CBSE Class 12 Physics (subject code 042) has a 3-hour, 70-mark theory paper and a 30-mark practical exam. The 2026-27 syllabus has 14 NCERT chapters in nine units, from electrostatics to semiconductor electronics, and the paper tests remembering, applying and analysing in roughly equal parts. This FLN Tutors course covers every chapter one to one with a verified physics tutor: concepts, the derivations that repeat in board papers, NCERT and sample-paper numericals, the practical exam, the investigatory project and answer-writing for the board exam.
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In short: CBSE Class 12 Physics is the board-exam physics course of the Central Board of Secondary Education, subject code 042. It follows the NCERT Physics Class XII textbooks, Part I and Part II, and the NCERT lab manual.
The course has 14 chapters grouped into nine units: electrostatics, current electricity, magnetism, electromagnetic induction and alternating current, electromagnetic waves, optics, dual nature of radiation, atoms and nuclei, and electronic devices. It is the base for engineering and medical entrance exams as well as the board exam itself.
Content marked as excluded in the NCERT books for 2026-27 is not assessed. This FLN Tutors course covers the full syllabus one to one with a verified physics tutor.
Official source: CBSE senior secondary curriculum 2026-27. See also physics tutoring, the CBSE Class 11 Physics course and CBSE support.
| Component | Time | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Theory paper | 3 hours | 70 |
| Practical exam | 3 hours | 30 |
| Total | 100 |
Practical exam breakdown:
| Part | Marks |
|---|---|
| Two experiments, one from each section | 7 + 7 |
| Practical record (experiments and activities) | 5 |
| One activity from any section | 3 |
| Investigatory project | 3 |
| Viva on experiments, activities and project | 5 |
| Total | 30 |
These figures come from the CBSE Physics curriculum for 2026-27. The record should include at least six activities, three from each section. Visually impaired candidates take a 2-hour practical with a different breakdown, set out in the same document.
| Unit | Chapters | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| I Electrostatics, II Current electricity | 1-3 | 16 |
| III Magnetic effects of current and magnetism, IV EMI and AC | 4-7 | 17 |
| V Electromagnetic waves, VI Optics | 8-10 | 18 |
| VII Dual nature of radiation and matter, VIII Atoms and nuclei | 11-13 | 12 |
| IX Electronic devices | 14 | 7 |
| Total | 70 |
Optics and EM waves together carry the most marks, followed closely by magnetism and AC, then electrostatics and current electricity. Modern physics and semiconductors carry fewer marks but are short chapters, so they often give the best return for revision time.
The CBSE question paper design for 2026-27 spreads the 70 theory marks across three competency levels:
| Competency | Marks | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Remembering and understanding | 27 | about 38% |
| Applying | 22 | about 32% |
| Analysing, evaluating and creating | 21 | about 30% |
In practice, this means fewer marks for reproducing a definition and more for using a law in an unfamiliar situation, interpreting a graph, or explaining an observation. Case-based and assertion-reason questions test exactly this. Your tutor practises all three levels, not just recall.
| No. | Chapter | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electric charges and fields | Electrostatics |
| 2 | Electrostatic potential and capacitance | Electrostatics |
| 3 | Current electricity | Current electricity |
| 4 | Moving charges and magnetism | Magnetism |
| 5 | Magnetism and matter | Magnetism |
| 6 | Electromagnetic induction | EMI and AC |
| 7 | Alternating current | EMI and AC |
| 8 | Electromagnetic waves | EM waves |
| 9 | Ray optics and optical instruments | Optics |
| 10 | Wave optics | Optics |
| 11 | Dual nature of radiation and matter | Dual nature |
| 12 | Atoms | Atoms and nuclei |
| 13 | Nuclei | Atoms and nuclei |
| 14 | Semiconductor electronics | Electronic devices |
The chapter order matches the NCERT books, and the course modules follow the same 14 chapters.
