NIOS Lab Manual 2026 — Complete Practical File Guide for Class 10 & 12
The NIOS lab manual is the official experiment-and-observation guidebook published by the National Institute of Open Schooling for every practical subject at Class 10 and Class 12. It carries 20 internal marks — split as file (8), viva voce (6), and experiment performance (6) — and is available free on nios.ac.in.
Reviewed by: Sheetal Kirola, Former NIOS Subject Coordinator (Science Stream), 14 years evaluating practical files at regional centres across Delhi-NCR.
Key Takeaways
Before you scroll, here's what most students actually need to know:
- Those 20 practical marks are the difference between an 82% and a 68% on your marksheet — they're internal, they're compulsory, and most students under-prepare for them.
- Class 10 and Class 12 have separate manuals for every subject (Physics is 312, Chemistry is 313, and so on).
- Your file needs a fixed page order — front page, certificate, acknowledgement, index, experiments, viva — and examiners genuinely do reject files that skip sections.
- NIOS Handwritten Practical files still score marginally higher than typed ones for science subjects.
- And if you're planning to prepare everything yourself, give it 10 to 15 days minimum per subject.
- Why you can trust this guide: Every subject code, experiment count, and marking split below has been verified against the official NIOS lab manuals currently hosted on nios.ac.in (Student Support → Study Material → Lab Manuals).
NIOS Lab Manual 2026: The Quick Overview
Most students don't realise how much weight the NIOS lab manual actually carries — until they see their final marksheet and wonder where those extra percentage points vanished. The answer is almost always the practical file. Those 20 marks quietly decide whether you cross 80% or get stuck at 65%, and since NIOS doesn't offer casual second chances for practical re-evaluations, getting your file right the first time matters more than most coaching centres admit.
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Board | National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) |
| Applicable Classes | Class 10 (Secondary) and Class 12 (Senior Secondary) |
| Total Practical Marks | 20 (internal) |
| Pass Mark | 33% (roughly 7 out of 20) |
| Accepted File Format | Handwritten or typed, spiral or hard-bound |
| Core Practical Subjects | Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Home Science, Painting, Computer Science, Psychology, plus vocational streams |
| Where You Submit | Your allotted NIOS study centre |
| Official Source | nios.ac.in |
| Last Syllabus Update | April 2026 |
The 30-Second Answer
The NIOS lab manual is the official experiment-and-observation guidebook published by the National Institute of Open Schooling for every practical subject at Class 10 and Class 12. It carries 20 internal marks — split as file (8), viva voce (6), and experiment performance (6) — and is available free on nios.ac.in. Your practical file must follow the format laid out in this manual, or the examiner can deduct marks even if your content is correct.
The lab manuals are released subject-wise by NIOS for both Secondary and Senior Secondary levels, and they're freely downloadable under the Student Support section of the official site.
What Is a NIOS Lab Manual? (And Why It's Not the Same as Your File)
A NIOS lab manual is essentially the official rulebook for your practical exam. It spells out every experiment you're expected to perform, the format in which observations must be recorded, the diagrams you should draw, and the structure your final submission should follow. Think of it as the practical equivalent of a question paper — NIOS is telling you beforehand exactly what they'll test you on.
Here's where students get confused:
The manual and the file are two different things. The manual is the instruction set published by NIOS and available for free download. The file is what you actually make — your own handwritten or typed document, filled with diagrams, readings, procedures, and write-ups based on what the manual tells you to do.
Important:
Practicals aren't optional either. For Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Home Science, Painting, Computer Science, Psychology, and every vocational subject, skipping the practical means failing the subject. There's no way around it.
NIOS Practical File: Format, Structure & Page-by-Page Layout
Every NIOS practical file follows a fixed structure, and this isn't a suggestion — examiners genuinely reject files that deviate from it. The logic is simple: when hundreds of files land on a single desk during evaluation, a standardised format lets the examiner find what they need in seconds. A file that forces them to hunt for the index or the viva section tends to lose marks that had nothing to do with the actual content.
The standard page order, start to finish, looks like this:
- The front page (or cover page) comes first, followed by the NIOS certificate page issued by your study centre, then an acknowledgement page thanking your tutor and guide.
- After that comes the index, which must list every experiment by number, name, date performed, and a column for marks.
- The bulk of your file is then the experiment-wise pages themselves — each experiment typically spanning three to four pages with aim, apparatus, theory, diagram, procedure, observation, result, and precautions.
- The viva voce section sits at the end, followed by a back cover with signature spaces for the student, tutor, and examiner.
Pro tip from evaluators:
Diagrams on the left page, write-up on the right — that's the convention, and it matters because a file that looks thoughtfully organised tends to score better than one that doesn't, even when the underlying work is identical.
