GPAT Exam Pattern 2026: Check Latest Paper Pattern & Marking Scheme & Duration of Exam
Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test 2026 ( GPAT )
Admit Card - 7 Apr '26
GPAT Exam Pattern 2026: The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) prescribed the exam pattern for the GPAT 2026 exam. The GPAT exam pattern informs candidates about the number of questions, marks distribution, exam mode, etc. The GPAT exam is conducted online in the computer-based test mode. There are 125 mulitple-choice questions in the exam of four marks each. The total marks allotted to the exam are 500. It must be noted that GPAT exam has negative marking of 1 mark for every wrong answer. Read below all about GPAT paper pattern, including marking scheme, duration of exam and other.
- GPAT 2026 Exam Pattern Highlights
- GPAT 2026 Exam Pattern
- GPAT 2026 Marking Scheme
- GPAT 2026 Marks Distribution
- GPAT Exam Pattern 2026 FAQs
GPAT 2026 Exam Pattern Highlights
Have a look at the highlights of the GPAT exam pattern 2026 below-
- Mode: GPAT is conducted in online mode. On the day of the examination, each candidate will be allotted a computer terminal at the exam centre. For rough work, each candidate will be provided with a rough sheet and a pen/pencil.
- Medium: According to the previous year's exam pattern of GPAT, the medium for the examination is English language only. Any requests for a different medium/ language are not entertained.
- Type and number of questions: Candidates are tested based on 125 objective-type questions. An objective-type question gives candidates 4 or more response options. Thus, instead of writing the answer, the candidate will have to choose the correct response from the options given and mark it.
- Marking scheme: As stated in the GPAT exam pattern 2026, the exam is of 500 marks and NBEMS deducts marks for incorrect responses.
Commonly asked questions
There are mainly 5 sections in GPAT 2026 exam namely Pharmaceutical Chemistry & Allied Subjects, Pharmaceutics & Allied Subjects, Pharmacognosy & Allied Subjects, Pharmacology & Allied Subjects, and other subjects. The syllabus of the GPAT 2026 entrance examination majorly covers various dimensions of pharmaceutics. This year a new section on computational Biology and bioinformatics has been added to the syllabus.
As per the directive of the exam conducting authority there is no sectional time limit to attempt different sections of the GPAT question paper. Candidates will get overall 180 minutes (3 hours) to attempt the questions in the exam. Candidates can switch between the sections to attempt the questions.
GPAT 2026 Exam Pattern
The GPAT 2026 exam pattern is shared below including the exam mode, medium, duration and number of questions.
| GPAT 2026 Exam Pattern Highlights |
|
|---|---|
| Mode of the examination |
Computer-based |
| Medium of the examination |
English only |
| Duration of the examination |
3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Type of Questions |
Objective types |
| Total number of Questions |
125 |
| Total marks |
500 |
| Negative marking |
Yes |
Commonly asked questions
In GPAT exam, generally there are 125 objective-type questions with 4 or more response options. Instead of writing the answer, the candidate has to choose the correct response from the options given and mark it. The exam pattern of GPAT 2026 clearly states that the medium for the examination will be English only. Any requests for a different medium/ language will not be entertained by the NBEMS.
GPAT 2026 Marking Scheme
Here is the marking scheme for the GPAT 2026 exam-
| Type of response |
Marks awarded |
|---|---|
| Correct answer |
(+) 4 |
| Incorrect answer |
(-) 1 |
| Unattempted |
Nil |
Commonly asked questions
Students must note that no marks will be deduced for not attempting or skipping any question in GPAT exam. Students are advised to solve all questions in exam which they are only sure about.
No, coaching is not mandatory if you have a solid self-study plan for GPAT exam. Students who have access to GPAT preparation books PDF, previous year papers, and mock tests. However, online courses can help with structured learning.
Students should follow GPAT preparation online free by following some popular websites.
GPAT 2026 Marks Distribution
The table below shows the GPAT 2026 marks distribution of all subjects.
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical Chemistry & Allied Subjects |
38 |
152 |
| Pharmaceutics & Allied Subjects |
38 |
152 |
| Pharmacognosy & Allied Subjects |
10 |
40 |
| Pharmacology & Allied Subjects |
28 |
112 |
| Other Subjects |
11 |
44 |
Commonly asked questions
National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) the exam conducting body of GPAT exam decides and releases the GPAT exam pattern. The GPAT exam syllabus is also released by NBEMS. The GPAT official notification revealed the updated GPAT exam pattern, which remained the same this year as well. Once the official notification is out, candidates can start applying for the exam. The GPAT exam pattern guides the candidates to understand the exam structure and to prepare a sound strategy to crack the pharmacy entrance exam.