Many students find Class 12 physics demanding because it is more abstract than Class 11. Electric and magnetic fields cannot be seen, so you have to build a mental picture from diagrams and equations. The paper also mixes theory, derivations and numericals in one sitting, and competency-based questions ask you to apply ideas rather than repeat them.
The good news is that the syllabus is fixed and the NCERT book is the main reference. Students who learn each chapter's core ideas, practise the standard derivations and solve the NCERT exercises carefully usually find the board paper fair. Steady weekly work makes a much bigger difference than last-minute revision.
Students often say Class 11 is harder in mechanics, where rotation and multi-step numericals take time, while Class 12 is harder conceptually, because fields, induction and wave optics are abstract. Class 12 also builds on Class 11: vectors, work and energy, circular motion and waves all return in electrostatics, magnetism and optics.
So the honest answer is that it depends on where your strengths lie. If you have gaps in vectors or energy from Class 11, fix them early in Class 12. Your tutor checks these foundations in the first few lessons, so they do not slow down the board-exam chapters.
These derivations appear often in board papers and sample papers. Learn them with a labelled diagram and stated assumptions.
| Chapter | Derivations to know |
|---|---|
| 1 Electric charges and fields | Field on the axis and equatorial line of a dipole; torque on a dipole; Gauss's law for a line charge, plane sheet and shell |
| 2 Potential and capacitance | Potential due to a dipole; capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor with a dielectric; energy stored; series and parallel combinations |
| 3 Current electricity | Drift velocity and I = neAv_d; Ohm's law from drift; Wheatstone bridge balance condition |
| 4 Moving charges and magnetism | Field on the axis of a circular loop; force between parallel wires; torque on a current loop; galvanometer conversion |
| 6-7 EMI and AC | Motional emf; self-inductance of a solenoid; impedance and resonance of a series LCR circuit; power factor |
| 9-10 Optics | Mirror and lens formulas; lensmaker's formula; refraction at a spherical surface; fringe width in Young's experiment |
| 11-13 Modern physics | Einstein's photoelectric equation; de Broglie wavelength; Bohr radius and energy levels; radioactive decay law |
Your tutor tells you which steps carry marks in the marking scheme.
Treat each derivation as a short argument with a beginning, a middle and an end. Start with a clear labelled diagram and write down what is given and what is assumed, such as a point charge, a uniform field or a thin lens. Then state the law you are applying, for example Gauss's law, Ampère's law or Faraday's law, before any algebra.
Practise writing the derivation from memory once a week, then check it against your notes. Mark any step you skipped. Most lost marks in derivations come from a missing diagram, an unstated assumption or a final result without units, not from wrong algebra.
Coulomb's law: two point charges of 2 µC and 3 µC are 0.3 m apart in air. Find the force between them. Take k = 9 × 10⁹ N m² C⁻².
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| Formula | F = k q₁q₂ ÷ r² |
| Substitute | 9 × 10⁹ × 2 × 10⁻⁶ × 3 × 10⁻⁶ ÷ 0.09 |
| Answer | F = 0.6 N, repulsive |
Capacitor energy: a 4 µF capacitor is charged to 100 V. Find the charge and the energy stored.
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| Charge | Q = CV = 4 × 10⁻⁶ × 100 = 400 µC |
| Energy | U = ½CV² = 0.5 × 4 × 10⁻⁶ × 10⁴ = 0.02 J |
Always convert µC and µF to SI units before substituting.
Metre bridge: a known 6 Ω resistance is in the right gap, and the balance point is 40 cm from the left end. Find the unknown resistance X in the left gap.
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| Balance condition | X ÷ R = l ÷ (100 − l) |
| Substitute | X = 6 × 40 ÷ 60 |
| Answer | X = 4 Ω |
Galvanometer to voltmeter: a galvanometer of resistance 50 Ω gives full-scale deflection at 2 mA. Find the series resistance needed to make a 0-10 V voltmeter.
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| Formula | R = V ÷ I_g − G |
| Substitute | 10 ÷ 0.002 − 50 |
| Answer | R = 4950 Ω in series |
Both appear in the practical syllabus too, so this working supports your experiments and viva.
