–

Chance next is the historical rate at which an idea with this record came back in the following paper. It is low for every idea, which is why learning the topic beats memorising past questions. All repeated ideas

Every question

VSEPR Theory questions, year by year

The opening words of each question as it appeared in the official paper, with the idea it tested.

NEET 20262 questions

Q75
Match the species in List I with their geometry in List II List I | List II A. $\mathrm{PCl_5}$ | I. Tetrahedral B. $\mathrm{BrF_5}$ | II.…
Idea: Molecular Shape Prediction
MediumMatch the lists
Q89
Arrange the following compounds in the increasing order of polarity A. $\mathrm{CH_3CH_2OCH_2CH_3}$ B. $\mathrm{CH_3CH_2OH}$ C.…
Idea: Polarity of Organic Functional Groups
New ideaMediumOther

NEET 20251 question

Q87
Identify the correct orders against the property mentioned A. $H_2O > NH_3 > CHCl_3$ – dipole moment B. $XeF_4 > XeO_3 > XeF_2$ – number…
Idea: Molecular Polarity
HardOther

NEET 20242 questions

Q60
Match List I with List II. List I (Compound) | List II (Shape/geometry) A. NH $_3$ | I. Trigonal Pyramidal B. BrF $_5$ | II. Square Planar…
Idea: Molecular Shape Prediction
EasyMatch the lists
Q87
Identify the correct answer.
Idea: Resonance Hybrid Geometries
New ideaMediumOne-line MCQ

NEET 20231 question

Q82
Amongst the following, the total number of species NOT having eight electrons around central atom in its outer most shell, is…
Idea: Exceptions to the Octet Rule
New ideaMediumOne-line MCQ

NEET 20221 question

Q82
Amongst the following which one will have maximum 'lone pair - lone pair' electron repulsions ?
Idea: Lone Pair Repulsion Effects
New ideaMediumOne-line MCQ

NEET 20212 questions

Q67
Match List - I with List - II. List - I | List - II (a) $\mathrm{PCl_5}$ | (i) Square pyramidal (b) $\mathrm{SF_6}$ | (ii) Trigonal planar…
Idea: Molecular Shape Prediction
New ideaEasyMatch the lists
Q92
Which of the following molecules is non-polar in nature ?
Idea: Molecular Polarity
New ideaMediumOne-line MCQ

NEET 20201 question

Q98
Which of the following set of molecules will have zero dipole moment ?
Idea: Zero Dipole Moment Geometries
New ideaMediumOne-line MCQ

NEET 20181 question

Q51
In the structure of $\mathrm{ClF_3}$ , the number of lone pairs of electrons on central atom 'Cl' is
Idea: Interhalogen Compound Shapes
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20172 questions

Q47
Which of the following pairs of compounds is isoelectronic and isostructural
Idea: Isostructural Species Identification
MediumOne-line MCQ
Q53
The species, having bond angles of 120° is :
Idea: Electron Pair Geometry
EasyOne-line MCQ

Questions from the official NEET UG papers published by NTA (CBSE before 2019). Topic and idea tags, counts and notes are Lumi’s.