Guide to IPhO through NSTC

Guide to IPhO through NSTC

Note: All the resources mentioned are linked at the end

This guide was written by Daniyal Shahzad (IPhO ‘25), and reviewed by Osman Siddique (IPhO ‘21, ‘22 Bronze & HM) & Talha Ashraf (IPhO ‘24 Bronze). It is meant to serve as a comprehensive (ideally exhaustive) guide on the entire International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) process in Pakistan. If you have any questions or want to suggest improvements, you can email me at: daniyal.shahzad2006@gmail.com

Stages of the Selection Process

Stage 0:

You must have an aggregate percentage of 60% or higher in your latest examination before the screening test. For O/A Levels, the IBCC equivalent percentage is used. Moreover, you must be under 20 years of age on June 30th of the competition year. Therefore, to participate in IPhO 2026, you must be under 20 years old on June 30th, 2026—you cannot be, for example, 20.1. Current students of Matric/O-Level and FSC-1/AS can register. FSC-2 & A2 students who intend to take a gap year can also register as long as they meet the age requirements.

Stage 1: Screening Test (March-July)

If you qualify, you can register for the screening test and select Physics as your subject. The screening test is usually held between March and July each year and screens potential candidates for the following year’s competition (e.g., the screening test for IPhO 2026 will be held in 2025).

Stage 2: 1st Training Camp (August-September)

The top 50 scorers in the screening test are invited to a week-long training and screening camp at PIEAS (Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences) University. This camp usually takes place at the end of September, and the results of the top 50 are announced a few weeks prior to the camp. At the end, there is a theoretical test, usually based on the content taught during the camp.

Stage 3: 2nd Training Camp (January-February)

The top ~15 scorers in the first training camp are invited to the second training camp at PIEAS. This camp is usually held at the start of the year and follows a similar format to the first one. At the end, there is a theoretical test to select and finalize the final five for Pakistan’s IPhO team. This may be followed by an extended camp in June after CAIE/Board exams to train the final five for the IPhO in July.

Preparation Guide

1. It is a good idea to quickly review your school Physics syllabus. If you are a 9th or 10th grader (O-Level/Matric), you should go over the A-Level/FSC syllabus, as it covers most of the fundamental theory required for the screening test. If you are a Cambridge student, go through the Matric/FSC textbooks, as the screening test is usually based on the Matric/FSC syllabus. Technically, with a solid understanding of high school physics and some problem-solving skills, you should be able to clear the screening test. However, it is always beneficial to go beyond the bare minimum, especially if you aspire to make the IPhO team and win a medal.

The screening test consists of 20 MCQs from General Science, 50 MCQs from Physics, and usually 3 long descriptive questions. The test is worth 100 marks, with each correct MCQ answer awarding 1 mark, and 1/3 of a mark being deducted for an incorrect MCQ answer. The descriptive questions carry a total of 30 marks. The General Science MCQs are fairly elementary and are not something you need to worry about.

However, the difficulty of the test varies significantly. For example, the test in 2024 was fairly tricky with long MCQs, whereas the one in 2023 was easy. The best way to prepare is to become as proficient in Physics as possible and then move on to Step 1 below. If the MCQs are easy, as they usually are, the long questions become the deciding factor in who gets selected. Therefore, practice long physics problems as much as you can.

Before the screening test, make sure to practise the available past papers. The past papers for the last three years (2022 to 2024) are available, and I have uploaded unofficial solutions to them aswell in the drive linked below. Save these papers for the last week or two before the test, focus on other preparation before that.

1. If you have a strong grasp of high school physics, you are in a good position to start the famous Physics by Halliday, Resnick & Krane (5th ed.). This book does use calculus; however, you can learn it in parallel with the book—it is not required to start reading it.

If you have no exposure to calculus, a good place to start is MIT OCW’s 18.01 course. If you are in a hurry or want to revise the calculus you learned in school, Quick Calculus by Daniel Kleppner is also a good option. You do not need to study calculus textbooks or courses rigorously at this stage; having a conceptual understanding of basic differentiation and integration, along with the ability to solve simple integrals and derivatives, should be sufficient for now.

HRK is an excellent introductory calculus-based physics textbook with challenging problems and a dense amount of theory. It is divided into two volumes and is highly regarded by IPhO participants and coaches worldwide as a starting point. There are many alternatives, such as Concepts of Physics by H.C. Verma (commonly used in India) and University Physics by Young (which is slightly easier compared to HRK). However, HRK is the most widely used and loved and is even recommended by the coaches of the Pakistan team.