Motional emf: a 0.5 m rod moves at 4 m s⁻¹ at right angles to a uniform magnetic field of 0.2 T. Find the induced emf.
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| Formula | ε = Bℓv |
| Substitute | 0.2 × 0.5 × 4 |
| Answer | ε = 0.4 V |
LCR resonance: a series circuit has L = 0.1 H and C = 10 µF. Find the resonant frequency.
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| Formula | f₀ = 1 ÷ (2π√(LC)) |
| Substitute | √(0.1 × 10 × 10⁻⁶) = 10⁻³ s |
| Answer | f₀ = 1 ÷ (2π × 10⁻³) ≈ 159 Hz |
At resonance the inductive and capacitive reactances are equal, the impedance equals R, and the current is largest.
Thin lens: an object is 30 cm in front of a convex lens of focal length 20 cm. Find the image position and magnification, using the sign convention u = −30 cm.
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| Lens formula | 1/v − 1/u = 1/f, so 1/v = 1/20 − 1/30 |
| Image distance | v = +60 cm (real, on the other side) |
| Magnification | m = v ÷ u = -2 (inverted, twice the size) |
Young's double slit: light of wavelength 600 nm passes through slits 0.5 mm apart, with the screen 1.5 m away. Find the fringe width.
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| Formula | β = λD ÷ d |
| Substitute | 600 × 10⁻⁹ × 1.5 ÷ 0.5 × 10⁻³ |
| Answer | β = 1.8 mm |
Sign errors with the lens formula are one of the most common reasons students lose marks in optics.
Use hc ≈ 1240 eV nm for quick photon-energy calculations.
| Problem | Working | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Light of 400 nm falls on a metal with work function 2.0 eV. Find K_max and the stopping potential. | E = 1240 ÷ 400 = 3.1 eV; K_max = E − φ | K_max = 1.1 eV; V₀ = 1.1 V |
| An electron is accelerated through 100 V. Find its de Broglie wavelength. | λ = 1.227 ÷ √V nm | λ ≈ 0.123 nm |
| Hydrogen electron falls from n = 3 to n = 2. Find the photon energy and wavelength. | ΔE = 13.6 (1/4 − 1/9) eV | 1.89 eV, about 656 nm (red light) |
| A sample passes through three half-lives. What fraction remains? | (½)³ | 0.125 of the original nuclei |
These short numericals appear regularly, and they reward a clear formula line even when the arithmetic slips.
The practical exam is 30 marks and lasts 3 hours. You perform two experiments, one from each section, worth 7 marks each, then present your practical record, an activity, your investigatory project and a viva.
Section A experiments include resistivity from a V-I graph, finding resistance with a metre bridge, verifying series and parallel combinations, the figure of merit of a galvanometer by half-deflection, converting a galvanometer into a voltmeter or ammeter, and the frequency of AC mains with a sonometer. Section B covers optics and semiconductor experiments, beginning with the focal length of a concave mirror from u-v readings.
Your tutor explains the theory, the readings table, the graph and likely viva questions for each listed experiment. Hands-on work is still done in your school lab.
The investigatory project carries 3 marks and also feeds into the 5-mark viva, so a well-understood project helps twice. Choose a topic linked to the syllabus that you can actually measure, such as how the resistance of a wire changes with length, or how focal length depends on the lens material.
Write down the aim, apparatus, method, observations in a table, a graph, the result, sources of error and possible improvements. Be ready to explain every reading and every step in the viva. A tutor can help you understand the physics and analyse your data, but the project must be your own work, done under your teacher's guidance.
Start with the NCERT textbook. Read each chapter, then solve all the in-text and end-of-chapter exercises, because board questions are closely based on them. Next, work through the official CBSE sample question paper and its marking scheme, published on the CBSE academic website, to learn the current pattern and how marks are split within an answer.
