NSEC / INChO 2025–26 — Classes 11–12
Pathway: NSEC → INChO → OCSC → IChO | Organisers: IAPT (Stage‑1) & HBCSE‑TIFR (Stages‑2/3)
📝 IAPT Student Login (Enrolment)
📄 NSE 2025–26 Student Brochure (PDF)
🌐 HBCSE Science Olympiad Brochure 2025–26
📅 Key Dates (IST) — 2025–26
- Enrolment (students): 21 Aug – 14 Sept 2025 (IAPT portal).
- NSEC (Stage‑1): Sun, 23 Nov 2025 — 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM (OMR, offline).
- INChO (Stage‑2): Sat, 31 Jan 2026 — 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM (descriptive).
- OCSC‑Chemistry (Stage‑3): Apr–May 2026 (camp; dates via HBCSE notice).
🎯 Eligibility (Class 11–12 focus)
- Class: Studying in Class X/XI/XII at the time of enrolment (this guide focuses on XI–XII).
- DOB window: 1 Jul 2006 – 30 Jun 2011 (both days inclusive).
- Passport / OCI: Eligible to hold Indian passport. OCI students are provisionally eligible up to OCSC; they are not eligible to represent India at IChO as per current court orders.
- Residency / Study: Residing and studying in India (or Indian school system) since 30 Nov 2023 or earlier.
- Not appearing in NSEJS 2025 (mutually exclusive with senior NSEs).
📝 NSEC Exam Pattern (Total: 216 marks)
- Duration: 2 hours.
- Part A1: 48 single‑correct MCQs — +3 for correct, −1 for wrong.
- Part A2: 12 multiple‑correct MCQs — +6 only if all correct choices are marked and no wrong choice is marked; no negative in this part.
- Mode: OMR, offline.
🧪 INChO — What to Expect
- Format: Descriptive theory; English & Hindi.
- Duration: 3 hours; centres in ~18 cities nationwide.
- Syllabus: Broadly equivalent to Class XI–XII Chemistry (CBSE), but problems are non‑routine and Olympiad‑level.
⛳ Selection to INChO (from NSEC)
Shortlisting uses Minimum Admissible Score (MAS), Merit Index (MI), Proportional State/UT representation (min 4 per subject per State/UT), and a 15% super‑numerary quota for female students to reach the target number (≈200 per group) for INO.
➡️ After INChO → OCSC‑Chemistry
- Target intake: ~40 students (typically split across Groups A and B).
- Outcome: Camp selection tests choose the Indian team for the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO).
💳 Fees (Stage‑1 by IAPT)
₹300 per subject (inclusive of centre charge).
🧭 How to Apply (Quick Steps)
- Visit iapt.manageexam.com/Student/ and register.
- Fill profile, choose your NSE centre and subject: NSEC; pay the fee online.
- Download the hall ticket and appear for NSEC on 23 Nov 2025 (11:30–1:30).
- If shortlisted, register for INChO on 31 Jan 2026 (1:30–4:30) per HBCSE instructions.
📚 Preparation for Class 11–12 (Chemistry)
- Focus areas: physical chemistry (stoichiometry, thermo, electrochemistry), organic mechanisms (SN1/SN2/E1/E2, aromaticity), inorganic (coordination, periodic trends), data analysis.
- Practice: Solve NSEC/INChO past papers; aim for accuracy in A1 and complete correctness in A2; write full solutions for INChO problems.
🔗 Official Links
- IAPT Student Enrolment: iapt.manageexam.com
- NSE 2025–26 Student Brochure (PDF): iapt.org.in
- IAPT Exam Schedule / Fees page: iapt.manageexam.com/Centre
- HBCSE Science Olympiad Brochure 2025–26: olympiads.hbcse.tifr.res.in
📝 Disclaimer
All dates, pattern and policies here are summarized from IAPT & HBCSE 2025–26 documents. Always verify latest notices on the official portals before applying.