NEET UG · Physics · Oscillations

Simple Harmonic Motion: NEET previous year questions

16 questions in ten years of NEET, in 9 of 10 papers. Pattern: Every year. Here is how it is asked and which ideas come back.

Asked in 10 years: 16; about 1.6 per paper
Years asked: 9/10; last asked 2026
Chance of a question next paper: 84%; historical rate, how we compute it
Weighted estimate: 1.6; model; history: 1.6 a paper on average, typically 1–2

Key findings

01
Asked in 9 of 10 papers, 16 questions in all: #27 of 204 topics by ten-year total. It comes back every 1.1 years on average.
02
86% of its questions since 2018 tested an idea never asked before; none repeated an idea from the year before.
03
The most repeated idea is Velocity in SHM, asked 3 times (2017, 2019, 2025), usually as “average quantity over complete shm cycle”.
04
NEET has asked 13 of the 67 ideas in this topic; 50 have never been asked, directly or indirectly.
05
Mostly asked as numerical (44%); 50% easy, 6% hard, and up from 1.4 to 1.9 questions a paper since 2024.

Questions per year

Up to 2023: 1.4; per paper
Since 2024: 1.9; +0.6
Usual gap: 1.1 yrs; between papers asking it
Swing: ±0.8; questions, year to year

Recent framings

numerical: density ratio from time period of floating cork
condition for circular v-x graph of oscillator
graph interpretation of oscillator with leaking mass

Revise first

Velocity in SHM (2017 2019 2025); Vertical Oscillations of a Floating Body (2026); Velocity-Position (v-x) Graph Shape (2026)

How it is asked

Difficulty, format and skill

Across all 16 questions on Simple Harmonic Motion since 2017.

Difficulty

QUESTIONS

Easy8 · 50%
Medium7 · 44%
Hard1 · 6%

Format

Numerical · 7 Q44%
One-line MCQ · 6 Q38%
Figure-based · 3 Q19%

Skill tested

Calculation · 4 Q25%
Concept · 3 Q19%
Application · 2 Q13%
Data or graph · 2 Q13%
Recall · 2 Q13%
Multi-step · 2 Q13%
Figure reading · 1 Q6%

Repeats

New idea, or one asked before?

Each column is a paper. Blue questions tested an idea NEET had not asked before; navy ones went back to an idea from an earlier paper. 2017 is the first paper, so everything in it counts as new.

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

Idea asked for the first time
Idea asked in an earlier paper

Coverage of the topic

NEET has asked 13 of the 67 ideas in this topic. 50 have never been asked yet.

1350

Asked directly13 · 19%
Touched inside another question4 · 6%
Never asked50 · 75%

Ideas come from Lumi’s syllabus map of NCERT. A never-asked idea is not a safe skip: most new questions come from exactly these.

Drill down

Idea, year, question

Every idea NEET tested in this topic, with its ten papers. Open one to read the questions.

ideaAskedShareYears’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

Repeated3 · 19%19%3/10
- 2025 · Q44
  Two identical point masses P and Q, suspended from two separate massless springs of spring constants $k_1$ and $k_2$ , respectively,…
  easyOne-line MCQ
- 2019 · Q19
  Average velocity of a particle executing SHM in one complete vibration is :
  easyOne-line MCQ
- 2017 · Q15
  A particle executes linear simple harmonic motion with an amplitude of 3 cm. When the particle is at 2 cm from the mean position, the…
  mediumNumericalNew idea
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10
1 · 6%6%1/10

Squares are the ten papers, 2017 to 2026; darker means more questions. Share is of the level above.

Ideas

Every idea inside this topic

14 different ideas were tested; 1 came more than once. SHM Displacement Equation is the foundation for 57 other ideas in the syllabus.

Velocity in SHM3×
average quantity over complete shm cycle
One-line MCQ · 6% next · foundation for 15
Velocity-Position (v-x) Graph Shape1×
condition for circular v-x graph of oscillator
One-line MCQ · 6% next
Vertical Oscillations of a Floating Body1×
numerical
Numerical · 6% next
Oscillator with Changing Mass1×
graph interpretation of oscillator with leaking mass
Figure-based · 6% next
SHM Displacement Equation1×
numerical
Numerical · 6% next · foundation for 57
Simple Pendulum Time Period1×
numerical
Numerical · 6% next · foundation for 10
Kinematic Graphs of SHM1×
graph interpretation of shm acceleration
Figure-based · 4% next
Frequency of Energy Oscillation1×
frequency of potential energy in shm
One-line MCQ · 4% next
Horizontal Spring-Mass Time Period1×
numerical
Numerical · 4% next · foundation for 12
Phase Relationships in SHM Graphs1×
phase difference between shm quantities
One-line MCQ · 4% next
Reference Circle Method (Phasors)1×
equation of projection from reference circle figure
Figure-based · 4% next
Superposition of Parallel SHMs1×
amplitude from shm displacement equation
One-line MCQ · 4% next · foundation for 1
Acceleration in SHM1×
numerical
Numerical · 4% next · foundation for 6
Cutting a Spring1×
numerical
Numerical · 4% next · foundation for 1