Use previous years' board papers for timed practice in the last two or three months. Check them against the current syllabus first, because a few topics have moved or been removed in recent years. Timed full papers also train you to finish 70 marks in 3 hours.
CBSE uses a 33% pass mark. Secondary sources report that, for subjects with a practical, you need 33% in theory and in the practical separately, which would mean 23.1 marks out of 70 in theory and 9.9 out of 30 in the practical, rounded as the board's rules allow. Confirm the current rule in the latest CBSE scheme of examination, because pass criteria can be updated.
Passing is rarely the real goal, though. University admissions and entrance-exam eligibility often depend on the Class 12 percentage, so most students aim well above the minimum. Your tutor sets a target score with you at the start.
| Mark-loser | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Derivations without a diagram | Draw and label the diagram first |
| Missing assumptions | State conditions such as a thin lens or uniform field |
| Wrong sign convention in optics | Write u, v and f with signs before substituting |
| Unit errors with µ, n and m prefixes | Convert to SI units before calculating |
| Vague reasoning answers | Name the law or principle you are applying |
| Unlabelled graphs | Label axes with quantities and units |
| Running out of time | Practise full 3-hour papers before the exam |
Most of these are habits, and they improve quickly with marked practice and feedback.
Plan to finish the syllabus with time to spare for revision and full papers. A common order is electrostatics and current electricity in the first term, followed by magnetism, EMI and AC, then optics, and finally modern physics and semiconductors.
Complete each experiment when your school teaches it and keep your practical record up to date, so the practical exam does not clash with theory revision. In the last few months, switch to timed sample and past papers, review your weakest unit each week, and revise the standard derivations regularly so they stay fresh.
Yes. The NCERT Class 12 physics content makes up a large share of the physics in engineering and medical entrance exams, especially electrostatics, current electricity, magnetism, optics and modern physics. Entrance questions are usually harder and more numerical, but they are built on the same concepts.
Board preparation and entrance preparation work well together if you master the NCERT concepts first and then add harder problems. If you are also preparing for an entrance exam, tell your tutor, who can add entrance-level practice on top of board-exam work. For maths support, see the JEE mathematics preparation course.
Prerequisites: CBSE Class 11 physics, with basic algebra, trigonometry and vectors.
| Stage | Chapters | What you can do afterwards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1-3 Electrostatics, current electricity | Solve field, potential, capacitor and circuit problems |
| 2 | 4-7 Magnetism, EMI, AC | Explain magnetic forces, induction and LCR circuits |
| 3 | 8-10 EM waves, optics | Handle ray diagrams, lenses and interference |
| 4 | 11-14 Modern physics, semiconductors | Solve photoelectric, atomic, nuclear and diode questions |
| Ongoing | Practicals, project, sample papers | Prepare the practical exam and timed board papers |
What you get: live one-to-one video lessons with a shared whiteboard, aligned with your school's plan. Related course: ISC Class 12 Physics. Book a lesson or ask a question from this page to start.
CBSE Class 12 Physics is the board-exam physics course of the Central Board of Secondary Education, subject code 042. It follows the NCERT Physics Class XII textbooks and covers 14 chapters in nine units, from electrostatics to semiconductor electronics, with a 70-mark theory paper and a 30-mark practical exam.
The theory paper is 3 hours and 70 marks, and the practical exam is 3 hours and 30 marks, making 100 in total. The practical marks are two experiments at 7 marks each, the record 5, an activity 3, the investigatory project 3 and the viva 5.
Electrostatics and current electricity carry 16 marks, magnetism with EMI and AC 17, EM waves and optics 18, dual nature with atoms and nuclei 12, and electronic devices 7, making 70 theory marks in total, according to the CBSE curriculum for 2026-27.
There are 14 chapters, following the NCERT books: electric charges and fields, potential and capacitance, current electricity, moving charges and magnetism, magnetism and matter, electromagnetic induction, alternating current, EM waves, ray optics, wave optics, dual nature, atoms, nuclei and semiconductor electronics.
