ISC Class 12 Physics Syllabus 2027: Scope, Unit Marks and Practicals

By the Ajay Vatsyayan Classes Home Tutors Team · Reviewed by Ajay Vatsyayan (Founder; B.Tech; IB and Cambridge IGCSE experienced). Last reviewed: 29 September 2026.

The ISC Class 12 Physics syllabus 2027 (subject code 861) has nine units, examined in a 70-mark, 3-hour theory paper, plus 30 marks for Paper II: a 3-hour practical examination (15 marks), project work (10 marks) and the practical file (5 marks). Optics carries the most marks (18), followed by Magnetism with Electromagnetic Induction and AC (16 together) and Electrostatics with Current Electricity (14 together). The Class XII content and unit marks are the same as for the 2026 examination.

This guide sets out the official unit marks, then goes unit by unit through what CISCE asks students to derive, what is "formula only" and what is "qualitative only". It covers the practical list and project rules, the 2027 specimen paper format, a "what to master" table and three board-style worked examples. It is part of our series for families looking for ISC home tutors in Gurgaon for Class 11 and 12.

ISC Class 12 Physics 2027 at a glance

Physics is marked out of 100 in ISC Class 12: 70 marks for the theory paper and 30 marks for Paper II. The table summarises the official structure.

Sources: the CISCE ISC 2027 Physics (861) syllabus, linked from CISCE's "Regulations and Syllabus ISC 2027" page, and the ISC Specimen Question Paper 2027 for Physics Paper 1, both on cisce.org. Checked on 29 September 2026.

One detail parents often ask about: CISCE first published the 2027 Physics syllabus in 2025, and its regulations page now links a re-issued copy of the same document, created in February 2026. We compared the two word by word. The re-issue fixes typing and notation errors (for example, it now correctly says one tesla equals 10⁴ gauss) but does not add or remove any topic.

Unit-wise marks for the theory paper

CISCE gives marks for groups of units, not for each chapter. In the table below, Units 1 and 2 share 14 marks, and Units 3 and 4 share 16 marks; the syllabus does not split these further.

Three points follow from these numbers. First, electricity and magnetism (Units 1 to 4) together carry 30 of 70 marks, about 43% of the paper, so a student who is weak in circuits or fields cannot make it up elsewhere. Second, Optics alone is about a quarter of the paper, and much of it is ray diagrams and derivations that reward practice. Third, the three "modern physics" units (7, 8 and 9) add up to 20 marks, and they are among the shortest units to learn, which makes them good value in the last months.

Unit-by-unit scope: what to derive and what to skip

The ISC syllabus is unusually detailed. For almost every topic it says whether a result must be derived, only stated, or treated qualitatively. Reading this column carefully is the single best way to avoid wasted study time. Below is a summary of the Class XII scope, in the syllabus's own terms where possible.

Unit 1: Electrostatics (14 marks with Unit 2)

• Charges and fields: Coulomb's law in vector form (position coordinates r₁, r₂ not necessary), the superposition principle and fields due to continuous charge distributions (linear, surface, volume). Field lines for a point charge, a dipole, two similar charges and parallel plates.
• Dipole: derive the field on the axis and on the equatorial line, including the short-dipole case (r >> 2l); derive the torque τ = p × E in a uniform field.
• Gauss's theorem: statement, electric flux, and applications to an infinite line of charge, an infinite plane sheet and a thin spherical shell (inside, on and outside), with the graph of E against r for the shell.
• Potential: derive the potential due to a point charge; potential of a dipole on its axial and equatorial lines; potential energy of systems of two and three charges; derive U = −p·E for a dipole.
• Capacitors: parallel-plate capacitance C = ε₀A/d, series and parallel combinations, energy stored and energy density. Polarisation of dielectrics is a qualitative discussion. The effect of a dielectric with charge constant or voltage constant, and the formula for a partially filled capacitor, C' = ε₀A/(d − t + t/ε_r), are included.

