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The National Standard Examination in Physics is the first stage of the Indian Physics Olympiad programme, conducted by IAPT. It works like the entry point for Class 11 and 12 students who want to represent India at the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO). The exam checks concepts that go beyond CBSE/ISC textbooks, and has 60 multiple-choice questions to solve within 2 hours. The overall difficulty feels closer to JEE Advanced, but with more emphasis on conceptual clarity, logical reasoning and applying physics in non-routine situations.
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The NSEP syllabus includes the units Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism, Optics, Thermodynamics, and Modern Physics. A lot of the questions end up being multi-step, so you can’t just memorise formulas and move on; sometimes you have to think it through, in a smart way. NSEP previous Year Question Papers are the most valuable resource for NSEP, because they show you IAPT’s kind of question style. When you analyse NSEP papers from 2015 to 2025, you keep seeing some recurring patterns, like dimensional analysis, error analysis, those tricky graph-based questions, and conceptual MCQs that test the fundamentals, not just the formulae. If you solve the PYQs consistently, you start building the problem-solving intuition you need for crossing the MI/MAS cut-off and then qualifying for INPhO.
In this article, you will get NSEP Previous Year Question Papers with answer keys and detailed solutions. We have also added topic-wise distribution and weightage analysis of the last 10 years, so you can focus on high-priority areas for NSEP 2026.
Must Read: How To Prepare NSEP For Ray Optics
Some of the important highlights of the NSEP exam are given in the table below.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Form | National Standard Examination in Physics |
| Conducting Body | IAPT in collaboration with HBCSE |
| Exam Level | National |
| Mode of Exam | Offline (pen-and-paper) |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Question Type | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Medium | English, Hindi, and selected regional languages |
| Eligibility | Students studying in Class 12 or below who satisfy the official age and nationality criteria |
| Exam Frequency | Once a year |
| Exam Month | Usually November |
| Application Mode | Through registered schools or exam centres |
NSEP question papers can be downloaded through its official website. The pointers given below mention the steps to download the NSEP exam papers:
Open the website: iapt.org.in.
Scroll down, and on the bottom right corner of the homepage, the download links can be seen. Click on the ‘NSEP Question Papers’ link of the respective year as shown below:

The NSEP question paper PDF will be displayed on the screen.
Download it on your device or take a printout of the same.
Get your results instantly with our calculator!
The complete year-wise NSEP question paper, along with the answer key, is provided in the PDF. Click on the relevant ebook link to download the PDF for free and solve it before the final NSEP exam.
Click on the link given below to download the NSEP 2025-26 question paper PDF and answer key. The PDFs are totally free of charge, which is very crucial for the upcoming final NSEP exam.
| NSEP Question Paper 2025-26 | Click Here |
| NSEP Answer Key 2025-26 | Click Here |
Check the NSEP 2024-25 question paper and answer key PDF by clicking on the link given in the table below.
| NSEP Question Paper 2024-25 | Click Here |
| NSEP Answer Key 2024-25 | Click Here |
Download the complete NSEP question paper along with the answer key PDF for the academic year 2023-24 by clicking on the link given below.
| NSEP Question Paper 2023-24 with Answer Key PDF | Click Here |
Access the NSEP question paper and answer key PDF 2022-23 for free. The PDF link is given below.
| NSEP Question Paper 2022-23 with Answer Key PDF | Click Here |
Students must download and practice the NSEP question paper PDF 2021-22 to score good marks in the upcoming NSEP exam.
| NSEP Question Paper 2021-22 with Answer Key PDF | Click Here |
The complete NSEP exam pattern is given below, which consists of a total of 50 questions, out of which 48 questions are from part A, having 3 marks each and 12 questions from part B, having 6 marks each. Check the detailed exam pattern by going through the table below.
| Section | Number of Questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks | Question Type | Correct Answer Type | Negative Marking |
| Part A | 48 | 3 | 144 | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) | Single correct option out of four choices | Yes (+3 for correct, −1 for incorrect) |
| Part B | 12 | 6 | 72 | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) | Multiple correct options (4, 3, 2, or 1 correct answers) | No |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Students must prepare all topics of the NSEP syllabus, make short notes of important topics, revise the prepared topics on a regular basis, and solve previous year's NSEP question papers.
The NSEP question paper is considered challenging, testing deep conceptual understanding and application, more demanding than standard CBSE exams.
Yes, NCERT books are enough for NSEP preparation. However, it is suggested to follow other reference books for solving different types of numerical problems.
The NSEP syllabus is similar to the Class 11th & 12th syllabus. NSEP question papers will be created based on the NSEP syllabus.
On Question asked by student community
Hi Manish,
Here is the link of question paper
https://school.careers360.com/boards/cbse/cbse-class-12-english-question-paper-2025
Hi Aradhana
Here is the link of Question Paper
https://school.careers360.com/boards/cbse/cbse-class-12-supplementary-question-paper-2026
Hello Dear Student,
If you've passed Class 10 from CBSE and don't remember your registration number , you can retrieve it using one of these methods:
Hello,
Yes, if you have passed Class 12 but wish to improve your Mathematics marks, you can apply for the CBSE Improvement Examination, subject to the eligibility criteria and registration schedule notified by CBSE. Please keep checking the official CBSE website for the latest notification regarding registration dates and examination
Hello Ananya,
Please specify the class for which you need the question papers. I am providing Class 10 and 12 papers.
Here are the links to the CBSE Half-yearly Question Papers (2025-2026).
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