PSEB SS Physics exam-day guide
PSEB SS Physics · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admit card / hall ticket (original)
Carry the printed admit card issued for the Senior Secondary examination. Keep a photocopy in a separate pocket. If your school also issues a identity slip for practicals, carry that too. needs_review: confirm with the provider/school whether a photocopy is accepted if the original is lost, and what the replacement procedure is.
School ID card or photo ID
Carry the school identity card if one has been issued to you, since invigilators may check it against the admit card. needs_review: confirm with the provider which secondary ID (Aadhaar, school ID, etc.) is accepted on practical days.
Completed practical record file / practical notebook
Bring the bound practical file with index, aim, apparatus, theory, formula, circuit/ray diagram, observation tables, calculations, result and precautions for every experiment in your school's allotted list. Get it checked and signed by your teacher before the exam. needs_review: confirm with the provider/school exactly which pages must carry the teacher's signature and whether a fresh file is required.
Rough notebook or plain sheets
Use these for trial calculations, error working and drafting observation tables before copying them neatly into the answer booklet. Do not tear pages out of the main record file.
Pens, pencil, eraser, sharpener and 15 cm scale
Use pencil for circuit diagrams, ray diagrams and graphs, and pen for written answers and tables. Carry a spare pen and a spare pencil; borrowing from another candidate wastes time and may be treated as unfair means.
Calculator
A simple non-programmable calculator saves time on least-count, percentage-error and resistance calculations. needs_review: confirm with the provider whether calculators are permitted in the practical hall and which models are allowed; if not permitted, practise all arithmetic by hand.
Graph paper
Some practicals (for example plotting V against I, or 1/u against 1/v) need a graph. needs_review: confirm with the provider whether you must bring your own graph paper or whether it is supplied at the centre.
Wrist watch (non-smart)
A plain analogue or digital watch helps you pace the three-hour-type practical slot without looking at a phone. Smart watches and phones are usually banned; do not rely on them for timing.
Lab coat / prescribed uniform
Wear the uniform specified by your school for practical examinations. needs_review: confirm with the provider/school whether a lab coat is compulsory for the physics practical.
Mobile phone and smart devices left outside
Leave phones, smart watches and Bluetooth earbuds at home or with the teacher outside the hall. needs_review: confirm with the provider the exact device policy and the penalty for possession.
Water bottle and a light snack
Practical slots can run long; a clear water bottle helps you stay alert. needs_review: confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed inside the laboratory.
Revision sheet of experiments and viva points
Prepare a one-page sheet listing, for each experiment: aim, key formula with symbols and units, least count of the instrument used, two precautions and two sources of error. Read it in the waiting area, then leave it outside the hall.
Plan the day
List every experiment in your school's allotted practical syllabus and write out, from memory, its aim, apparatus, formula, circuit or ray diagram, and the table columns you would use. Check each against your record file and fix gaps. Focus on the instruments you will actually handle: vernier callipers, screw gauge, metre scale, simple pendulum, metre bridge, potentiometer, Ohm's law circuit, prism, convex lens and concave mirror.
Drill the numerical parts: least count of vernier callipers and screw gauge, zero error and its sign, percentage error, mean of readings, slope of a straight-line graph, and unit conversions. Do at least ten hand calculations without a calculator in case calculators are not allowed.
Get the practical record file completed, indexed and signed. Do not leave this to the last night; a missing signature or missing experiment is the most common avoidable loss of marks.
Ask your teacher to run one mock viva. Prepare short spoken answers for: why the instrument has a particular least count, why you repeat readings, why the key is kept open/closed in a circuit, sources of systematic error, and one precaution for each experiment.
Pack the bag: admit card, ID, practical file, rough notebook, pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener, scale, watch and graph paper or calculator only if confirmed allowed. Place everything near the door so nothing is forgotten in the morning.
Confirm your reporting time, the laboratory location and the travel route with your school. Practical slots are often staggered, so do not assume your batch's time. needs_review: confirm the exact reporting time and venue with the provider/school.
Do a light revision pass only: read your one-page experiment sheet and the precautions. Sleep on time; a tired hand makes careless errors in reading the vernier scale.
Eat a proper breakfast, wear the prescribed uniform, and reach the centre well before the reporting time, allowing extra margin for traffic and for finding the laboratory. Keep the admit card in your hand, not buried in the bag.
Leave the phone and smart devices behind. In the waiting area, read only your revision sheet; avoid last-minute arguments with friends about which experiment is 'coming'.
Read the whole question paper first and mark the experiment you will attempt. Write the aim, apparatus and formula before touching the apparatus, so you earn the write-up marks even if a reading goes wrong.
Check the apparatus before starting: zero error of vernier callipers or screw gauge, cleanliness of the metre bridge wire, tight connections in the circuit, and that the key is open when you connect. Ask the invigilator for a replacement rather than adjusting a faulty instrument yourself.
Record readings directly in a neat table with column headings, units and the correct number of significant figures. Take at least the number of readings your teacher advised, include one set of calculations in full, plot the graph if asked, and finish with result, precautions and sources of error.
For the viva, answer briefly and honestly. If you do not know, say so and offer what you do know about the instrument or the principle; do not guess wildly. Keep your record file open at the relevant experiment so you can point to the diagram.
Before the bell, check that every page carries your roll number, that all tables are complete with units, and that you have not left a circuit key closed or a weight hanging on the pendulum stand. Hand over the answer booklet and record file as instructed.
Rules to check
Carry the original admit card for the whole session; you may be refused entry without it. needs_review: confirm with the provider the exact procedure if the admit card is lost, and whether a photocopy plus school letter is accepted.
Do not borrow apparatus, readings, calculators or stationery from another candidate. Ask the invigilator for anything missing; sharing written data is normally treated as unfair means.
Follow laboratory safety: do not touch bare wires or mains terminals, keep the key open while making circuit connections, handle glass prisms and lenses over a padded surface, and report a broken instrument immediately instead of hiding it.
Stay in your seat for the full allotted time unless the invigilator permits you to leave. needs_review: confirm with the provider the rules on toilet breaks and early exit for the practical examination.
Keep the practical record file, rough sheets and answer booklet on your desk only; do not pass pages to neighbours. Write your roll number on every loose sheet before use.
Marks for practical work are normally split across the record file, the experiment performed, and the viva, so an incomplete file loses marks even when the experiment goes well. needs_review: confirm the exact mark distribution and pass requirements with the provider or your school; do not rely on hearsay.
If a reading or the apparatus fails, tell the invigilator and request a replacement or a re-trial, and note the issue in your answer if it affects the result. Do not fabricate readings to fill a table.