GRADUATE PHARMACY APTITUDE TEST (GPAT) – 2024

About  GPAT 2024

The Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT), opens doors to infinite opportunities for students from pharmaceutical domain. GPAT is a National level entrance exam for admission into prestigious NIPERs and University colleges. Since 2009, the importance of GPAT has increased as the branch turned into a autonomous exam and separated from GATE (PY).

GPAT is a national level examination for award of scholarship to qualified candidates seeking entry into Master of Pharmacy (M. Pharm) course. The first GPAT was conducted in the year 2010 and thereafter it was conducted every year till 2018 by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) as per the directions of Ministry of Education, Government of India and from the year 2019, the examination is conducted through the National Testing Agency (NTA) as per the directions of Ministry of Education, Government of India to till 2023.

The Pharmacy Council of India has taken the initiative to conduct the GPAT and disbursement of scholarship honoring the Judgement of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India of dated 05.03.2020 stating that “AICTE Act, governing the general technical education would be amended deleting ‘pharmacy’ from its mandate and the pharmacy education would thereafter be governed by the Pharmacy Act, 1948”.

The Pharmacy Council of India has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences for conducting the GPAT.

Attempted by almost 50,000 students every year, GPAT is the most popular exam in the pharmacy fraternity. It is conducted online once a year during the first week of June. The results are declared in the mid-July.

About National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS)

The Government of India established the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) in 1975 with the objective of improving the quality of the Medical Education by establishing high and uniform standards of postgraduate examinations in modern medicine on an All India Basis and utilizing existing healthcare infrastructure for capacity building.

The prime objectives of NBEMS is to elevate the standards of post graduate medical education in modern medicine and conducting examinations of high standard on an all India basis. NBEMS provides a common national standard for evaluation of minimum level of attainment of the knowledge and competencies of post graduate and doctoral training.

GPAT Exam Overview

Significance of Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT)

M.S.Pharm/M.Pharm/M.Tech Course at NIPER or University College

Through GPAT, a student can get admission to M.S.Pharm/M.Pharm/M.Tech programs at premier pharmaceutical institutes in India. A students who has qualified GPAT is eligible for a stipend of Rs.12,400 per month for a M.S.Pharm/M.Pharm/M.Tech course.

Ph.D.

Through GPAT, a student can get registered to a PhD and grant of fellowship around Rs.24,000 per month for a PhD course. All CSIR and top University colleges also encourage Research Assistance (RA) through GPAT.

Study Abroad

Many countries like US, Europe, Germany, New Zealand and Singapore have started recognising and accepting GPAT scores as a parameter for selection of a candidate. A good score in GPAT also helps students to become eligible for many scholarships in the Life Sceinces domain.

Eligibility Criteria:

The candidate must meet/fulfil the following criteria:

1. He / She is a citizen of India.
2. The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy (4 years after 10+2, including lateral entry students) or equivalent from a recognized university.
3. Candidates appearing for the final year (4th Year) examination of Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) whose result will be declared before commencement of admission to M. Pharm course for the academic year 2024-25 are eligible to appear in GPAT 2024. Candidates appearing for the Prefinal year (3rd Year) examination of Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) whose results for Final Year (4th Year) will be declared before commencement of admission to M. Pharm course for the academic year 2025-26 are also eligible to appear in GPAT 2024.
4. B.E./ B.Tech. (Pharmaceutical and Fine Chemical Technology)/ equivalent candidates are not eligible to appear in GPAT 2024.
5. Candidates found to be ineligible at any stage of GPAT 2024 will not be permitted to appear in the examination and/or counselling. In an unlikely event of any ineligible candidate appearing and/or being successful in the GPAT 2024, the results/ candidature of such candidate shall be cancelled and/or are deemed to be cancelled.
6. Eligibility of candidates issued admit card for the examination shall be purely provisional. Appearance in GPAT 2024 does not confer any automatic rights upon the candidate for admission to M. Pharm courses and/or award of scholarship.
7. Candidates are advised not to canvass with NBEMS for eligibility in GPAT or issuance of admit card. Queries, if any, can be submitted through the Communication Web Portal only. Canvassing in any form shall invite rejection of the application.