NIOS Practical File Front Page: What Must Be on It
The front page is honestly where a surprising number of students sabotage themselves in the first ten minutes. Wrong format, missing enrolment number, decorative stickers, coloured markers — examiners notice all of it, and first impressions colour how they read the rest of the file.
Your front page must carry:
- The title "Practical File of [Subject Name]," written clearly near the top.
- Below that, the subject code (for example, 312 for Physics or 216 for Home Science).
- Then your full name exactly as it appears on your admit card — no nicknames, no abbreviations.
- Your enrolment number, the session (either April 2026 or October 2026), the full name and code of your study centre.
- Finally signature spaces for the student, the tutor, and the examiner.
Keep it clean:
- Black ink on white paper
- No glitter, no decorative borders, no printed clip-art
- Class 10 and Class 12 front pages look essentially identical — only the subject code and session details change
Sample reference:
If you want to see what an accepted NIOS-format front page looks like, your study centre can usually show you a sample from a previously-submitted file.
Choose Your Class
Get class-specific NIOS Lab Manuals with complete practical files and viva support.
NIOS Lab Manual for Class 10
The Class 10 (Secondary) lab manual covers every subject that carries a practical component. Each subject has its own manual, and each manual lists the experiments, viva topics, and mark distribution specific to that course.
- Mathematics (211), Science (212), Home Science (216), Painting (225)
- Business Studies (215), Data Entry (229), Indian Sign Language (230)
- Bakery & Confectionery (256), Dress Making (606), Basic Computing (608)
- Beauty Culture (612), CDT (613), Certificate in Yog (614)
- Indian Embroidery (628), Beauty Therapy (640), Hair Care (641), Hand & Foot Care (642)
NIOS Lab Manual for Class 12
The Class 12 (Senior Secondary) manual is denser and, frankly, more demanding. Science stream students especially need to treat these manuals seriously because examiners at this level ask real viva questions that go beyond rote definitions.
- Physics (312), Chemistry (313), Biology (314) — 15 experiments each
- Geography (316), Home Science (321), Computer Science (330), Painting (332)
- Environmental Science (333), Mass Communication (335), Data Entry (336)
- Library Science (339), Physical Education & Yog (373), Early Childcare (376)
- Natyakala (385), Web Designing (622), Indian Embroidery (628)
- CRM Domestic Voice (661), Computer Hardware (663), Yoga Assistant (667)
NIOS Lab Manual for Class 10: Subjects, Experiments & Marking
The NIOS Lab Manual for Class 10 covers every subject that carries a practical component. Each subject has its own manual, and each manual lists the experiments, viva topics, and mark distribution specific to that course.
| Subject | Code |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | 211 |
| Science and Technology | 212 |
| Business Studies | 215 |
| Home Science | 216 |
| Painting | 225 |
| Data Entry Operations | 229 |
| Indian Sign Language | 230 |
| Bakery & Confectionery | 256 |
| Dress Making | 606 |
| Basic Computing | 608 |
| Beauty Culture and Hair Care | 612 |
| Certificate in Desktop Publishing | 613 |
| Certificate in Yog | 614 |
| Certificate in Indian Embroidery | 628 |
| Beauty Therapy | 640 |
| Hair Care and Styling | 641 |
| Hand & Foot Care | 642 |
Marking Breakdown
- File submission: 8 marks
- Viva voce: 6 marks
- Experiment performance: 6 marks
- Total: 20 marks
- Files typically run between 40 and 80 pages depending on the subject
Evaluator Tips for Class 10
- Mathematics (211) doesn't need physical experiments but does require an activity file, which trips up students who ignore it until the last week
- Science (212) and Home Science (216) are the two most commonly chosen practical subjects at Secondary level
- If you're a first-time NIOS learner looking for the least stressful practical subject to build confidence, Painting (225) has the most forgiving marking pattern
NIOS Lab Manual for Class 12: Subjects, Experiments & Marking
The NIOS Class 12 Lab Manual is denser and, frankly, more demanding. Science stream students especially need to treat these manuals seriously because examiners at this level ask real viva questions that go beyond rote definitions.
| Subject | Code |
|---|---|
| Physics | 312 |
| Chemistry | 313 |
| Biology | 314 |
| Geography | 316 |
| Home Science | 321 |
| Computer Science | 330 |
| Painting | 332 |
| Environmental Science | 333 |
| Mass Communication | 335 |
| Data Entry Operations | 336 |
| Library and Information Science | 339 |
| Physical Education and Yog | 373 |
| Early Childcare and Education | 376 |
| Natyakala | 385 |
| Web Designing & Web Development | 622 |
| Certificate in Indian Embroidery | 628 |
| CRM Domestic Voice | 661 |
| Computer Hardware Assembly & Maintenance | 663 |
| Yoga Assistant | 667 |
What each science subject covers:
- Physics (312): around 15 experiments across mechanics, optics, electricity, and modern physics
- Chemistry (313): built around salt analysis, acid-base titrations, and organic functional group tests
- Biology (314): focuses on slide preparation, dissections, and specimen identification
- The 20-mark split stays the same — file (8), viva (6), experiment (6)
Vocational subjects note:
Vocational subjects like Web Designing, Computer Hardware, and Yoga Assistant each have their own dedicated practical structure, and the examiner at your centre will check your file against the specific manual for that course, not a generic template.
