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Entrance Exam · Pharmacy · 2026 cycle

GPAT — eligibility, marking, qualifying rule & fees

Conducted by NBEMS, for the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) ·Official sources only ·Last checked 15 Oct 2026

The Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test is the national test for M.Pharm admission and the PCI scholarship. NBEMS has run it for the Pharmacy Council of India since NTA's last edition in 2023; this page follows the GPAT 2026 Information Bulletin.

GPAT page (natboard.edu.in) (opens in a new tab) Information Bulletin 2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
Conducted by
NBEMS under an MoU with PCI [1]
Exam date (2026)
7 Mar 2026 · result by 7 Apr 2026 [1]
Paper
125 MCQs · 500 marks · 3 hours [1]
Marking
+4 correct · −1 wrong · score valid 3 years [1]
Mapped Institutions & Degrees141 verified institutions · by state & city

B.PharmState CET / university test / Class 12 merit

Andhra Pradesh6
Assam1
Bihar1
Chhattisgarh2
Delhi NCR2
Gujarat14
Haryana7
Jammu & Kashmir1
Jharkhand3
Karnataka13
Kerala3
Madhya Pradesh12
Maharashtra12
Meghalaya1
Odisha5
Puducherry1
Punjab6
Rajasthan10
Tamil Nadu8
Telangana1
Uttar Pradesh16
Uttarakhand7
West Bengal9
Compare all B.Pharm colleges in the finder
01 Overview & governing bodies

From AICTE to NTA to NBEMS

GPAT is a national-level examination for the award of scholarship to qualified candidates seeking entry into the Master of Pharmacy (M.Pharm) course. AICTE ran it from 2010 to 2018 and NTA from 2019 to 2023. After the Supreme Court's judgment of 5 March 2020 placed pharmacy education under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, the Pharmacy Council of India took over GPAT and signed an MoU with NBEMS to conduct it. [1]

NBEMS only conducts the test, declares the result and hands it to PCI. It has no role in counselling or scholarship disbursement, and appearing in GPAT gives no automatic right to an M.Pharm seat or scholarship — admission follows the state government or admission committee's rules. [1]

GPAT 2026 calendar [1]

GPAT 2026 calendar
StepDate
Online application23 Dec 2025 (5 pm) – 12 Jan 2026
Edit window16 – 19 Jan 2026
Test city intimation24 Feb 2026
Admit cards2 Mar 2026
Examination7 Mar 2026
ResultBy 7 Apr 2026

GPAT 2026 is over and no GPAT 2027 bulletin was on the NBEMS GPAT page on 15 October 2026 — the next cycle's date, pattern and fees can change. [2]

02 Primary degree constraints

Final-year — or third-year — B.Pharm

  • Students in the final (4th) year of B.Pharm whose result comes before M.Pharm admission for 2026-27.
  • Students in the pre-final (3rd) year whose final-year result comes before M.Pharm admission for 2027-28.
  • B.E. / B.Tech. (Pharmaceutical and Fine Chemical Technology) and equivalent candidates are not eligible.
  • Your B.Pharm must be recognised under the Pharmacy Act, 1948. [1]
03 Exam scheme & marking matrix

125 questions, 500 marks, 25% negative

GPAT 2026 indicative blueprint [1]

GPAT 2026 indicative blueprint
Subject areaQuestionsMarks
Pharmaceutical Chemistry & allied subjects38152
Pharmaceutics & allied subjects38152
Pharmacology & allied subjects28112
Other B.Pharm subjects1144
Pharmacognosy & allied subjects1040
Total125500

GPAT 2026 marking scheme [1]

GPAT 2026 marking scheme
ResponseMarks
Correct+4
Incorrect−1 (25% negative)
Unattempted0

The computer-based paper (English, 4 options per question, 3 hours) is split into time-bound sections — for example five sections of 25 questions and 36 minutes — that lock when their time runs out. The syllabus follows the B.Pharm Course Regulations, 2024. [1]

04 Reservation & qualifying quotas

Top 10% of candidates, split by category

  • To be qualified, a candidate needs the category's minimum percentile and must fall within 10% of all candidates who appeared, in GPAT merit order.
  • Minimum percentile: 50th for General / EWS, 45th for OBC / SC / ST, and 45th for PwBD of any category. [1]

Share of the qualified 10%, by category [1]

Share of the qualified 10%, by category
Category (each including its PwBD)Share
Unreserved40.5%
OBC27%
SC15%
EWS10%
ST7.5%

Each category has 5% for candidates with 40% or more disability. NBEMS publishes one all-India rank and no category-wise or state-wise merit list. [1]

05 Application steps & registration fees

Two fee slabs

GPAT 2026 examination fee [1]

GPAT 2026 examination fee
CategoryFee
General, OBC, EWS₹3,500
SC, ST, PwD₹2,500
  • Apply online on the NBEMS portal, upload photograph, signature and thumb impression, choose a test city and pay through the payment gateway (gateway charges extra).
  • A submitted form cannot be withdrawn, and the fee is neither refunded nor carried forward. [1]
06 Career horizons & mapped institutions

M.Pharm, Ph.D. and the NIPERs

The GPAT score is accepted by PCI-approved and affiliated university departments, constituent and affiliated colleges and institutions for M.Pharm and Ph.D. admission, and is valid for three years. Score cards can be downloaded for six months after the result. [1]

A valid GPAT (or GATE / NET) score is also the entry ticket to NIPER JEE for the seven National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research. [3]

NIPER JEE B.Pharm career guide B.Pharm college finder
07 Official sources & verification

Where these facts come from

Every fact on this page is taken from the official files below, read on 15 October 2026. Exam bodies change rules, fees and dates every cycle — open the current bulletin before you apply.

  1. NBEMS — GPAT 2026 Information Bulletin (opens in a new tab) history, NBEMS role, calendar, eligibility, blueprint, marking, sections, qualifying criteria, category shares, fees, score validity · Last checked 15 Oct 2026
  2. NBEMS — GPAT examination page (opens in a new tab) bulletins published (2024, 2025, 2026; none for 2027) · Last checked 15 Oct 2026
  3. NIPER JEE 2026 — Revised Information Brochure, Master's (19 June 2026) (opens in a new tab) GPAT / GATE / NET requirement for NIPER JEE · Last checked 15 Oct 2026

Spotted something out of date? Email margdarshan07support10@gmail.com with the official link and we will update it.

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