MDCAT Physics Chapter-wise Weightage: What 16 Years of Past Papers Show
Physics is 36 of 180 MCQs in MDCAT. We counted 762 real Physics MCQs from 16 past papers to find which chapters carry the marks, and found that recent papers lean much harder on mechanics and electricity.
By ParhaiKrlo Team · Published 7 Oct 2026 · 7 min read
Updated: 7 October 2026
For many MDCAT students, Physics is the subject they fear most. It's 36 of 180 MCQs, or 20% of the paper, and its questions often need a formula and a quick calculation in under a minute.
The good news is that Physics marks aren't spread evenly. We counted every Physics MCQ in ParhaiKrlo's bank of MDCAT past papers from 2008 to 2025 (there are no papers for 2020 and 2021): 762 questions in total. A handful of chapters account for most of them.
Quick answer
- Physics is 36 MCQs (20%) in the current 180-question MDCAT.
- The five most-tested chapters across all 16 papers are Waves, Electromagnetism, Nuclear Physics, Force and Motion, and Work and Energy. Together they make up 369 of 762 questions (48.4%).
- Recent papers lean on mechanics and electricity. In 2022 to 2025, Force and Motion leads, and Current Electricity, Electrostatics and Electromagnetic Induction have all grown.
- Modern physics topics have shrunk. Dawn of Modern Physics, Thermodynamics and Electronics take a much smaller share than they used to.
- The most common question types are on magnetic flux density, radioactive decay and half-life, simple harmonic motion, work and energy, and resistivity.
The official Physics weightage
| Subject | MCQs | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 81 | 45% |
| Chemistry | 45 | 25% |
| Physics | 36 | 20% |
| English | 9 | 5% |
| Logical Reasoning | 9 | 5% |
| Total | 180 | 100% |
Physics's share has moved around more than Chemistry's. In our data it was 21.8% of the old UHS papers (2008 to 2019), rose to 27.2% in the 200-MCQ PMDC papers (2022 to 2024), and fell to exactly 20% in MDCAT 2025. So if you practise on the 2022 to 2024 papers, expect slightly less Physics in the real exam. See our MDCAT syllabus guide for the current pattern.
Chapter-wise weightage from 16 past papers
These are all active, topic-tagged Physics MCQs from the 16 MDCAT papers on ParhaiKrlo. The chapter names are our tags, which follow PMDC's syllabus units.
| Chapter | Past-paper MCQs | % of Physics | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waves | 90 | 11.8% | High |
| Electromagnetism | 79 | 10.4% | High |
| Nuclear Physics | 73 | 9.6% | High |
| Force and Motion | 69 | 9.1% | High |
| Work and Energy | 58 | 7.6% | High |
| Current Electricity | 56 | 7.3% | High |
| Dawn of Modern Physics | 52 | 6.8% | Medium |
| Thermodynamics | 51 | 6.7% | Medium |
| Electrostatics | 48 | 6.3% | Medium |
| Rotational and Circular Motion | 46 | 6.0% | Medium |
| Fluid Dynamics | 38 | 5.0% | Medium |
| Electronics | 36 | 4.7% | Medium |
| Electromagnetic Induction | 25 | 3.3% | Medium |
| Atomic Spectra | 9 | 1.2% | Low |
| Alternating Current | 9 | 1.2% | Low |
| Vectors and Equilibrium | 8 | 1.0% | Low |
| Optics | 7 | 0.9% | Low |
| Measurements | 7 | 0.9% | Low |
| Deformation of Solids | 1 | 0.1% | Low |
What the recent papers favour
The old UHS papers make up most of this data. Here's what the four PMDC-era papers (2022 to 2025) tested, out of 197 Physics MCQs:
| Chapter | MCQs in 2022-2025 | % of recent Physics |
|---|---|---|
| Force and Motion | 26 | 13.2% |
| Current Electricity | 21 | 10.7% |
| Electromagnetism | 20 | 10.2% |
| Electrostatics | 20 | 10.2% |
| Waves | 19 | 9.6% |
| Work and Energy | 18 | 9.1% |
| Rotational and Circular Motion | 14 | 7.1% |
| Nuclear Physics | 13 | 6.6% |
| Electromagnetic Induction | 12 | 6.1% |
The shift is clear when you compare shares, not raw counts (there are 565 Physics MCQs from the old papers and 197 from the recent ones):
| Chapter | Old papers (2008-2019) | Recent papers (2022-2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Force and Motion | 7.6% | 13.2% |
| Current Electricity | 6.2% | 10.7% |
| Electrostatics | 5.0% | 10.2% |
| Electromagnetic Induction | 2.3% | 6.1% |
| Nuclear Physics | 10.6% | 6.6% |
| Dawn of Modern Physics | 8.0% | 3.6% |
| Thermodynamics | 7.6% | 4.1% |
| Electronics | 5.5% | 2.5% |
Four papers is a small sample, so treat small differences carefully. But the direction is consistent: mechanics and electricity are up, and modern physics is down. If you're preparing for MDCAT 2027, put your Physics hours there first.