At first, this textbook will feel very challenging—in fact, it is a rigorous textbook used in honors courses for bachelor's programs around the world. You should first study the theory in each chapter, take notes if you wish, and then attempt the “problems” at the end of each chapter. It is okay if you are unable to solve every problem; at first, you will likely struggle with many of the harder ones. However, make sure you give each question your best effort and avoid looking at the solution unless absolutely necessary. If you want, you can also solve the MCQs at the end of each chapter to prepare for the screening test, but this is not required. Do not attempt every single problem—focus on the ones that challenge you and are not immediately obvious.

The most important portion of HRK for the screening test is Mechanics (Chapters 1 to 16). You should try to cover as much of these chapters as possible and solve their problems before the screening test, as this will significantly develop your problem-solving skills. Generally, it is a good idea to study the chapters in HRK in the order they are presented.

For later camps, the Electricity & Magnetism portion (Chapters 25 to 37) is important and is commonly tested. Thermodynamics is also important and should not be ignored. You can probably skim through Chapters 45 to 52 of HRK.

Technically, HRK is more than enough to qualify for Pakistan’s IPhO team, and many people in the past have won medals by studying just this book along with problem-solving practice. So, congratulations if you have finished it! You are in a strong position to make the IPhO team. However, there are still many topics that HRK does not cover, and you will need to continue improving your problem-solving skills.

If you are struggling with HRK for any reason or want a supplementary resource, Yale’s Fundamentals of Physics lectures by Shankar are excellent and cover a similar amount of theory as HRK. Some people find success with Physics Wallah’s JEE videos; however, try to avoid the tricks he teaches, as they can hinder problem-solving skills in the long run. MIT OCW’s 8.01 and 8.02 are also good alternatives. Regardless of which resource you use to study the theory, I still recommend solving the problems from HRK.

1. By far, the best resource for IPhO preparation is Kevin Zhou’s handouts. They were written by a former U.S. Physics Olympiad coach who led the team to its first-ever sweep of five gold medals in a single year using these materials. The handouts are designed with HRK as a prerequisite, starting with reading assignments from slightly more advanced books and progressing to a set of problems that develop problem-solving skills. They cover almost all the techniques required for IPhO and often go beyond it. Zhou states that if you have solved all of them, you will likely earn a gold medal.

You should start by attempting his preliminary problems. If you can solve most of them, you are good to go. Solve the problems in the order he has laid them out, and do not skip the reading assignments before each handout, as you will likely struggle otherwise. If you find a particular handout abnormally difficult—which some of them are—you can skip it and return to it later.

Give each problem in the handout your best effort, and do not look at the solution unless absolutely necessary. At first, you will struggle a lot. However, with time, you will get the hang of it, and it will be extremely rewarding. Try to solve most of the questions in each handout. If you find yourself struggling with the math in Kevin Zhou's handouts, it may be a good time to pick up a standard calculus textbook (e.g., James Stewart or Thomas' Calculus) to fill in those gaps.

These handouts are probably the most important part of your IPhO preparation, so take them seriously. The Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism, and Thermodynamics handouts are the most important. Once you have completed about half of the core handouts, you should start solving full-length USAPhO past papers under timed conditions. At first, you will struggle a lot, but this step is crucial for building exam technique.

1. Kevin Zhou’s handouts are probably more than enough for problem-solving practice and skill-building. However, if you are struggling in certain areas or want to improve further, there are many other excellent resources. Kalda’s handouts are another well-known resource for IPhO preparation. Competitive Physics by Wang & Ricardo, a book used by the Singapore team, helps bridge the gap between theory and problem-solving, making the transition from HRK to Kevin Zhou smoother. Introduction to Classical Mechanics by David Morin is an outstanding mechanics textbook with hundreds of challenging problems, making it extremely useful for olympiads. Electricity and Magnetism by Purcell is one of the best introductory E&M books, offering quality problems that help develop the necessary intuition.
2. At least 2–3 months before the IPhO exam in July, you should start solving IPhO past papers under timed conditions in an exam-like setting. This is extremely important because IPhO is not only a test of your physics knowledge but also, unfortunately, a competitive exam. If you have extra time, you can also solve some EuPhO past papers. Additionally, if your IPhO is being held in an Asian country, practising APhO past exams is a good idea.

Problem Solving Habits & Tips

The only way you can become a good practitioner of physics is by solving tricky problems.

