Selection Rounds

What it is

The round(s) that choose the national training camp participants. Questions move from syllabus-level to olympiad-style: multi-concept problems with longer solutions. [TO VERIFY — how many selection rounds exist and who administers them]

Eligibility

• Students who passed the pre-selection stage. [TO VERIFY]
• Some countries allow direct entry for past medalists — check the current rules. [TO VERIFY]

Format & timeline

• Longer written exam(s): theory paper(s) of [TO VERIFY — duration, marks].
• Possible interview or oral component. [TO VERIFY]

When: Roughly [TO VERIFY — months] after the pre-selection test.

Syllabus & topics

Broader and deeper than pre-selection. Expect multi-step mechanics, calculus-based electromagnetism, and problems where you must choose the right approximation.

Mechanics

Rigid rotation, oscillations, central forces, Lagrangian basics (optional). [TO VERIFY]

Electromagnetism

Gauss/Coulomb applications, RC/RL circuits, induction, simple Maxwell.

Optics

Interference, diffraction, thin lenses in combination.

Thermodynamics

Laws, processes, kinetic theory with calculations.

Modern physics

Compton, nuclei, decay statistics.

Math methods

Vectors, derivatives/integrals, series, simple differential equations.

Graphing and linearization

Experimental questions often ask you to turn a curved relationship into a straight-line graph. The guide covers scale choice, best-fit lines and a worked NePhO example.

Preparation strategy

1. 3–6 months before

   8–12 h/week
   • Move to an olympiad-level problem book (Savchenko, Irodov selected chapters).
   • Study maths in parallel — derivatives, integrals, vectors, complex numbers basics.

2. 1–3 months before

   10–14 h/week
   • Two timed problem sets per week; review solutions only after a genuine attempt.
   • Join a study group or online community for weekly problem discussion.

Resources for this stage

• The Feynman Lectures on Physics (free online)

  The complete three-volume classic, free and legal online. Excellent for building physical intuition beyond the school syllabus.

  BookIntermediateAll levelsMechanicsElectromagnetismThermodynamicsModern physics

  Caltech / Feynman, Leighton, Sandswww.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu ↗

• Problems in General Physics, I. E. Irodov

  A classic collection of hard problems. Try it after finishing a university-level textbook.

  Problem setAdvancedSelection roundsGeneral

  I. E. IrodovBook: borrow from a library or buy from a bookstore

• MIT OCW 8.01 & 8.02 — Classical Mechanics / Electromagnetism

  Full university lectures with problem sets and solutions. Watch at 1.25× and do the tutorials — passive watching is not enough.

  VideoIntermediatePre-selectionSelection roundsMechanicsElectromagnetism

  MIT OpenCourseWareocw.mit.edu ↗

• Nepal Physics Olympiad past papers

  Official NePhO pre-selection papers listed year by year, with links to the Nepal Physical Society page.

  Past paperIntermediatePre-selectionSelection roundsMechanicsElectromagnetismOpticsThermodynamicsModern physics

  Nepal Physical Society/past-papers →

• Mathematical methods for physics olympiads (lecture notes)

  Compact notes on the maths an olympiad actually needs: expansions, complex numbers, vectors, differential equations basics.

  NotesIntermediateSelection roundsNational campMath methods

  [TO VERIFY — author]

• Selected Problems in Physics — Savchenko (2000+ problems)

  Soviet-style graded problem collection with short answers. Great for drilling one topic per week with timed sessions.

  Problem setIntermediateSelection roundsNational campMechanicsElectromagnetismOpticsThermodynamics

  A. P. Savchenko