The top chapters in detail
Waves: 90 MCQs (11.8%)
The most-tested Physics chapter overall. Common questions: simple harmonic motion (15), the characteristics of waves (14), transverse and longitudinal waves, the speed of sound, and superposition. Know the SHM equations and how the period of a pendulum and a mass on a spring depend on each quantity. Full topic page.
Electromagnetism: 79 MCQs (10.4%)
Magnetic flux density alone accounts for 37 questions, and the motion of charged particles in a magnetic field adds 21. Practise the force on a moving charge and on a current-carrying wire, including direction. Full topic page.
Nuclear Physics: 73 MCQs (9.6%)
Mostly radioactive decay (28), half-life (15), the medical and biological uses of radiation (15), and the composition of nuclei (14). Half-life questions are quick marks once you've practised them. Full topic page.
Force and Motion: 69 MCQs (9.1%)
The top chapter in recent papers. Expect Newton's laws (16), projectile motion (11), acceleration, and stress and strain. These are calculation-heavy, so timed practice matters. Full topic page.
Work and Energy: 58 MCQs (7.6%)
Split almost evenly between energy (25) and work (24), plus power. Know the work-energy principle and how to handle kinetic and potential energy together. Full topic page.
Current Electricity: 56 MCQs (7.3%)
Resistivity and its temperature coefficient (19), Ohm's law (15) and internal resistance (8) cover most questions. It's one of the fastest-growing chapters in recent papers. Full topic page.
How to prepare for MDCAT Physics
- Start with mechanics and electricity. Force and Motion, Work and Energy, Current Electricity, Electrostatics and Electromagnetism are where recent papers put their marks.
- Make a one-page formula sheet for each chapter, and revise it daily. Many questions are one formula and one step.
- Practise under time pressure. You have one minute per question. Do sets of 10 timed questions, and learn to recognise the formula before you start calculating.
- Learn the theory questions too. Not every Physics MCQ is a numerical. Definitions, units and "which of these is true" questions come straight from the FSc textbook.
- Don't skip the small chapters. Atomic Spectra, Alternating Current and Optics appear rarely, but a quick pass can still win you a mark.
- Drill by chapter, then sit full papers. Use the practice page for one chapter at a time, then MDCAT past papers and full-length mocks for timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the weightage of Physics in MDCAT?
Physics is 36 of 180 MCQs, or 20% of the current MDCAT paper. In our data it was 21.8% of the old UHS papers (2008 to 2019), 27.2% of the 200-MCQ PMDC papers (2022 to 2024), and exactly 20% of MDCAT 2025.
Which Physics chapters are most important for MDCAT?
Across 762 past-paper MCQs from 2008 to 2025, the five most-tested chapters are Waves (90), Electromagnetism (79), Nuclear Physics (73), Force and Motion (69) and Work and Energy (58). Together they make up 369 questions, or 48.4% of all Physics MCQs.
Which Physics chapters do recent MDCAT papers test most?
In the 2022 to 2025 papers, Force and Motion leads with 13.2% of Physics, followed by Current Electricity (10.7%), Electromagnetism (10.2%), Electrostatics (10.2%), Waves (9.6%) and Work and Energy (9.1%). Mechanics and electricity are up, while Dawn of Modern Physics, Thermodynamics and Electronics have shrunk.
How do I prepare for MDCAT Physics if I'm weak at it?
Start with mechanics and electricity, where recent papers put their marks. Make a one-page formula sheet for each chapter and revise it daily, practise timed sets of 10 questions, and learn the theory questions too, since not every Physics MCQ is a numerical.
Is there negative marking in MDCAT Physics?
No. MDCAT has no negative marking, so answer every Physics question. If you can't solve one in about a minute, eliminate what you can, choose an answer, mark it and come back if time allows.
Next steps
- MDCAT Chemistry chapter-wise weightage: the same analysis for Chemistry.
- MDCAT Biology chapter-wise weightage: Biology, the biggest subject.
- Physics syllabus: every topic and sub-topic.
- MDCAT 2027 plan for repeaters: a month-by-month plan.
All counts are from ParhaiKrlo's own verified bank of MDCAT past papers (2008 to 2019 and 2022 to 2025), counted on 7 October 2026. Chapter names are our topic tags. Counts can shift slightly if questions are re-verified. The 36-MCQ weightage is PMDC's current MDCAT pattern.