Unit 2: Current Electricity

• Conduction: free electron theory, drift velocity and mobility, I = v_dneA, and the derivations of σ = ne²τ/m and ρ = m/ne²τ. Ohm's law in vector form, J = σE. Temperature dependence of resistivity for conductors and semiconductors, with graphs.
• Energy and power: P = VI = V²/R = I²R, commercial units and electricity billing.
• Cells: emf and internal resistance, V = ε − Ir; derivations for identical cells in series, parallel and mixed grouping; two cells of unequal emf in parallel; n cells of unequal emf in series.
• Networks and instruments: Kirchhoff's laws with simple applications; the Wheatstone bridge balance condition (derived with I_g = 0; Kirchhoff's law not necessary); the metre bridge; the potentiometer, potential gradient and sensitivity, comparison of emfs and internal resistance of a cell.

Unit 3: Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism (16 marks with Unit 4)

• Biot-Savart law: derive B at the centre of a circular loop and at any point on its axis. For a finitely long straight conductor, only the formula is needed.
• Ampere's circuital law: statement, and its use for a long straight wire and a solenoid. Oersted's experiment is a historical introduction only, and Ampere's swimming rule is not included; directions use the right-hand rule only.
• Forces and torque: F = q(v × B) and the Lorentz force; the force on a current-carrying conductor; derive the force between two long parallel wires and use it to define the ampere; derive the torque on a current loop, τ = NIAB sinφ.
• Moving coil galvanometer: construction, principle and theory, current and voltage sensitivity, and conversion into an ammeter or voltmeter of a given range.
• Magnetism and matter: the field of a bar magnet in end-on and broadside-on positions (no derivations); dia-, para- and ferromagnetism, susceptibility, relative permeability and Curie's law; electromagnets and the choice of materials. The B-H loop, retentivity and coercive force are qualitative only.

Unit 4: Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating Currents

• Induction: Faraday's and Lenz's laws, motional emf ε = Blv and power (Blv)²/R; eddy currents (qualitative). Self-inductance of a solenoid and mutual inductance of two coaxial solenoids. The transformer: principle, working, losses and power transmission.
• AC: mean and RMS values, with the RMS-peak relation for sinusoidal cases; pure R, L and C circuits with phasor diagrams; the series LCR circuit by the phasor method, giving Z² = R² + (X_L − X_C)² and tanφ = (X_L − X_C)/R; graphs of Z and I against frequency.
• Power and resonance: average power and power factor cosφ = R/Z, wattless current, the choke coil, resonance and resonant frequency. Bandwidth and Q factor need no derivation, and LC oscillations are qualitative only. The AC generator is included.

Unit 5: Electromagnetic Waves (2 marks)

• The basic idea of displacement current, the transverse nature of EM waves, and the full spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays: sources, detection, properties and uses, with the approximate range, or at least the correct order, of wavelength or frequency. This unit is qualitative.

Unit 6: Optics (18 marks)

• Reflection and refraction: derive the mirror formula; Snell's law; total internal reflection, critical angle, total reflecting prisms (prism angles 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°) and optical fibres; real and apparent depth.
• Prism: derive the relation between n, A and δ_min, and explain the i-δ graph; thin prism, dispersion and dispersive power. The rainbow needs a ray diagram only, with no derivation.
• Spherical surfaces and lenses: refraction at a single spherical surface, with only one case in detail (convex towards the rarer medium, real image); derive the lens maker's formula, the lens formula and the focal length of two thin lenses in contact. Combinations of lenses and mirrors are included, but silvering of lenses is excluded. Any one sign convention may be used.
• Optical instruments: ray diagram and magnifying power of the simple microscope (image at D and at infinity), the compound microscope (derivation for image at D; expression only for image at infinity) and the refracting telescope (image at infinity and at D); ray diagram of a reflecting telescope; resolving power of the compound microscope.
• Wave optics: Huygens' principle and proofs of the laws of reflection and refraction (refraction through a prism or lens by Huygens' theory is not required); coherent sources and conditions for sustained interference; Young's double-slit experiment with the geometrical derivation of fringe width β = Dλ/d; single-slit Fraunhofer diffraction, treated at an elementary level, with minima at a sinθ = nλ and the angular width of the central maximum.

Unit 7: Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter (7 marks)

• The photoelectric effect, Hertz's and Lenard's observations, Einstein's equation E_max = hν − W₀, threshold frequency and work function; finding Planck's constant from the graph of stopping potential against frequency; photon momentum p = h/λ.
• De Broglie's relation λ = h/p = h/mv; the Davisson-Germer experiment and electron diffraction are qualitative only.

