Last reviewed: 1 November 2026
Updated October 2026. KCSE Physics Paper 2 (232/2, Physics Paper 2 (Theory)) is a 2 hours paper. Same layout as Paper 1, 80 marks. Paper 2 covers waves, electricity and modern physics. On the KNEC 2026 timetable it is on Wednesday 18 November 2026, 2.00 to 4.00 pm. Below: what the paper covers, how to answer for marks, original practice questions with answers, and a timed KCSE Physics Paper 2 challenge you can try free.
On this page
- What is in KCSE Physics Paper 2?
- Topics that come up most in Physics Paper 2
- How to answer Physics Paper 2 for marks
- Topic weighting: where the marks are in Physics Paper 2
- Common mistakes in KCSE Physics Paper 2
- Examiner-style tips for Physics Paper 2
- KCSE Physics Paper 2 questions and answers (practice)
- Physics Paper 2 revision checklist
- On the day of Physics Paper 2
- Three-day plan for Physics Paper 2
- Practise Physics Paper 2 online
- How this guide differs from past-paper sites
- More Physics Paper 2 (232/2) Practice Questions With Answers
- Frequently asked questions
What is in KCSE Physics Paper 2?
Same layout as Paper 1, 80 marks. Paper 2 covers waves, electricity and modern physics. Always follow the instructions printed on your own paper; layouts can change.
Topics that come up most in Physics Paper 2
- Light: reflection, refraction, lenses
- Waves and sound, electromagnetic spectrum
- Electrostatics, cells, current electricity, capacitors
- Magnetism, electromagnetic induction, mains electricity
- Cathode rays, X-rays, photoelectric effect, radioactivity, electronics
How to answer Physics Paper 2 for marks
- Draw ray diagrams with a ruler and arrows.
- Know circuit symbols and series and parallel rules.
- Learn half-life calculations.
- Read every question twice and underline the command word (state, explain, describe, calculate).
- Budget time by marks: roughly one minute per mark, plus checking time.
Topic weighting: where the marks are in Physics Paper 2
Same weighting as Paper 1. Electricity and optics carry many marks; modern physics (photoelectric effect, radioactivity) is a common Section B question.
Common mistakes in KCSE Physics Paper 2
- Ray diagrams drawn freehand
- Mixing series and parallel resistance rules
- Forgetting that current is the same in a series circuit
- Half-life answers without working
Examiner-style tips for Physics Paper 2
- Draw rays with a ruler and arrows.
- Write V = IR and P = VI before calculations.
- Show each half-life step in a table.
KCSE Physics Paper 2 questions and answers (practice)
These are original practice questions written for revision, not KNEC papers.
Question 1
Three 6 Ω resistors are connected in parallel. Find the effective resistance.
Answer: 1/R = 3/6, so R = 2 Ω.
Question 2
A radioactive sample has a half-life of 2 days. What fraction remains after 6 days?
Answer: Three half-lives, so 1/8 remains.
Question 3
State Snell’s law.
Answer: The ratio sin i ÷ sin r is constant for a given pair of media.
Question 4
Find the current through a 4 Ω resistor connected to 12 V.
Answer: I = V ÷ R = 3 A.
Question 5
Give one use of X-rays.
Answer: Detecting fractures in bones.
Physics Paper 2 revision checklist
Tick each line only when you can do it from memory, under time:
- I can answer an exam-style question on light without notes.
- I can answer an exam-style question on waves and sound, electromagnetic spectrum without notes.
- I can answer an exam-style question on electrostatics, cells, current electricity, capacitors without notes.
- I can answer an exam-style question on magnetism, electromagnetic induction, mains electricity without notes.
- I can answer an exam-style question on cathode rays, x-rays, photoelectric effect, radioactivity, electronics without notes.
- I have done at least one full 2 hours practice paper and marked it.
- I have listed my last five mistakes and redone them correctly.
On the day of Physics Paper 2
Wednesday 18 November 2026, 2.00 to 4.00 pm. Be seated 15 minutes early. Carry blue or black pens, a pencil, a ruler and a rubber, a mathematical set and an approved non-programmable calculator. Read the whole paper in the first five minutes and mark the questions you will answer first. Leave the last ten minutes to check your answers and that your index number is on every page you hand in.
Three-day plan for Physics Paper 2
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 3 days before | Do a full timed practice paper and mark it. |
| 2 days before | Revise the two weakest topics from the list above and redo the questions you got wrong. |
| Night before | Take the Physics Paper 2 challenge once, read your mistake list, then sleep. |
Practise Physics Paper 2 online
The KCSE Physics Paper 2 challenge gives timed questions with a score, a leaderboard rank and a share card. For full papers with worked answers see KCSE practice papers, the KCSE Physics revision quiz and this related guide. Check dates in the KCSE 2026 timetable and use the last-minute revision plan.
How this guide differs from past-paper sites
The top Google results for KCSE Physics Paper 2 are mostly PDF downloads of old papers and marking schemes. Those are useful, but they rarely explain where the marks sit, what candidates get wrong or how to practise under time. This guide adds that, with original questions and a timed online challenge with instant marking.
More Physics Paper 2 (232/2) Practice Questions With Answers
1. Refraction and critical angle (4 marks)
Light travels from air into glass. The angle of incidence is 40° and the angle of refraction is 25°. Find (a) the refractive index of the glass and (b) its critical angle.
