The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released the Class 12 Physics syllabus for the academic year 2025–26. No changes have been made to the curriculum this year. The syllabus consists of two parts: theory and practicals. Key topics include Electrostatics, Current Electricity, Magnetism, Electromagnetic Induction, Optics, Dual Nature of Matter, Atoms, Nuclei, and Semiconductors.
The practical section includes experiments, activities, and viva, assessed through a set marking scheme. Students can download the detailed syllabus PDF, including chapter breakdown and assessment criteria, from the official CBSE website cbseacademic.nic.in. It is advised to refer to the syllabus regularly for structured exam preparation.
CBSE 12th Physics Syllabus 2026 PDF Download
Direct link to Download CBSE Class 12 Physics Syllabus 2025-26 PDF
CBSE Class 12 Physics Syllabus 2025–26: Key Highlights
| Overview | Details |
| Board Name | Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) |
| Class | 12 |
| Subject | Physics |
| Subject Code | 042 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Theory Marks | 70 |
| Project Marks | 30 |
| Exam Duration | 3 Hours |
| Total Sections | 2 Sections (Theory & Internal Assessment) |
CBSE Class 12 Physics Detailed Syllabus 2025–26
| Component | Details |
| Theory Paper | 70 Marks |
| Internal Assessment | 30 Marks |
| Total | 100 Marks |
The subject is divided into two main parts: a theory component assessed through a written exam of 70 marks, and an internal assessment (project/practical work) carrying 30 marks.
CBSE Class 12 Physics 2025–26: Detailed Syllabus (Theory – 70 Marks)
| Unit | Chapter | Topics Covered |
| Unit I: Electrostatics | Ch 1: Electric Charges and Fields | Electric charges, conservation, Coulomb’s law, superposition, electric field and lines, dipole field and torque, Gauss’s theorem & its applications (line, sheet, spherical shell). |
| Ch 2: Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance | Electric potential, potential difference, system of charges, equipotential surfaces, potential energy, conductors, dielectrics, polarization, capacitors in series/parallel, energy stored (formulas only). | |
| Unit II: Current Electricity | Ch 3: Current Electricity | Electric current, drift velocity, mobility, Ohm's law, VI characteristics, energy, power, resistivity, temperature effect, cell emf & internal resistance, Kirchhoff’s laws, Wheatstone bridge. |
| Unit III: Magnetic Effects of Current & Magnetism | Ch 4: Moving Charges and Magnetism | Magnetic field concept, Oersted’s experiment, Biot-Savart Law (loop), Ampere’s Law (wire, solenoid), force on charges and conductors, current loop dipole, galvanometer (sensitivity, ammeter/voltmeter conversion). |
| Ch 5: Magnetism and Matter | Bar magnet as solenoid, field lines, magnetic dipole torque (qualitative), para-/dia-/ferromagnetic materials, temperature effect on magnetism. | |
| Unit IV: Electromagnetic Induction & AC | Ch 6: Electromagnetic Induction | Faraday’s laws, Lenz’s law, EMF, current, self and mutual induction. |
| Ch 7: Alternating Current | AC, peak/RMS values, reactance, impedance, LCR circuit (phasors), resonance, power, power factor, wattless current, AC generator, transformer. | |
| Unit V: Electromagnetic Waves | Ch 8: Electromagnetic Waves | Displacement current, wave characteristics (transverse), electromagnetic spectrum & uses (radio to gamma). |
| Unit VI: Optics | Ch 9: Ray Optics & Optical Instruments | Reflection, refraction, TIR, lenses (formulae), optical fibers, mirror/lens formula, prism, microscopes, telescopes, magnifying power. |
| Ch 10: Wave Optics | Huygen’s principle, interference, YDSE (fringe width expression), diffraction (single slit), central maxima width (qualitative). | |
| Unit VII: Dual Nature of Radiation & Matter | Ch 11: Dual Nature | Photoelectric effect, Einstein’s equation, Hertz & Lenard’s experiments, matter waves, de-Broglie relation. |
| Unit VIII: Atoms & Nuclei | Ch 12: Atoms | Rutherford’s model, Bohr’s hydrogen model, radius, velocity, energy of nth orbit, spectral lines (qualitative). |
| Ch 13: Nuclei | Composition, size, nuclear force, mass-energy, mass defect, binding energy, fission, fusion. | |
| Unit IX: Electronic Devices | Ch 14: Semiconductor Electronics | Energy bands (conductors, semiconductors, insulators), intrinsic/extrinsic semiconductors, p-n junction, diode IV characteristics, rectifier application. |
CBSE Class 12 Physics Practical Marking Scheme 2025–26
| Component | Marks |
| Two Experiments (one from each section) | 7 + 7 = 14 |
| Practical Record (Experiments + Activities) | 5 |
| One Activity (from any section) | 3 |
| Investigatory Project | 3 |
| Viva Voce (on experiments, activities, project) | 5 |
| Total | 30 |
CBSE Class 12 Physics Prescribed Books (2025–26)
| Book Title | Publisher |
| Physics, Class XI – Part I & II | NCERT |
| Physics, Class XII – Part I & II | NCERT |
| Laboratory Manual of Physics for Class XII | NCERT |
| Other related books/manuals (including multimedia materials) issued by NCERT | NCERT |
Content marked as omitted in the NCERT textbooks for the academic year 2025–26 will not be tested in schools or in the CBSE Class 12 Board Exams 2026.
CBSE Class 12 Physics Question Paper Design 2025–26
| Typology of Questions | Marks | Approx. Percentage |
| Remembering: Recall facts, terms, basic concepts, and answers | ||
| Understanding: Interpret, describe, compare, and state main ideas | 27 | 38% |
| Applying: Use knowledge, rules, and techniques in new situations | 22 | 32% |
| Analysing: Break information into parts, find evidence, make inferences | ||
| Evaluating: Make judgments about information, ideas, and quality | ||
| Creating: Propose new solutions or patterns by combining elements | 21 | 30% |
| Total (Theory) | 70 | 100% |
| Practical (Internal Assessment) | 30 | |
| Gross Total | 100 |
