Chemistry laboratory bench

OLYMPIADS / YOUR NEXT CHAPTER

NSEC — National Standard Examination in Chemistry

Small reactions. Extraordinary discoveries.

Explore the chemistry olympiad pathway and the science of matter and transformation.

Explore the pathway Official website ↗

StageScience olympiad pathway

Where it leadsChemistry olympiad progression

Conducting bodyIndian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT)

Subject photograph, not a claimed NSEC examination venue.

Photo: Jean-Pierre from Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire (Nièvre, Burgundy region), France · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Displayed with responsive cropping.

UNDERSTAND THE BIGGER PICTURE

Your pathway, at a glance.

First stage of the Chemistry Olympiad pathway leading to INChO and the International Chemistry Olympiad selection.

Know the requirements

Check the eligibility and exam-cycle information published by the conducting body.

Build your preparation

Use the official syllabus and paper pattern to guide your study plan.

Explore what follows

Chemistry olympiad progression. Selection depends on the applicable programme rules.

ELIGIBILITY

Who can take this exam?

Eligibility

Open to students enrolled in Class 11 or 12 (or equivalent) at a school affiliated for IAPT Olympiad registration; exact class/age windows are set by IAPT each cycle.

Academic requirements

A solid Class 11-12 chemistry foundation (physical, organic, and inorganic chemistry) beyond routine board-exam depth.

APPLICATION

Make your application count.

Application process

Registration is done through schools affiliated with the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT), the exam's conducting body.

PATTERN

Know what you are preparing for.

Exam pattern

An objective paper covering chemistry concepts beyond the standard school curriculum — the first stage of the Chemistry Olympiad pathway toward INChO.

SYLLABUS

Build your subject foundation.

Syllabus

Class 11-12 chemistry (physical, organic, and inorganic) treated with greater conceptual depth and problem-solving rigor than board-exam level.

PREPARATION

Prepare with a sense of direction.

Preparation strategy

Build depth beyond NCERT/board-level chemistry using standard Olympiad-prep texts, and solve past NSEC papers with a focus on conceptual problem-solving over formula recall.

Learning resources ↗Browse courses ↗Practice & assessments ↗

CHECK THE ORIGINAL SOURCE

Dates, notices & documents.

NSEC 2026 Exam DateCycle: 2026-272026-11-22

Full official noticeboard ↗Visit NSEC — National Standard Examination in Chemistry portal ↗