National Standard Examination Physics
NSEP is the first stage and is taken by students in class XII or lower. A student may enroll in their own school or any nearby school that is a registered center in the city. Alternatively, an individual student can also enroll online. Overall, over 2 lakh students appear each year in over 1500 centers all over India. From this stage, 300–350 students are selected to proceed to the second stage.

Indian National Physics Olympiad
This is the 2nd Stage of the Physics Olympiad conducted by HBCSE Mumbai at 18 centers in the country for the students shortlisted on the basis of NSEP. In this stage, a theoretical exam consisting of 5-7 subjective questions is conducted for the candidates shortlisted in stage I. This exam is much tougher than NSEP stage 1 exam. Overall, 35 students are selected for stage 3.

Orientation Cum Selection Camp
All 35 qualifying students are invited to HBCSE Mumbai. These camps may range from weeks to months, during which special lecture classes are conducted by various highly qualified professors. Tests are also organized, from which a team of five students is selected to advance to the next stage

Pre-departure Training
The five selected students shall undergo rigorous training in theory and experimentation for about a week at HBCSE Mumbai prior to going for the International Olympiad.

International Physics Olympiad
This is the final stage, where the team of 5 students is accompanied by team leaders and professors who taught them during OCSC, to the country organizing the Olympiad. All teams participate in various quizzes, games, and exams, and medals are awarded to deserving candidates.