Dashboard · Exams · NSEP
National Standard Examination in Physics
HBCSE/IAPT Stage-1 physics olympiad. 80 MCQs (60 single-correct + 20 multi-correct) in 3 hours covering Class 11+12 physics and olympiad-style problem solving.
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Source: official exam authority notification · refreshed weekly. How this works →
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Errors and UncertaintyThe radius of a sphere is measured as (5.0 ± 0.1) cm. The percentage error in its volume is approximately:
Tap an option to check your answer.
Start with a diagnostic
10 questions across the syllabus to see where you stand.
Verified against the official notification. Source ↗ · last reconciled 2026-05.
Historical cutoffs are a guide, not a prediction. Use them to set a realistic target, not to predict next year's exact number.
HBCSE picks top ~300 candidates nationally for INPhO. Exact cutoffs vary by year and by Part A vs Part B performance balance.
| Year | Category | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | All India MAS (Minimum Admissible Score) | 40% of average of top 10 scores |
| 2024 | Indicative qualifying score (top ~300) | ~120 – 150 |
Source: official ↗ · verified 2026-05.
We are sourcing PYQs from the official notification PDFs. Coming soon.
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NSEP — Quick Practice
FULL20 questions · 180 min
Start mock →Take a mock to see where you stand on the leaderboard.
What can I get from NSEP?
Mock-score → expected rank → likely outcome. Use the mocks below to find your current band, then plan how many marks you need to climb.
Elite — IPhO team contender
95–100% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
Topic-by-topic weightage averaged across 2022-2024 papers. Use this to decide where to invest study hours, not where to skim. Source ↗ · verified 2026-05.
50/216 marks avg
Kinematics + Newton's laws + rotation + gravitation
25/216 marks avg
Laws of thermodynamics + kinetic theory + heat engines
55/216 marks avg
Electrostatics + magnetism + EM induction + circuits
30/216 marks avg
Geometrical + wave optics + waves + sound
35/216 marks avg
Quantum + atomic + nuclear + relativity basics
21/216 marks avg
Experimental physics + error analysis
IPhO training camp likely
90–95% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
OCSC potential range
82–90% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
Strong INPhO contender
70–82% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
INPhO qualification probable
55–70% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
Regional merit range
35–55% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
Below qualification threshold
0–35% · Post-based exam (no numeric rank)
AI-curated from historic cut-off patterns. Always verify with the latest official notification before making decisions.
The online registration for NSEP 2026-27 is expected to begin on August 1, 2026 on the official IAPT website (iapt.org.in). Based on the previous cycle, student enrollment typically runs through mid-September.
The National Standard Examination in Physics 2026 is expected to be held on November 23, 2026, from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM. The exam is conducted as Stage 1 of India's Physics Olympiad program for Classes 11 and 12 students.
Students registering directly via the IAPT portal pay ₹200, while centre-based registrations are ₹300 per subject. The fee is non-refundable, and no additional fees are required for subsequent stages up to IPhO.
The syllabus covers Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electromagnetism, Optics, Waves, and Modern Physics. The exam consists of 60 MCQs (48 single-correct and 12 multiple-correct) for a total of 216 marks with negative marking.
NSEP 2026-27 centre registration opens
22 days awaySat, 1 Aug, 2026
Schools and designated centres can begin registering on IAPT portal
NSEP 2026-27 student enrollment begins
42 days awayFri, 21 Aug, 2026
Individual students can register via iapt.org.in
NSEP 2026-27 registration deadline
67 days awayTue, 15 Sept, 2026
Last date to complete registration expected mid-September
NSEP 2026 admit card release
113 days awaySat, 31 Oct, 2026
Download from IAPT portal using registration number
🏅NSEP 2026 — exam day
136 days awayMon, 23 Nov, 2026
🏅NSEP 2026 examination day
136 days awayMon, 23 Nov, 2026
Tentatively November 23, 2026, 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM (2 hours, pen-paper mode)
Click any topic to read study notes
Units and Measurements
SI units, dimensional analysis, significant figures and error analysis.
Kinematics
Motion in 1D and 2D — velocity, acceleration, projectile and relative motion.
Laws of Motion
Newton's laws, friction, circular dynamics and dynamics of connected systems.
Work, Energy and Power
Work-energy theorem, conservative forces, potential energy and elastic/inelastic collisions.
System of Particles and Rotational Motion
Centre of mass, torque, angular momentum, moment of inertia, rolling motion.
Gravitation
Newton's law of gravitation, gravitational potential, orbital motion, Kepler's laws and escape velocity.
Mechanical Properties of Solids
Stress, strain, elastic moduli and Poisson ratio.
Mechanical Properties of Fluids
Pressure, Pascal's law, buoyancy, surface tension, viscosity and Bernoulli's principle.
Thermal Properties of Matter
Temperature, thermal expansion, calorimetry, heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) and blackbody laws.
Thermodynamics
Zeroth, first and second laws, isothermal/adiabatic processes, heat engines, refrigerators and entropy at school level.
Kinetic Theory of Gases
Ideal gas law, pressure of ideal gas, equipartition of energy and mean free path.
Oscillations
Simple harmonic motion, energy in SHM, simple/compound pendulum, damped and forced oscillations.
Waves
Transverse and longitudinal waves, superposition, beats, standing waves, sound, Doppler effect.
Electrostatics
Coulomb's law, electric field, potential, Gauss's law and capacitance.
Current Electricity
Ohm's law, drift velocity, Kirchhoff's laws, Wheatstone bridge, potentiometer and meter bridge.
Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism
Biot-Savart and Ampere's laws, force on a current-carrying conductor, moving-coil galvanometer, magnetic materials.
Electromagnetic Induction
Faraday's and Lenz's laws, motional EMF, self/mutual inductance, eddy currents.
Alternating Current
RMS values, LCR circuits, resonance, power factor and transformers.
Electromagnetic Waves
Maxwell's equations qualitative, displacement current, EM spectrum and wave properties.
Ray Optics and Optical Instruments
Reflection, refraction, total internal reflection, lenses, mirrors, microscope and telescope.
Wave Optics
Huygens principle, interference (Young's double slit), diffraction at single slit and polarisation.
Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter
Photoelectric effect, Einstein's equation, de Broglie waves and Davisson-Germer experiment.
Atoms and Nuclei
Rutherford and Bohr models, hydrogen spectrum, nuclear binding energy, radioactivity and decay laws.
Electronic Devices
Semiconductors, p-n junction, diode rectifiers and transistor basics as in NCERT Class 12.
Olympiad-style Problem Solving
Multi-concept problems, dimensional reasoning and order-of-magnitude estimation typical of NSEP.
NSEP 2026 results and merit list
Fri, 25 Dec, 2026
Results typically released in late December; top performers qualify for INPhO
🏅INPhO 2027 for NSEP qualifiers
215 days awayWed, 10 Feb, 2027
Indian National Physics Olympiad held January/February 2027