Working: (a) n = sin i ÷ sin r = sin 40° ÷ sin 25° = 0.6428 ÷ 0.4226 = 1.52. (b) sin c = 1 ÷ n = 1 ÷ 1.52 = 0.6575, so c ≈ 41.1°. Marks go for the formula, the substitution and the answer; a missing degree sign can cost the last mark.
2. Converging lens (4 marks)
An object is placed 15 cm from a converging lens of focal length 10 cm. Find the image distance and magnification and describe the image.
Working: 1/f = 1/u + 1/v (real-is-positive), so 1/v = 1/10 − 1/15 = 1/30 and v = 30 cm. Magnification = v ÷ u = 30 ÷ 15 = 2. The image is real, inverted and magnified, formed on the other side of the lens.
3. Waves (2 marks)
A radio station broadcasts at 100 MHz. Find the wavelength, given the speed of radio waves is 3.0 × 108 m/s.
Working: λ = v ÷ f = 3.0 × 108 ÷ 1.0 × 108 = 3.0 m. Remember 1 MHz = 106 Hz.
4. Circuits with internal resistance (8 marks)
A 6 Ω resistor and a 3 Ω resistor are in parallel, and the pair is in series with a 4 Ω resistor. The circuit is connected to a cell of e.m.f. 3.5 V and internal resistance 1 Ω. Find (a) the current from the cell, (b) the terminal voltage and (c) the current through the 3 Ω resistor.
Working: Parallel pair: (6 × 3) ÷ (6 + 3) = 2 Ω. Total resistance = 2 + 4 + 1 = 7 Ω. (a) I = 3.5 ÷ 7 = 0.5 A. (b) Terminal p.d. = E − Ir = 3.5 − 0.5 × 1 = 3.0 V. (c) p.d. across the pair = 0.5 × 2 = 1.0 V, so current in 3 Ω = 1.0 ÷ 3 = 0.33 A.
5. Transformer and cost of electricity (8 marks)
(a) A transformer has 1,200 primary turns on 240 V mains and 60 secondary turns. Find the output voltage, and the primary current when the secondary supplies 2 A, assuming 100% efficiency. (b) A 2 kW heater runs for 3 hours a day for 30 days. At an assumed rate of KSh 25 per unit, find the cost. (c) Give two ways energy is lost in a real transformer.
Working: (a) Vs = Vp × Ns ÷ Np = 240 × 60 ÷ 1,200 = 12 V. Power in = power out: 240 × Ip = 12 × 2, so Ip = 0.1 A. (b) Energy = 2 kW × 3 h × 30 = 180 kWh; cost = 180 × 25 = KSh 4,500. (c) Eddy currents in the core (reduced by laminating it); heating in the copper coils (reduced by using thick wire); hysteresis losses (reduced by a soft-iron core); flux leakage.
6. Radioactivity (5 marks)
A radioactive sample of 160 g has a half-life of 8 days. (a) Find the mass left after 32 days. (b) Write the equation for uranium-238 emitting an alpha particle to form thorium.
Working: (a) 32 ÷ 8 = 4 half-lives: 160 → 80 → 40 → 20 → 10 g. (b) 23892U → 23490Th + 42He. Mass numbers and atomic numbers must balance on both sides.
7. Photoelectric effect (6 marks)
Light of wavelength 400 nm falls on a metal with work function 2.0 eV. Find the maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons in joules. (h = 6.63 × 10−34 Js, c = 3.0 × 108 m/s, 1 eV = 1.6 × 10−19 J.)
Working: Photon energy E = hc ÷ λ = (6.63 × 10−34 × 3.0 × 108) ÷ (4.0 × 10−7) = 4.97 × 10−19 J. Work function = 2.0 × 1.6 × 10−19 = 3.2 × 10−19 J. KEmax = 4.97 × 10−19 − 3.2 × 10−19 = 1.77 × 10−19 J. Convert units before subtracting.
Frequently asked questions
What is in KCSE Physics Paper 2?
Light, waves, electricity, magnetism and modern physics for 80 marks.
Where can I get the KCSE Physics Paper 2 marking scheme?
Official marking schemes are not published by KNEC for sale. Use practice papers with worked answers and the answers on this page, and be wary of anyone selling ‘marking schemes’ for the coming exam.
Are KCSE Physics Paper 2 leaked papers real?
No. Papers sold online before the exam are scams, and holding them is an exam irregularity that can lead to cancelled results (see KCSE exam rules).
How long is KCSE Physics Paper 2?
2 hours on the 2026 timetable.
Can I download the KCSE Physics Paper 2 2025 PDF here?
We do not host KNEC papers. Practise with original papers in the same format, with worked answers, in KCSE practice papers; schools keep past KNEC papers for their candidates.
Is there a KCSE Physics Paper 2 prediction for 2026?
Prediction papers are teachers’ practice papers, not the real exam. Use them like any past paper and focus on the topics listed above.
Want marked practice? Try the first questions free. A Day Pass (KSh 20) or Monthly Pass (KSh 500) unlocks full papers with worked answers, paid once by M-Pesa, no auto-renewal. See all passes.
More practice with worked answers: KCSE 2023 Physics Paper 2 questions and answers; KCSE 2025 Physics Paper 2 answers and practice.