NIOS Practical File PDF: What's Official, What's Not
There's a lot of confusion around practical file PDFs online, so here's the clear distinction.
Official Lab Manuals (nios.ac.in)
The official lab manuals published on nios.ac.in are free, subject-wise, and authoritative. They tell you what to do, how to write observations, and what format to follow.
What they don't give you is a ready-made, pre-filled file — that's not their purpose. They're instruction documents, not templates.
Solved / Sample Practical Files
These are versions already filled in with diagrams, observations, and viva answers, prepared by coaching institutes or senior students. These can be useful as reference material to understand how a finished file should look.
Use samples to understand the format, then do your own experiments and write-ups. If you're genuinely short on time, use a sample as a structural guide — how the front page is laid out, how observations are tabulated, what a good diagram looks like — and then prepare your own content based on your actual practical sessions at the study centre.
Word of caution:
Submitting someone else's file as your own work is academically dishonest, and experienced NIOS examiners can usually tell when every student in a batch has identical observations and diagrams.
Subject-Wise Experiments & Common Viva Questions
Physics (312)
Roughly 15 experiments spanning mechanics, optics, electricity, and modern physics. Commonly assigned ones include determining the refractive index of a glass slab, finding the resistance of a wire using a metre bridge, mapping the magnetic field around a bar magnet, verifying Ohm's law, and measuring focal lengths of concave mirrors and convex lenses.
Typical viva questions: What is the least count of a vernier caliper? Why is a concave mirror used in a headlight? What's the difference between real and virtual images?
Chemistry (313)
The big three are salt analysis (identifying the acid and basic radicals of an unknown salt), acid-base titrations, and organic functional group tests. Students often underestimate salt analysis because it looks mechanical, but examiners love asking why each reagent works.
Typical viva questions: Why is phenolphthalein used as an indicator in weak acid–strong base titrations? What colour change signals the end point? Why do we add dilute HCl before testing for sulphate?
Biology (314)
Practical work centres on slide preparation (onion peel, stomata observation), mitosis stage identification, flower dissection, and spotting exercises with permanent slides or specimens.
Typical viva questions: What stain is used for an onion peel slide and why? (Safranin, because it stains the nucleus and cell wall red.) What are the stages of mitosis in order?
Home Science (216 / 321)
Food group identification, stitch samples, nutritional planning for different age groups, and child development activities. A well-presented Home Science file with neat samples and colourful charts tends to score genuinely well — this is one of the more rewarding practical subjects.
Computer Science / Data Entry (330 / 336)
MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint exercises at the basic level, plus programming work in C or Python for Class 12 Computer Science. Practical output usually involves printed screenshots or code listings pasted into the file.
Psychology (222 / 328)
Classic psychology experiments — memory span testing, reaction time measurement, attention and perception tasks, word association. Viva questions focus on the method, participant instructions, the independent and dependent variables, and what the findings actually mean.
How to Prepare a NIOS Practical File (Step-by-Step)
- Start by downloading the official lab manual for your subject from nios.ac.in. Read through it once before doing anything else — just to understand the scope.
- Next, list out every experiment and the apparatus each one requires. Talk to your study centre tutor about which experiments will actually be performed in your practical sessions, because not every manual experiment gets conducted at every centre.
- When you begin the file itself, draw your diagrams in pencil first so you can correct proportions, then go over them in pen. Write your procedure in your own words — don't copy from the manual verbatim, because that reads exactly like what it is.
- Record actual observations from your practical sessions whenever possible; if you must use sample values, keep them realistic (a refractive index of 1.51 for glass is fine, 3.2 is a red flag).
- After each experiment write-up, include the result, relevant precautions, and a short note on potential sources of error.
- Finish the file with a dedicated viva voce section — aim for at least 15 questions with written answers per subject.
Binding & Submission:
Once the content is done, bind the file properly. Spiral binding is the norm; hard binding is fine too. Loose sheets in a folder are not acceptable and will cost you marks.