GPAT Exam Pattern 2026 FAQs
Find out Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Regarding GPAT Exam Pattern here:
Yes, candidates appearing in the final year of Bachelor's Degree BPharma are eligible to appear for the GPAT 2026 exam. Along with checking the educational qualification one must ensure that they fulfill the GPAT eligibility criteria 2026 age wise also. It is recommended to check eligibility details for GPAT before filling the form.
Students who aim to qualify the GPAT exam are advised to follow the below-mentioned method to improve the speed.
Canidates should practice previous year GPAT papers by keeping a clock near them.
Take regular GPAT mock tests
Along with it, one also needs to use shortcut techniques for numerical-based questions to improve the speed.
Yes, candidates whose answer is incorrect will score a negative marking of -1 mark each per question. There is no negative marking for the unattempted questions. The maximum marks of the question paper are 500. Candidates will be given 3 hours to complete the test. Carefully attempt the questions to avoid negative marking.
The GPAT 2026 exam syllabus is released by NBEMS. The GPAT exam pattern was last modified in the academic year 2016-17, preceding which the examination was conducted twice a year. At present, the GPAT exam is conducted once a year in a computer-based format.
Since this year's exam-conducting authority has changed, we may expect a change in the syllabus this year also. It will be released in the official notification.
Explore subject-wise topics asked in GPAT
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GPAT Exam
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 weeks ago
The NBEMS will release the GPAT final answer key 2026 along with the results. The authority prepares the final answer key after analysing the objections raised by candidates.
P
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 weeks ago
The GPAT score is valid for three years. Candidates who have qualified the GPAT exam can participate in the counselling process till next three years for admissions to MPharma course.
U
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 weeks ago
Have a look at the best GPAT colleges that accept MPharma admissions after the exam results-
- Panjab University
- Central University of Rajasthan
- Central University of Punjab
- NIPER, Hyderabad
- BBAU, Lucknow
- Jamia Hamdard
- Gujarat Technological University
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Candidates can download the GPAT response sheet by following the process shared below-
- Visit the website.
- Click on the application link under GPAT exam.
- Login using the User ID and password.
- Download the response sheet.
V
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 weeks ago
Getting 96 percentile in GPAT exam generally implies obtaining around 180 to 210 marks out of the total 500. However, the marks may vary depending on the difficulty level of question paper. For example, in GPAT 2025, the topper scored 216 marks at 96.23 percentile.
U
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 weeks ago
There are not the exact repeated questions in the GPAT exam. However, sometime the intent remains the same and the language of question changes. In 2025, there were some questions from GPAT previous years question papers.
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Candidates can download the official GPAT question paper PDF when the NBEMS releases the provisional answer key. Have a look at the process below-
- Visit natboard.edu.in.
- Click on GPAT exam.
- Go to the application link.
- Login using the details.
- Download the question paper PDF.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 weeks ago
The official NBEMS GPAT 2026 question paper was made available on login window. Candidates who took the exam could download the official question paper by logging in to their accounts. Moreover, memory-based question paper with answers is available now. Check here the memory based GPAT question pape
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 weeks ago
Candidates can download the GPAT answer key PDF using the process shared below-
- Visit the website- natboard.edu.in.
- Go to the application link.
- Login using the required credentials.
- Download the answer key.
P
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 weeks ago
The NBEMS GPAT 2026 answer key release date was March 12, 2026. Candidates can download the answer key along with the GPAT response sheet PDF using their login details.
V
Contributor-Level 6
665 Institutes accepting GPAT
BITS Pilani - Birla Institute of Technology and Science
Pilani • Private
- ₹ 12.93 Lakh
- 2 years
- |
- Full Time
SOA University - Siksha 'O' Anusandhan
Bhubaneswar • Private
- ₹ 3.80 Lakh
- 2 years
- |
- Full Time
Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Resear...
Wardha • Private
- ₹ 3.00 Lakh
- 3 years
- |
- Full Time
Punjab - Other • Public
- ₹ 20,000
- 2 years
- |
- Full Time
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