Idea	Times	Format	Chance next	Foundation for
Velocity in SHMaverage quantity over complete shm cycle	3	One-line MCQApplication	6%	15 ideas
Velocity-Position (v-x) Graph Shapecondition for circular v-x graph of oscillator	1	One-line MCQConcept	6%	–
Vertical Oscillations of a Floating Bodynumerical	1	NumericalApplication	6%	–
Oscillator with Changing Massgraph interpretation of oscillator with leaking mass	1	Figure-basedData or graph	6%	–
SHM Displacement Equationnumerical	1	NumericalCalculation	6%	57 ideas
Simple Pendulum Time Periodnumerical	1	NumericalCalculation	6%	10 ideas
Kinematic Graphs of SHMgraph interpretation of shm acceleration	1	Figure-basedData or graph	4%	–
Frequency of Energy Oscillationfrequency of potential energy in shm	1	One-line MCQRecall	4%	–
Horizontal Spring-Mass Time Periodnumerical	1	NumericalCalculation	4%	12 ideas
Phase Relationships in SHM Graphsphase difference between shm quantities	1	One-line MCQRecall	4%	–
Reference Circle Method (Phasors)equation of projection from reference circle figure	1	Figure-basedFigure reading	4%	–
Superposition of Parallel SHMsamplitude from shm displacement equation	1	One-line MCQConcept	4%	1 ideas
Acceleration in SHMnumerical	1	NumericalCalculation	4%	6 ideas
Cutting a Springnumerical	1	NumericalMulti-step	4%	1 ideas

Chance next is the historical rate at which an idea with this record came back in the following paper. It is low for every idea, which is why learning the topic beats memorising past questions. All repeated ideas

Every question

Simple Harmonic Motion questions, year by year

The opening words of each question as it appeared in the official paper, with the idea it tested.

NEET 20262 questions

Q25
A cylindrical cork of uniform density floats in a liquid of density $\rho_1$ . If the cork is depressed slightly and released, it…
Idea: Vertical Oscillations of a Floating Body
New ideaMediumNumerical
Q28
Consider a spring-mass simple harmonic oscillator in one dimension. The mass of the particle is m kg and the spring constant is k…
Idea: Velocity-Position (v-x) Graph Shape
New ideaMediumOne-line MCQ

NEET 20252 questions

Q23
In an oscillating spring mass system, a spring is connected to a box filled with sand. As the box oscillates, sand leaks slowly out of the…
Idea: Oscillator with Changing Mass
New ideaHardFigure-based · figure
Q44
Two identical point masses P and Q, suspended from two separate massless springs of spring constants $k_1$ and $k_2$ , respectively,…
Idea: Velocity in SHM
EasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20242 questions

Q21
If $x = 5\sin\left(\pi t + \frac{\pi}{3}\right)$ m represents the motion of a particle executing simple harmonic motion, the amplitude and…
Idea: SHM Displacement Equation
New ideaEasyNumerical
Q36
If the mass of the bob in a simple pendulum is increased to thrice its original mass and its length is made half its original length, then…
Idea: Simple Pendulum Time Period
New ideaEasyNumerical

NEET 20231 question

Q42
The $x$ - $t$ graph of a particle performing simple harmonic motion is shown in the figure. The acceleration of the particle at $t=2$ s is :
Idea: Kinematic Graphs of SHM
New ideaMediumFigure-based · figure

NEET 20212 questions

Q13
A spring is stretched by 5 cm by a force 10 N. The time period of the oscillations when a mass of 2 kg is suspended by it is :
Idea: Horizontal Spring-Mass Time Period
New ideaEasyNumerical
Q35
A body is executing simple harmonic motion with frequency 'n', the frequency of its potential energy is :
Idea: Frequency of Energy Oscillation
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20201 question

Q145
The phase difference between displacement and acceleration of a particle in a simple harmonic motion is :
Idea: Phase Relationships in SHM Graphs
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20193 questions

Q10
The displacement of a particle executing simple harmonic motion is given by $y = A_0 + A\sin\omega t + B\cos\omega t$ . Then the amplitude…
Idea: Superposition of Parallel SHMs
New ideaMediumOne-line MCQ
Q19
Average velocity of a particle executing SHM in one complete vibration is :
Idea: Velocity in SHM
EasyOne-line MCQ
Q42
The radius of circle, the period of revolution, initial position and sense of revolution are indicated in the fig. y - projection of the…
Idea: Reference Circle Method (Phasors)
New ideaMediumFigure-based · figure

NEET 20181 question

Q25
A pendulum is hung from the roof of a sufficiently high building and is moving freely to and fro like a simple harmonic oscillator. The…
Idea: Acceleration in SHM
New ideaEasyNumerical

NEET 20172 questions

Q15
A particle executes linear simple harmonic motion with an amplitude of 3 cm. When the particle is at 2 cm from the mean position, the…
Idea: Velocity in SHM
MediumNumerical
Q23
A spring of force constant k is cut into lengths of ratio 1 : 2 : 3. They are connected in series and the new force constant is k'. Then…
Idea: Cutting a Spring
MediumNumerical

Questions from the official NEET UG papers published by NTA (CBSE before 2019). Topic and idea tags, counts and notes are Lumi’s.