INPhOIndian National Physics Olympiad
About INPhO
INPhO is the national round of India’s physics olympiad cycle, taken by the few hundred students who top NSEP each November. Conducted by HBCSE, the three-hour descriptive paper abandons multiple choice entirely: candidates must produce complete solutions to long, layered problems that reward physical insight and careful mathematics over speed.
Roughly the top thirty-five performers earn a place at the Orientation-cum-Selection Camp in Mumbai, where further theory and laboratory examinations select the five students who represent India at the International Physics Olympiad. India’s IPhO contingent has an exceptional medal record, which keeps competition at INPhO intense.
Accepted by: Top INPhO scorers are invited to the OCSC Physics camp at HBCSE, from which India’s five-member International Physics Olympiad team is selected; INPhO merit also carries weight with research institutes
Official websiteINPhO eligibility
Students who clear the NSEP (National Standard Examination in Physics) cut-off; NSEP itself is open to Classes 10–12 within the IAPT age window
INPhO exam pattern
Sections
- Single descriptive physics paper of multi-part problems requiring full worked solutions
Marking scheme: None (descriptive, step-marked answers)
INPhO syllabus outline
- Mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, optics and modern physics at a depth beyond Class 12 boards
- Problems are modelled on the International Physics Olympiad theory style — long, multi-part and estimation-heavy
- Stage structure: NSEP → INPhO → OCSC Physics camp (theory + experimental tests) → five-member IPhO team
Preparing for INPhO?
Olympiads reward deep fundamentals — the same preparation that pays off later in JEE, NEET and other entrance exams. Explore every national and international olympiad, or check the official site for this year's dates and registration.