Unit 8: Atoms and Nuclei (6 marks)

• Atoms: Rutherford's model from alpha-particle scattering, with the distance of closest approach (the mathematical theory of scattering is excluded); Bohr's model for hydrogen (Z = 1) with expressions for orbital velocity, radius, kinetic, potential and total energy; energy-level diagrams; the Lyman, Balmer, Paschen, Brackett and Pfund series and the Rydberg constant. Wavelengths are to be given in nm, not Å.
• Nuclei: isotopes, isobars and isotones; the unified atomic mass unit; mass defect, binding energy and the BE per nucleon graph; E = mc² calculations; fission (with the Q ≈ 200 MeV estimate), chain reactions and the nuclear reactor (qualitative); fusion and energy in stars.

Unit 9: Electronic Devices (7 marks)

• Energy bands in conductors, semiconductors and insulators (qualitative), intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, p-type and n-type doping.
• The p-n junction diode: depletion region, forward and reverse bias, V-I characteristics and numericals; half-wave and full-wave rectifiers (circuits and graphs, qualitative; the four-diode bridge rectifier is not included); LED, photodiode and solar cell (elementary ideas); the Zener diode and its use as a voltage regulator.

Qualitative-only, formula-only and excluded topics

The syllabus note says numerical problems can come from all topics except where they are specifically excluded or where only qualitative treatment is required. This table collects those limits in one place, so a student knows where a numerical question cannot appear and where a derivation is not asked for.

Two cautions. "Qualitative only" does not mean "unimportant": a two-mark "explain why" question can still be set on these topics. And the "not listed" row is based on our reading of the 2027 Class XII Physics document; if your school covers any of these topics, it is usually for JEE or NEET preparation rather than the ISC paper.

What changed from the 2026 syllabus

We compared the Class XII part of the 2027 Physics syllabus with the revised syllabus CISCE published for the 2026 examination. There are no added or deleted topics and no change to the unit marks.

So a student can safely use a 2026 textbook edition for Class XII Physics, and the 2026 specimen paper is still a valid format guide. What matters more is using the right document: the 2027 syllabus on cisce.org, not an older guidebook summary.

Theory paper format in the 2027 specimen paper

CISCE's specimen paper for 2027 shows the layout of the 70-mark theory paper. All twenty questions are compulsory, with internal choice in two questions each in Sections B, C and D.

Each question in the specimen paper is tagged with the thinking it tests, such as Recall, Understand, Apply, Analyse or Evaluate. A list of useful constants and relations is printed at the end of the paper, and a simple non-programmable scientific calculator is allowed. CISCE's note on the specimen paper says the format of the board paper will stay the same and that the weightage given in the syllabus will be "strictly adhered to". For how to practise with it, see our guide to the ISC specimen papers 2027.

Paper II: practicals, project and practical file

Paper II carries 30 marks, almost a third of the subject total, and much of it is decided before the theory paper.

Practical examination (15 marks, 3 hours)

Experiments come mainly from two groups: ray optics (where the key skill is removing parallax between a needle and the image of another needle) and current electricity (where the key skill is connecting a circuit exactly as drawn, with correct polarity, range, zero error and least count). The syllabus states that there will be one graph in the practical question paper. Students are generally not expected to write the procedure, formulae or precautions, or to draw circuit diagrams, unless asked. Observations must be tabulated, recorded to the least count of the instrument and given with units.

The syllabus lists twelve required experiments. Students are expected to have completed all of them:

1. Focal length of a convex lens by the u-v method, with graphs of v against u, magnification against v, and 100/v against 100/u.
2. Focal length of a convex lens by the displacement method.
3. Focal length of a convex lens using an auxiliary convex lens.
4. Focal length of a concave lens using an auxiliary convex lens (not in contact), with a graph.
5. Focal length of a concave mirror by the u-v method.
6. Refractive index of a liquid using a convex lens and a plane mirror.
7. Focal length of a convex mirror using a convex lens.
8. Specific resistance of a constantan wire using a metre bridge.
9. Verifying Ohm's law for a 60 cm constantan wire, and resistance per cm from the slope.
10. Internal resistance of a cell using a potentiometer.
11. Potential gradient and specific resistance from a graph of pd against length on a potentiometer.
12. Laws of combination of resistances using a metre bridge.

