Overview

Recent Trends in Physics is the shortest and lightest chapter in the Grade XII syllabus, and the past papers below reflect that — it’s almost entirely MCQ territory, with seismology (specifically seismic waves) as the dominant topic tested. The recurring question, asked nearly every year in some phrasing, is about which wave arrives first at a seismograph: P-waves (primary, longitudinal, fastest) always precede S-waves (secondary, transverse, slower), which is why P-waves are consistently the “first recorded” answer across past papers.

A second recurring distinction worth locking in is the difference between the hypocenter (or focus — the actual point inside the Earth where the earthquake originates) and the epicenter (the point directly above it on the Earth’s surface). Several MCQs test this pairing directly, sometimes with distractor terms like “metacenter” or “seismic center” that don’t actually exist in this context. The one theory question that has appeared asks about the types of seismic waves generated during a major earthquake, which is really just P-waves, S-waves, and surface waves (Love and Rayleigh) described briefly.

Below is the full set of MCQs and theoretical questions from past NEB board exams, organized by course and question type.

⚠️ Common Mistakes Students Make

• Confusing hypocenter (focus) and epicenter. The hypocenter is the actual underground origin point of the earthquake; the epicenter is just its surface projection directly above. Questions often test this pairing with tempting but incorrect distractor terms.
• Mixing up P-wave and S-wave properties. P-waves are longitudinal and travel through solids, liquids, and gases; S-waves are transverse and can only travel through solids — which is also why S-waves can’t pass through Earth’s liquid outer core, a detail occasionally tested indirectly.