EM waves and optics together carry the most, with 18 of the 70 theory marks. Magnetism with EMI and AC carries 17, electrostatics with current electricity 16, modern physics 12 and electronic devices 7. Plan more revision time for the higher-weightage units, but do not skip the short ones.
The 2026-27 design gives about 27 marks to remembering and understanding, 22 to applying and 21 to analysing, evaluating and creating. So expect case-based, assertion-reason, numerical and reasoning questions, as well as derivations and short definitions. Check the official sample paper for the current section layout.
Frequently asked derivations include the dipole field, Gauss's law applications, parallel-plate capacitance, drift velocity, the Wheatstone bridge condition, the field of a circular loop, LCR impedance and resonance, the lens and lensmaker's formulas, fringe width, the photoelectric equation and Bohr's energy levels. Practise each with a labelled diagram.
Many students find it demanding because fields, induction and wave optics are abstract, and the paper mixes theory, derivations and numericals. With the NCERT book, regular derivation practice and the NCERT exercises solved carefully, most students find the board paper fair. Steady weekly work matters more than last-minute revision.
It depends on your strengths. Class 11 mechanics is often harder for numericals, while Class 12 is harder conceptually because of fields, induction and wave optics. Class 12 also uses Class 11 ideas such as vectors, energy and waves, so fixing Class 11 gaps early makes Class 12 much easier.
CBSE uses a 33% pass mark, and 33% of 70 is 23.1 marks. Secondary sources say theory and practical must each be passed separately, with rounding under the board's rules. Check the current CBSE scheme of examination for the exact rule, and aim well above the minimum.
Section A includes resistivity from a V-I graph, the metre bridge, series and parallel combinations, the figure of merit of a galvanometer, galvanometer conversion and AC mains frequency with a sonometer. Section B covers optics and semiconductor experiments, starting with the focal length of a concave mirror. You perform one experiment from each section.
Choose a syllabus-linked topic you can measure, plan it with your physics teacher, and record the aim, method, observations, graph, result, errors and improvements. The project carries 3 marks and feeds into the 5-mark viva, so understand every reading. It must be your own work under your teacher's guidance.
For the board exam, NCERT is the main reference, and the question paper is closely based on it. Solve every in-text and exercise question, then practise the CBSE sample paper and previous years' papers. If you are also preparing for JEE or NEET, add harder problems once the NCERT concepts are secure.
Use the official sample question paper and marking scheme from the CBSE academic website to learn the current pattern and how marks are split inside each answer. Attempt it under timed conditions, mark it against the scheme, then revise the topics where you lost marks before trying previous years' papers.
The 2026-27 curriculum keeps 14 NCERT chapters in nine units, with a 70-mark theory paper split 16, 17, 18, 12 and 7 across unit groups and a 30-mark practical. NCERT content marked as excluded for 2026-27 is not assessed. Download the official document from the CBSE academic website.
Use the New Cartesian sign convention every time. Measure distances from the pole or optical centre, take the direction of incident light as positive, and write u, v and f with signs before substituting. For example, a convex lens with f = 20 cm and u = −30 cm gives v = +60 cm.
Yes. Your tutor explains the aim, theory and method of each listed experiment, shows you how to set up observation tables, plot graphs and calculate results, and prepares you for viva questions. The hands-on experiments are still carried out in your school laboratory under your teacher's supervision.
Yes. Lessons are live one-to-one video sessions with a shared whiteboard, so you can study from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain or anywhere else with a CBSE school. Tutors schedule lessons in your time zone and follow your school's plan for the 2026-27 syllabus.
The hourly rate depends on the tutor and the lesson length. On FLN Tutors you see the rate on the course page before booking and pay only for the lessons you choose, with no subscription. You can ask a question first if you would like a study plan before deciding.
Yes. NCERT Class 12 physics forms a large part of the physics in JEE and NEET, especially electrostatics, current electricity, magnetism, optics and modern physics. Master the NCERT concepts for the board exam first, then add entrance-level problems. Your tutor can combine both if you are preparing for an entrance exam.
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