Six further experiments are to be demonstrated by the teacher, including converting a galvanometer into an ammeter and a voltmeter, diode I-V characteristics, and charging and discharging a capacitor.

The graph rules

The syllabus spells out how graphs are judged: a title; a marked origin (no "kink"); labelled axes with units; a uniform, convenient scale (a small division of 0.33 or 0.67 is not accepted); at least 60% of the sheet used along both axes; points marked as a circle with a dot or a cross in a circle; a thin best-fit line extended beyond the extreme points; and a slope taken from two distant points on the line that are not plotted points, using more than half of the line.

Project work (10 marks) and practical file (5 marks)

Each candidate does one project, which may be theoretical, a working model, or an investigatory project, under the regular supervision of the Physics teacher. The student prepares a technical report (title, abstract, theory, set-up, observations, graphs, analysis and conclusion), and the teacher approves the draft first. The project is assessed by a Visiting Examiner appointed locally and approved by the Council. The Visiting Examiner also assesses the practical file kept during the year, for 5 marks. Our guide to ISC Physics project ideas explains how to choose and write up a project.

Unit by unit: what to master

This table turns the syllabus into a checklist. "Must master" is what the syllabus and specimen paper clearly test; "common trap" is where we most often see students lose marks. Use it at the end of each unit and again before the pre-boards.

For every formula in one place, see our ISC Class 12 Physics formula sheet.

Worked examples in board style

These three questions come from the highest-weight areas: electrostatics, alternating current and optics. Each answer has been checked by calculation. Take ε₀ = 8.854 × 10⁻¹² F m⁻¹.

Using the syllabus through the year

The syllabus is a planning tool, not just a list. This is the approach our Home Tutors Team uses with ISC Class 12 students; adjust it to your school's chapter order and test dates.

If your child also plans to take JEE Main, most of this syllabus overlaps with JEE Class 12 physics, but JEE adds topics that ISC does not list (and vice versa). Our guide on how to score 95+ in ISC Physics covers exam technique, and our ISC Class 11 Physics guide explains which Class 11 foundations the Class 12 units depend on.

Frequently asked questions

Has the ISC Class 12 Physics syllabus 2027 been reduced?

No. We compared the Class XII part of the 2027 syllabus with the revised syllabus for the 2026 examination. The units, unit marks, scope notes and required experiments are the same; only small wording corrections were made.

How are marks split in ISC Class 12 Physics?

The theory paper carries 70 marks and Paper II carries 30: a 3-hour practical examination (15 marks), project work (10 marks) and the practical file (5 marks). The total is 100.

Which unit has the most marks in ISC Physics 2027?

Optics, with 18 of the 70 theory marks. Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism together with Electromagnetic Induction and AC carry 16, and Electrostatics with Current Electricity carry 14. Electromagnetic Waves carries only 2.

Is radioactivity in the ISC Class 12 Physics syllabus 2027?

Radioactive decay and half-life are not listed in the Class XII units of the 2027 syllabus. The Nuclei topic covers nuclear composition, mass defect, binding energy, fission and fusion.

How many experiments must ISC Class 12 students complete?

The syllabus lists twelve required experiments, mostly in ray optics and current electricity, and six demonstration experiments done by the teacher. There will be one graph in the practical question paper.

Is a calculator allowed in the ISC Physics paper?

The 2027 specimen paper says a simple scientific calculator without a programmable memory may be used. Always check the instructions on your own admit card and question paper.

Who marks the ISC Physics project?

According to the syllabus, the project is assessed by a Visiting Examiner appointed locally and approved by the Council, who also assesses the practical file. The project is done under the supervision of the student's Physics teacher.

What is the format of the ISC Physics 2027 theory paper?

In the 2027 specimen paper, there are 20 compulsory questions in four sections: A (14 one-mark sub-parts), B (seven 2-mark questions), C (nine 3-mark questions) and D (three 5-mark questions), with internal choice in two questions each in Sections B, C and D.

Written by the Ajay Vatsyayan Classes Home Tutors Team. Reviewed by Ajay Vatsyayan (Founder; B.Tech; IB and Cambridge IGCSE experienced). Syllabus facts checked against the official CISCE ISC 2027 Physics (861) syllabus, the revised syllabus for the 2026 examination and the ISC Specimen Question Papers 2026 and 2027 on 29 September 2026.