Key reminders:
- Diagrams on the left page, write-up on the right
- Keep observation values realistic — red flags hurt marks
- Viva section with 15+ questions per subject
- Submit at least 15 days before your scheduled practical exam date
Handwritten vs Typed: Which One Should You Choose?
| Factor | Handwritten | Typed |
|---|---|---|
| Examiner preference | Slightly higher for science/arts | Acceptable |
| Preparation time | 10–15 days | 3–5 days |
| Legibility | Depends on your handwriting | Consistently clean |
| Feels authentic | Strongly | Moderately |
| Best suited for | Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Home Science, Psychology | Computer Science, Data Entry, Web Designing |
The short version: handwritten files score marginally better for science and humanities subjects because they convey effort and genuine engagement. Typed files work well when the subject itself is computer-based and screenshots or code listings are a natural part of the output. Both are officially accepted — pick based on your subject and how legible your handwriting actually is.
Viva Voce: How to Prepare Properly
Here's something most coaching sites don't tell you honestly: examiners tend to repeat the same 30 to 40 questions each year, with minor variations. Viva is, in a real sense, free marks — but only if you've actually prepared.
A handful of common examples across subjects:
In Physics:
"What's the least count of a vernier caliper?" has a precise answer — 0.01 cm or 0.1 mm — and examiners expect the exact figure, not a hand-wavy explanation.
"Why is a convex lens used in a magnifier?" Because it produces a virtual, erect, magnified image when the object is placed within the focal length.
In Chemistry:
"Why do we use methyl orange in a strong acid–weak base titration?" Because its pH range of 3.1 to 4.4 gives a sharp colour change in the acidic region where the equivalence point sits.
In Biology:
"What stain do we use for an onion peel slide?" Safranin, which stains the nucleus and cell wall red and makes the cellular structure visible under a microscope.
In Home Science:
"Name the five food groups." Cereals and grains, pulses and legumes, fruits and vegetables, milk and milk products, and fats and sugars.
In Psychology:
"Define memory span." The maximum number of items a person can recall correctly, in order, immediately after a single presentation.
Build your own viva bank:
Jot down the question at the bottom of each experiment page, write the answer, and revise from that list in the final week.
How 20 Practical Marks Are Actually Awarded
| Component | Marks |
|---|---|
| Practical File Submission | 8 |
| Viva Voce | 6 |
| Experiment Performance (on exam day) | 6 |
| Total | 20 |
Passing requirement:
Passing requires 33%, which works out to around 7 marks.
That's technically the minimum, but aim for 16 or above because these are among the easiest marks in the whole NIOS system to secure — they directly boost your overall percentage, and students targeting university admissions or competitive exam eligibility genuinely cannot afford to leave them on the table.
Important note:
In subjects with both theory and practical components, you need to pass both separately — a combined average isn't enough. A well-prepared practical file is genuinely among the easiest marks you can secure in the entire NIOS system.
Common Mistakes That Quietly Cost Marks
Front page format errors
Students get confused about the front page format and lose first-impression marks within seconds of the examiner opening the file. A messy or non-standard cover page signals a messy file before a single experiment is read.
Missing the index
Examiners flip to page two expecting a clear table of contents, and when there isn't one, they tend to mark more strictly throughout the rest of the file. It's a small thing with outsized consequences.
Skipping the viva voce section
No viva preparation in the file means six marks gone before the examiner has even asked a question.
Copying from online sources
Copying experiments word-for-word from online sources is spotted fast, especially when several students from the same centre submit files with identical phrasing and identical observation values. Even small rewording in your own voice helps.
Late submission
Submit your file at least 15 days before your scheduled practical exam date, not on the day itself. Last-minute submissions get less careful evaluation and leave no room to fix issues the examiner flags.
Why the NIOS Lab Manual Matters
Most students don't realise how much weight the NIOS lab manual actually carries — until they see their final marksheet and wonder where those extra percentage points vanished. The answer is almost always the practical file.
Those 20 marks quietly decide whether you cross 80% or get stuck at 65%, and since NIOS doesn't offer casual second chances for practical re-evaluations, getting your file right the first time matters more than most coaching centres admit.
Our manuals are written by subject experts who understand exactly what NIOS examiners expect in files, diagrams, observations and viva answers.
What You'll Get in Each NIOS Lab Manual
Get Your NIOS Lab Manual Today
Whether you are appearing for Class 10 or Class 12, Unnati Education provides the most up-to-date and authentic NIOS Lab Manuals. Choose from handwritten or typed formats and get step-by-step viva support tailored to your subjects.
Since 2011, more than 50,000+ NIOS students have trusted Unnati Education for practical files, assignments and exam preparation.
This guide was written by the editorial team at Unnati Education NIOS, a study-support centre based in Vikaspuri, New Delhi, and reviewed by Sheetal Kirola, former NIOS Subject Coordinator.
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