Home › AKTU PYQ › Engineering Physics › Exam Strategy

Engineering Physics (BAS101) AKTU exam strategy

Focus on Unit 3 (Wave Optics) and Unit 1 (Quantum Mechanics). Together they account for about 54 marks among all questions printed per paper. Unit 5 (Superconductors and Nano-Materials) is safest to skim if you're short on time.

Unit priority

  • Unit 3 (Wave Optics) – Must Prepare, 28 marks avg. Unit 3 (Wave Optics) averages 28 marks per paper — one of the heaviest units in this subject. Diffraction of Light has appeared in every paper analysed — these are must-dos. Must-do: Interference of Light, Diffraction of Light, Diffraction Grating, Rayleigh Criterion Resolution.
  • Unit 1 (Quantum Mechanics) – High Priority, 26 marks avg. Unit 1 (Quantum Mechanics) averages 26 marks per paper — one of the heaviest units in this subject. Compton Effect and de-Broglie Matter Waves have appeared in every paper analysed — these are must-dos. Must-do: Particle in a Box, Blackbody Radiation Planck Theory, de-Broglie Matter Waves, Compton Effect.
  • Unit 4 (Fiber Optics and Laser) – High Priority, 26 marks avg. Unit 4 (Fiber Optics and Laser) averages 26 marks per paper — one of the heaviest units in this subject. Fiber Optic Communication has appeared in every paper analysed — these are must-dos. Must-do: Optical Fiber Basics, Laser Fundamentals, Types of Lasers, Fiber Optic Communication.
  • Unit 2 (Electromagnetic Field Theory) – Medium Priority, 25 marks avg. Unit 2 (Electromagnetic Field Theory) averages 25 marks per paper — one of the heaviest units in this subject. Basic Laws Electricity Magnetism has appeared in every paper analysed — these are must-dos. Must-do: Plane Electromagnetic Waves, Poynting Vector and Theorem, Basic Laws Electricity Magnetism, Maxwell Equations.
  • Unit 5 (Superconductors and Nano-Materials) – Safe to Skim, 17 marks avg. Unit 5 (Superconductors and Nano-Materials) averages 17 marks per paper — one of the heaviest units in this subject. Must-do: Superconductivity Basics, Nanomaterials Introduction Properties, Types of Superconductors, Fabrication of Nanomaterials.

Topics AKTU keeps repeating

  • Blackbody Radiation Planck Theory: Asked in 6 out of 9 papers. If you prepare only one topic from its unit, make it this one.
  • Particle in a Box: Asked in 6 out of 9 papers. If you prepare only one topic from its unit, make it this one.

Short on time?

  • Among all units, Unit 5 (Superconductors and Nano-Materials) is the lowest priority at 17M avg. If you're running low on time, prioritize the top 3 units and give this one a quick read. But even here — Superconductivity Basics, Types of Superconductors, Nanomaterials Introduction Properties are high-repeat topics. Cover these at minimum to stay safe.

How the paper is marked

  • Section A: 7 questions × 2 marks = 14 marks. Short definition/concept questions from all 5 units. Prepare 2–3 key definitions per unit — this section is the easiest 14 marks you can secure.
  • Section B: Attempt any 3 of 5 questions × 7 marks = 21 marks. Choose the 3 questions from units you've prepared most. Don't attempt all 5 — pick your strongest 3 and write them well.
  • Section C: 5 OR-pairs × 7 marks = 35 marks. One pair per unit — you must attempt all 5. This is where the exam is won or lost. Focus your deep preparation on the top 3 priority units.

Exam-day tips

  • Start with Section A to build momentum — budget 15–20 minutes max for all 7 questions.
  • In Section B, Unit 3 (Wave Optics) questions have the highest repeat rate — always attempt that one first.
  • For Section C OR-pairs, read both options before choosing — sometimes the 'b' option is simpler despite appearing longer.
  • If you've prepared the VERY LIKELY topics, you can comfortably score 50+ marks without touching any new topic on exam day.
  • This strategy is built on 9 past papers — the patterns here are highly reliable.