Neco Physics Exam 2025/2026: Full List Of Highly Repeated Topics & Past Questions

The NECO Physics Exam is an essential part of the National Examinations Council (NECO) senior secondary school certificate. It assesses students' understanding of various principles in physics, from mechanics to modern physics. In order to perform well, you need to focus on the most commonly tested topics and review past questions regularly.

This guide provides you with a comprehensive list of the highly repeated topics and past questions for the NECO Physics Exam 2025/2026. Whether you're aiming for a high score or simply trying to improve your knowledge, this resource is crucial for effective preparation.

Overview of the NECO Physics Exam

The NECO Physics Exam is typically divided into two sections:

Section A: Objective Questions (Multiple Choice)
Section B: Theory Questions (Short Answer and Long Answer)

The exam typically includes both theoretical and practical aspects of physics, testing students' knowledge and application of key concepts.

Highly Repeated Topics in NECO Physics Exam 2025/2026

1. Mechanics

Motion and Kinematics: Key concepts like speed, velocity, acceleration, and equations of motion are frequently tested. Expect questions that require calculations involving these principles.
- Example: A car accelerates from rest at 3 m/s². How long will it take to reach a speed of 30 m/s?
Forces and Newton's Laws of Motion: Understanding the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration is fundamental in this section.
- Example: A 10 kg object is acted upon by a force of 30 N. What is its acceleration?
Work, Energy, and Power: Be prepared for problems related to the work-energy theorem, conservation of energy, and power calculations.
- Example: Calculate the work done in lifting a 5 kg object to a height of 3 meters.
Circular Motion: Questions may involve objects moving in circular paths, centripetal force, and angular velocity.
- Example: Calculate the centripetal force on a body of mass 2 kg moving at 5 m/s in a circular path with a radius of 4 m.

2. Waves and Oscillations

Wave Properties: Understanding wave characteristics such as amplitude, frequency, wavelength, and speed is critical.
- Example: A wave has a frequency of 50 Hz and a wavelength of 4 meters. What is the speed of the wave?
Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM): Expect questions on the motion of pendulums and springs, with an emphasis on oscillations and angular frequency.
- Example: A mass of 0.2 kg attached to a spring oscillates with a frequency of 2 Hz. What is the angular frequency?
Sound Waves: Focus on the propagation of sound, Doppler effect, and the relationship between speed, frequency, and wavelength.
- Example: A sound wave has a frequency of 330 Hz. If the speed of sound is 340 m/s, what is the wavelength?

3. Thermodynamics

Laws of Thermodynamics: You must understand the basic laws governing energy transfer and conservation in physical systems.
- Example: Explain the first law of thermodynamics and give a real-world example.
Heat and Temperature: Questions may involve specific heat capacity, temperature changes, and the conversion of energy in different forms.
- Example: How much heat is required to raise the temperature of 2 kg of water from 20°C to 50°C? (Specific heat capacity of water = 4200 J/kg°C)
Thermal Expansion: Understand the expansion of solids, liquids, and gases when heated.
- Example: A metal rod expands by 0.1 cm when heated. If the rod is 2 meters long, what is its coefficient of linear expansion?

4. Electricity and Magnetism

Electric Circuits: Topics such as Ohm’s Law, resistors in series and parallel, power calculations, and current-voltage relationships are crucial.
- Example: If the resistance of a resistor is 5Ω and the voltage across it is 10V, what is the current flowing through the resistor?
Magnetic Fields: Expect questions on the force experienced by a moving charge in a magnetic field, electromagnetism, and applications of magnetic fields.
- Example: A charge of 1C moves through a magnetic field of strength 0.5 T at a velocity of 2 m/s. What is the force on the charge?
Electromagnetic Induction: Be familiar with Faraday’s Law and Lenz’s Law, and how they apply to transformers and electric generators.
- Example: A coil with 200 turns is exposed to a changing magnetic field. What is the induced emf?

5. Modern Physics

Atomic and Nuclear Physics: Understand atomic models, radioactive decay, and nuclear reactions. Questions may involve nuclear fission and fusion.
- Example: How does nuclear fission release energy? Provide an example.
Photoelectric Effect: This concept relates to the emission of electrons when light strikes certain materials.
- Example: What is the minimum frequency of light required to cause the emission of electrons from a metal with a work function of 2 eV?

6. Optics

Reflection and Refraction: Questions may involve calculating angles of incidence and refraction, and applying Snell's Law to different mediums.
- Example: A beam of light strikes the surface of water at an angle of 30°. What is the angle of refraction if the refractive index of water is 1.33?
Lenses and Mirrors: Expect questions on the formation of images by lenses and mirrors, magnification, and focal lengths.
- Example: A convex lens has a focal length of 10 cm. If an object is placed 30 cm from the lens, where will the image be formed?

Sample Past Questions for NECO Physics Exam 2025/2026

1. Mechanics

Question: A car travels 100 meters in 5 seconds. What is its average velocity?
Answer: Average velocity = $Total time Total distance = 5 100 = 20 m/s$

2. Waves and Oscillations

Question: A wave has a frequency of 20 Hz and a wavelength of 10 meters. What is the speed of the wave?
Answer: Speed = $Frequency \times Wavelength = 20 \times 10 = 200 m/s$

3. Thermodynamics

Question: How much heat is needed to increase the temperature of 1.5 kg of water by 15°C? (Specific heat capacity of water = 4200 J/kg°C)
Answer: Heat = $mass \times specific heat capacity \times temperature change = 1.5 \times 4200 \times 15 = 94500 J$

4. Electricity and Magnetism

Question: In a circuit with a 24V battery and a 4Ω resistor, calculate the current.
Answer: Current = $R V = 4 24 = 6 A$

5. Modern Physics

Question: A radioactive substance has a half-life of 10 years. How much of a 100 g sample will remain after 30 years?
Answer: After 30 years (three half-lives), the remaining amount will be $2 ^{3} 100 = 12.5 g$

FAQ Section

Q1: What is the format of the NECO Physics Exam?

The NECO Physics Exam consists of two sections:

Section A: Objective questions (Multiple Choice)
Section B: Theory questions (Short-Answer and Long-Answer)

Q2: How many marks are allocated to each section of the exam?

Typically, the exam is divided into:

Section A (Objective) is worth 50 marks.
Section B (Theory) is worth 50 marks.

Q3: How do I calculate the speed of a wave?

To calculate the speed of a wave, use the formula: $Speed = Frequency \times Wavelength$ Where:

Speed is the speed of the wave.
Frequency is the number of cycles per second.
Wavelength is the distance between consecutive wave crests.

Q4: What topics are most likely to appear in the NECO Physics exam?

The most commonly repeated topics include Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electricity and Magnetism, Modern Physics, and Optics.

Q5: How can I improve my problem-solving skills for the exam?

To improve problem-solving:

Practice past questions regularly.
Understand the formulas and their application.
Review key concepts to reinforce your knowledge.

Conclusion

With this guide, you're now equipped to tackle the NECO Physics Exam 2025/2026. Focus on the highly repeated topics, and consistently practice past questions to strengthen your understanding. This approach will help you boost your performance and increase your chances of success. Good luck!