What the board asks
We went through the ISC board papers, question by question, and matched each question to a topic. Here is what was asked, how often, and what was never asked.
Physics: 427 topics in the 2027 syllabus, across 9 units. The board has asked 269 of them at least once. 158 were never asked in the papers we checked.
Pick a unit
P8 Atoms and Nuclei
This unit carries about 6 marks in the paper. We split it into 36 topics: each is one thing an examiner can ask, and you can practise it on paper in 5 to 25 minutes. The board has asked 26 of them. 10 were never asked. The top 5 topics make 39% of all the times this unit was asked. Last asked: Specimen 2027.
The syllabus says: Mathematical theory of scattering excluded. Nuclear reactor parts and use of energy output: qualitative only. Details of chain reaction not required. Use nm, not angstrom, for wavelength. Radioactivity is not listed in this document.
26asked by the board at least once
10in the syllabus, never asked
61times a topic of this unit was asked
5.6hours for one attempt at every topic
What the papers ask most
- State Bohr's postulates for the hydrogen atom7 times, last Specimen 2027
- Numericals: scaling of r, v, E and L with n5 times, last 2026
- Nuclear reactor: main parts, their functions, use5 times, last 2025
- Hydrogen spectrum: five series, wavelength formulae, regions4 times, last Specimen 2027
- Numericals: threshold energy for pair production, annihilation energy3 times, last Specimen 2027
- Energy level diagram of hydrogen with series transitions3 times, last 2025 improvement
- Mass defect, binding energy, binding energy per nucleon: definitions3 times, last 2025
- Nuclear fusion: definition, equation, conditions, where it occurs3 times, last 2025
- Pair production and pair annihilation with balanced equations3 times, last 2024
- Derive orbital velocity of the electron in nth orbit2 times, last Specimen 2027
In the syllabus, never asked (10)
They can still come, because they are in the syllabus. Give each one clean attempt. Your plan has two practice questions for each.
- Derive distance of closest approach of an alpha particleDerivation
- Numericals: distance of closest approachNumericals
- Atomic structure terms: Z, N, A and nuclide notationStatement
- Obtain the Rydberg formula from Bohr's energy levelsDerivation
- Numericals: Delta E, frequency and wavelength of a transitionNumericals
- Numericals: nuclear radius and nuclear densityNumericals
- Explain fission and fusion energy release from the BE curveGive reason
- Calculate Q for fission from BE per nucleon valuesNumericals
- Chain reaction: controlled versus uncontrolled, criticalityComparison
- Compare nuclear fission and nuclear fusion (table)Comparison
The 10 topics Physics papers ask most
Counted on the board papers from 2018 to the 2027 specimen paper, which every unit has been checked against.
- 1.Numericals: peak, rms, mean, frequency from an ac equationP4 Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating Currents · asked 7 times since 2018
- 2.Uses and special properties of each region (table)P5 Electromagnetic Waves · asked 7 times since 2018
- 3.State Bohr's postulates for the hydrogen atomP8 Atoms and Nuclei · asked 7 times since 2018
- 4.Magnetic force on a moving charge and Lorentz forceP3 Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism · asked 6 times since 2018
- 5.Numericals: average power and power factorP4 Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating Currents · asked 6 times since 2018
- 6.Doping, n-type and p-type, donors, acceptors, carriersP9 Electronic Devices · asked 6 times since 2018
- 7.Numericals: two-loop network with two batteries (Kirchhoff)P2 Current Electricity · asked 5 times since 2018
- 8.Derive B at the centre of a circular loopP3 Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism · asked 5 times since 2018
- 9.Numericals: B at the centre of a circular coilP3 Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism · asked 5 times since 2018
- 10.Ampere's law: derive B near a long straight wireP3 Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism · asked 5 times since 2018