Assessments are key tools used to evaluate a student's preparation ahead of exams. They provide clear feedback on the effectiveness of study methods, what students have actually understood, and also offer useful insights.
To reform the curriculum and pedagogical methodologies, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 highlights the importance of competency-based assessments in classrooms.
This initiative focuses on developing higher-order skills such as analysis, critical thinking and problem solving through classroom instruction and aligned assessments. In the area of assessment, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has collaborated with Educational Initiatives (Ei).
Through the Essential Concepts document and A-Question-A-Day (AQAD), high-quality questions and core learning concepts have been shared with schools and teachers. To ensure every student learns with understanding, the focus is on conceptual learning. Question Booklets have been designed for Classes 10 and 12.
These booklets contain competency-based questions tailored to assess conceptual understanding and application of concepts. The booklet also includes an answer key that helps students check their responses after solving the questions.
The booklet can be used to:
● understand what good competency-based questions look like
● expose students to competency-based items
● assist in classroom teaching and learning
● inspire teachers to create more such items
"Students can also use this document to understand different kinds of questions and practise specific concepts and competencies. There will be further additions in the future to provide competency-focused questions on all chapters," the booklet reads.
For Physics (Volume 2) of Class 12, the Competency-Focused Practice Questions booklet covers eight topics: Electrostatics, Current Electricity, Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism, Electromagnetic Induction and Alternating Current (AC), Atoms and Nuclei, Dual Nature of Radiation and Matter, Electromagnetic Waves, and Optics.
Here are a few competency-focused practice questions students should review, as they provide a sense of the types and difficulty levels expected in the upcoming exams.
Electrostatics
Multiple Choice Questions (Each question worth 1 mark in this section)
Q. 1 The capacitance of a capacitor is Co. It is connected to a battery of voltage V which charges the capacitor. With the capacitor still connected to the battery, a slab of dielectric material is introduced between the plates of the capacitor.
Which of the following explains the effect of the dielectric slab in the above situation?
A. The electric field between the plates of the capacitor rises.
B. The potential difference between the plates falls.
C. The total charge on the capacitor increases.
D. The ability of the capacitor to store charge decreases.
Q. 2 In a given region, electric potential varies with position as V(x) = 3 + 2x2.
Identify which of the following statements is correct.
A. Potential difference between the two points x = 2 and x = ‐2 is 2 V.
B. A charge of 1 C placed at x = 2 experiences a force of 6 N.
C. The force experienced by the above charge is along +x ‐ axis.
D. The electric field in the given region is non‐uniform along x ‐ axis.
Q. 3 A uniform electric field of 5000 V/m exists in a certain region. What volume of this space will contain energy equal to 10‐6 J? (Take ∈o = 8.8 x10‐12 SI units)
A. 9 m3
B. 9 x 10‐3 m3
C. 9 x 10‐6 m3
D. 9 x 103 m3
Free Response Question/Subjective Question
Q. 1 In the case of a spherical charged conductor of radius R, hollow or solid, the electric potential is constant and maximum inside and on the surface.
On the outside, the electric potential varies as, where r is the distance from the center of the sphere.
(a) Represent the variation of electric potential due to a charged sphere with distance graphically.
(b) How does the electric field intensity due to a charged sphere vary with distance r from the center in the above case?
(c) Represent the variation of electric field intensity due to a charged sphere with distance graphically.
Q. 2 For a given charge distribution, an equipotential surface is the locus of all points having the same potential.
Draw two equipotential surfaces for each of the following:
(a) a uniform electric field
(b) a point charge
(c) an infinite straight line of charge
Q. 3 The dielectric strength of a medium is the minimum electric field required to cause ionization of the medium. For air, this value is taken as 3 million V/m.
With this information, find out if a metal sphere of radius 1 cm, surrounded by air, can hold a charge of 1 coulomb.
Q. 4 Two hollow spherical conductors of different sizes are charged positively. The smaller one is at 50 V and the larger one is at 100 V.
Suggest a method in which the two conductors can be arranged so that the charge flows from the smaller to the bigger conductor when connected by a wire.
Give a mathematical working to justify the arrangement.
2. Current electricity
Free Response Question/ Subjective Question
Q Alloys like Nichrome, whose temperature coefficient of resistance is ~ 0.4 x 10‐3 /degree Celsius at 20 degree Celsius, are used widely in the making of wire‐bound standard resistors as their resistance changes very little with changes in temperature.
(i) Find the temperature at which the resistance of a given Nichrome wire would be reduced to half its value at 20 degree Celsius.
(ii) State an anomaly regarding the temperature value obtained in (i).
Q A battery of 6 V drives a current of 60 mA through an electric lamp.
Another battery of 10 V drives a current of 70 mA through the same lamp. Is the lamp an ohmic device? Explain.
3. Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism
Free Response Question/Subjective Question
Two parallel current‐carrying wires are placed at a perpendicular distance of r from each other.
a. Find the net magnetic field at the midpoint O if current I1 > I2.
b. What is the effect on the net magnetic field at O in case if current I1 < I2?
A straight wire of length 4 m carrying a current of 0.5 A can be turned into either a square or a circular loop of 2 turns, before placing it in a magnetic field of intensity 0.1 T.
Which loop do you think will require less counter torque in order to hold it in a position such that the axis of the loop is perpendicular to the magnetic field?
Find the value of this counter‐torque
Click here to access all competency-focused practice questions for Physics (Volume 2) of Class 12.