Overview
About GPAT
GPAT, the Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test, is a national entrance test for admission to the Master of Pharmacy (M.Pharm) course at approved pharmacy institutions across India. A qualifying score is also used to award scholarships to eligible M.Pharm students. It was held for the first time in 2010.
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) conducts the exam and declares the result. Earlier cycles were administered by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) from 2010 to 2018 and by the National Testing Agency (NTA) from 2019 to 2022, before NBEMS took charge in 2023.
GPAT is a computer-based test held once a year in English. It draws on the B.Pharm curriculum, covering pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacognosy and allied subjects. You are eligible to sit it if you hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) degree from a recognised institution.
A score on its own does not confer a right to admission. It establishes eligibility, which participating institutions then act on through their own M.Pharm admission process.
Sources: National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) – GPAT · Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test – Wikipedia
At a glance
GPAT highlights
Every figure traces to an official source.
| Full name | Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test |
| Conducting body | National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) (conducted by NTA until 2022) |
| Level | PG |
| Mode of exam | Computer-based test (CBT), online |
| Frequency | 1 per year |
| Scope | National |
| Sections | Five sections of 25 questions each (covering the B.Pharm curriculum: Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, and other pharmacy subjects) |
| Marking scheme | +4 for correct, -1 for incorrect, 0 for unattempted; 36 minutes per section |
Deep dives
Everything you need to know
Eligibility
- ·Candidates holding (or in the final year of) a Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) degree from an AICTE/PCI-recognised institution. No upper age limit.
Exam pattern
- ·Sections: Five sections of 25 questions each (covering the B.Pharm curriculum: Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, and other pharmacy subjects)
- ·125 questions
- ·500 total marks
- ·180 minutes
- ·Marking: +4 for correct, -1 for incorrect, 0 for unattempted; 36 minutes per section
Syllabus
- ·B.Pharm-level curriculum: Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Biochemistry, and allied pharmacy subjects.
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