1. Solve problems at the right level. The problems you solve should regularly challenge you, but also not be out of reach. You shouldn’t solve problems that feel repetitive or easy; they should be challenging enough to make you think, yet not so difficult that you spend all day on one. If you find that the problems are too easy, move on to harder ones, and vice versa. This is the most efficient way to develop your problem-solving skills.
2. DO NOT look at the solution too early. You may be temped to look it quickly after being stumped by a problem, but avoid doing so. Try at least a couple of different approaches and really think hard about the problem, thinking of ideas you haven’t tried before. Only after you’ve given a problem your all you should look at the solution. However, don’t waste time on just one problem; you can save it for later or review the solution after some time. Some problems are very tricky, and it’s fine if you need to look at the solution eventually. However, if you find yourself resorting to solutions for a large fraction of your problems, it indicates that you need to work on solving easier problems first to build your problem-solving skills.
3. Be relentless when solving problems. Solving tricky Olympiad-level problems should feel exhausting, making you feel as though you’ve truly thought deeply about the phenomena involved. Give each problem your all, exhausting every approach you can think of. If you aren’t making progress, try viewing the problem from different perspectives. Another note: the problems you solve should make you feel like you’re learning something new. They should expose you to fresh physics concepts or problem-solving ideas.
4. Problem-solving should be a constant part of your preparation. Do not postpone it until after you’ve learned all the theory or leave it for the end. Developing problem-solving skills requires long, consistent efforts and cannot be achieved in a short period. As you learn theory, solve relevant problems, starting with easier ones and gradually moving on to more challenging ones for each topic.
5. Draw labelled diagrams whenever appropriate. If the problem has a diagram, redraw it or create an entirely new one. For mechanics problems, be sure to label the forces. For problems with some geometry, label the angles and see how that simplifies things. It's crucial to produce as many diagrams as needed to gain a clear visual understanding of the situation.
6. Consider special or limiting cases. This approach can help you begin solving a problem and understand how a physical system behaves. For example, you might imagine what happens when a particular quantity—such as length, speed, or another parameter—becomes extremely small or very large. This will help you understand how that quantity affects the system in general.
7. Check dimensions/units. Dimensional analysis is a great tool to quickly recheck your answer and its units. It helps find silly mistakes like cancelling an extra factor.

Some tips to get selected for the IPhO Pakistan team

1. For the screening test, make sure you attempt all of the long descriptive questions, as they are the deciding factor in who makes the top 50. Show your entire working process, including any ideas and approaches you take in solving the question. The checkers want to see your thought process and problem-solving skills rather than just the correct answer. Additionally, make sure to attempt almost all of the MCQs.

If you have time, write some sensible comments about your honest thoughts on the exam—what you found interesting, what could be improved, etc. The instructions recommend writing comments at the end of the paper. Also, do not rely on the 'sample paper' published by NSTC, as it is extremely outdated and very easy. The actual test varies significantly in difficulty, so do not worry too much—just give it your best effort. Most of the questions are from Mechanics, with occasional ones from Electricity & Magnetism and other topics.

1. For the top 15 and top 5 selection tests in camp, the focus is primarily on Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism. The test roughly covers the content taught during the camp. Almost all of the instructors use HRK as their reference book and often include problems from it in the test, so it is essential to be familiar with its style of problems. This gives you a strong reason to study from HRK if you haven’t already, as it is also the book they recommend. Make sure to attend all the lectures, as they are helpful for passing the test.

Other guides/resources

1. A less detailed but great guide by Humayl Aslam (IPhO ‘21) and the IPhO ‘21 team: ‣
2. A short guide for the initial screening test by Osman Siddique (IPhO ‘21): ‣
3. Kevin Zhou (USA Team Coach) has written a great guide for starting your IPhO prep: knzhou.github.io

Resource Bank

1. Drive with useful resources: drive.google.com
2. NSTC Past exams: NPTC Past Exams - Google Drive
3. Kevin Zhou Handouts: Kevin Zhou
4. Kalda Handouts: Study guides for IPhO-s
5. Kalda Solutions: Physics Olympiad | Kalda
6. USAPhO past exams: Past Exams
7. IPhO past exams: IPhO Problems and Solutions
8. EuPhO past exams: EuPhO Problems and Solutions
9. APhO past exams: APhO Problems and Solutions
10. MIT OCW: MIT OpenCourseWare | Free Online Course Materials
11. 1. Course Introduction and Newtonian Mechanics
12. 1. Electrostatics