National Standard Examination in Physics (NSEP) is conducted by Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT) to select students for International level Science Olympiad. The students who are interested to participate in International Science Olympiad have to go through different levels of examination and NSEP is the first stage for selecting eligible and qualified students. NSEP is conducted at regional level by all participating states and UTs.
In this article, students can check all about the National Standard Examination for Physics (NSEP) including eligibility criteria, application process, exam pattern, centres and selection criteria.
Key Features of NSEP:
Conducted by – Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT)
Exam level – National Level
Objective – Selection in International Science Olympiad
Exam mode – Pen-Paper mode
Classes – For student below class 12
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Important Dates for NSEP:
| Events |
Dates |
| Applications for NSEP begins |
In September every year |
| National Standard Examination for Physics (for all regions) |
In November |
| Result for shortlisted students |
By December |
NSEP Eligibility:
The eligibility criteria for NSEP is as mentioned below –
- Students must be Indian National only
- Students must be between 15-20 years
- They should not have completed or studying in class 12th before 30 November as in the year of examination
- They must not have taken or been planning to take admission in any University in the following year of the Olympiad
- Must not be appearing in NSE Junior Science in the same year of examination
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How to participate in NSEP:
- Students who wish to appear for National Standard Examination for Physics need to register through their Schools only at the IAPT registered regional centres of their state
- Students have to pay an application fee of Rs. 100 (in cash) for registration at the regional centres only
Exam Pattern of National Standard Examination for Physic:
NSEP is conducted to assess conceptual understanding of students in Physics and the test paper is designed as under –
Exam Timings – 8:30 am to 10:30 am (tentative)
Duration of Exam – Two hours
Test paper Level/ Syllabus – CBSE Class 12th syllabus
Test medium/ language – English and language as requested by student from Hindi, Bangla and Gujarati (during registration only)
Type of questions – Objective type with multiple choices
Sections – Two parts
Total number of questions – 70 MCQs
Total Marks – 240 marks
NSEP Weightage –
| Features |
Part 1 |
Part 2 |
| Questions |
60 questions |
10 questions |
| Marks |
3 marks each |
6 marks each |
| Marking Scheme |
1 mark deducted for each incorrect attempt |
No negative marking in case of wrong attempts |
| Total |
180 |
60 |
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NSEP Exam Cities:
| S. No. |
Exam City |
Total Number of Exam Centres |
| 1. |
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana |
215 |
| 2. |
Assam |
12 |
| 3. |
Arunachal Pradesh |
03 |
| 4. |
Bihar |
10 |
| 5. |
Chandigarh |
12 |
| 6. |
Chhattisgarh |
21 |
| 7. |
Delhi |
54 |
| 8. |
Gujarat |
44 |
| 9. |
Goa |
05 |
| 10. |
Himachal Pradesh |
14 |
| 11. |
Haryana |
37 |
| 12. |
Jharkhand |
20 |
| 13. |
Jammu and Kashmir |
37 |
| 14. |
Karnataka |
63 |
| 15. |
Kerala |
36 |
| 16. |
Maharashtra |
163 |
| 17. |
Madhya Pradesh |
56 |
| 18. |
North Eastern states |
09 |
| 19. |
Odisha |
29 |
| 20. |
Punjab |
36 |
| 21. |
Puducherry |
03 |
| 22. |
Rajasthan |
42 |
| 23. |
Tamilnadu |
20 |
| 34. |
Uttrakhand |
32 |
| 35. |
Uttar Pradesh |
114 |
| 36. |
West Bengal |
50 |
NSEP Selection Process:
NSEP is the first stage exam for short listing students for Indian National Science Olympiad (INO). And the selection is done on the following factors–
- Eligibility of the students
- Merit Scores of the students in the qualifying examinations
- Proportional representation clause
- Minimum representation clause
- Previous International representation clause
- Minimum total number clause (Maximum students for INO should be 300 only)
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Disclaimer: The information provided here is based on last year’s IAPT information brochure for NSEP. The information will be updated as and when the updated brochure is available in September 2018.