Age Limit

• No Upper Age Limit
• No Limit on Attempts

Exam Pattern:

• Exam Mode – Online
• Time – 03 hours (2.00 PM to 5.00 PM)
• Total Questions – 125
• Maximum Marks – 500
• Type of Questions – Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
• Correct Attempt – Each question will carry 4 marks
• Wrong Attempt – One mark will be deducted for each wrong answer

Syllabus

Examination Fee:

The Prescribed fee while applying for the exam or else your application will be rejected. As discussed earlier, candidates can pay the GPAT application fee by net banking or credit/debit card. Here is the category-wise application fee for this years’ exam.

Scheme of GPAT 2024

1. GPAT 2024 shall be conducted in a single day & single session as a computer-based examination on 8th June 2024.
2. Syllabus: The syllabus for the GPAT shall comprise of subject/knowledge areas as per “The Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm.) Course Regulations, 2024”.
3. The examination shall be a multiple choice questions test delivered using computer network (CBT) as per scheme prescribed. An indicative Blueprint of the examination is as under:

• The exam comprises of 125 Multiple Choice Questions with each question having 4 response options/ distractors in English language only. Candidates are required to select the correct/best/most appropriate response/answer out of the 4 response options provided in each question. Time allotted is 3 hrs (180 minutes).
• There shall be 25% negative marking for incorrect answers. No marks will be deducted for unattempted questions.

• The question paper for GAPT will be divided into multiple time bound sections. For example, if there are 5-time bound sections* (Section A, B, C, D & E) in the question paper, each Section will have 25 questions and 36 minutes of time allotted for the section. Candidates would be restricted to proceed to the next section only after completion of the allotted time of the previous section and candidates would not be allowed to review the questions/modify the responses of a section after the completion of the allotted time of that section. Questions of the next section will start automatically after the completion of the allotted time of the previous section.

• Candidates are given an option to mark any question, whether attempted or not, for review which means that candidate has been given an option to go through these questions in a section again before the allotted time to a section ends. Candidates may note that such questions which are marked for review shall be evaluated as per the marking scheme mentioned above.

GPAT 2024 Qualifying Cut-off

The NBEMS will publish the official cut-off after completion of each exam. Only those candidates who clear the cut-off can proceed to secure an eligibility for scholarship and admission into Post graduation and Ph.D. GPAT cut-off is based on several factors such as the number of applicants, the difficulty level of exam, the availability of scholarships, etc. You need to know the expected cut before you start your preparation. Check the previous years’ cut-off to get an idea of how many marks you have to score in the GPAT 2024.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates have to apply online before the set deadline. The application dates will be available in the GPAT Bulletin. To avoid any last-minute rush, you should know how to apply for this exam.

To get familiar with the registration process follow the below link to learn step-by-step instructions Guide to apply for GPAT 2024.

Time Slots for the Exam Conduct:

Admit Card:

1. Admit cards shall be made live on National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences website https://natboard.edu.in on 3rd June 2024. Admit cards will not be issued to candidates found ineligible before the conduct of the examination.
2. Candidates will be informed through SMS/Email alerts and website notice regarding availability of the admit card on NBEMS website. Admit card will not be sent to the candidates by Post/Email.
3. Candidates are required to download their admit card from the NBEMS website and affix firmly their recent (not more than 3 months old) passport size photograph in the space provided on the admit card. The photograph must meet following specifications:
   • Size of photograph : Minimum 35x45mm (and not larger than the box printed on admit card for pasting the photograph) with at least 75% area on the photograph should be occupied with the face & head of the candidate.
   • It should be a Colour photograph with white background.
   • The photograph needs to display full front view of the face with a neutral expression.
   • No Caps, Stethoscope, Goggles, Ornaments to be worn.
   • The photograph should not have reflection or shadow on the face with red eyes.
   • The photograph needs to be printed on a high quality paper with at least 600 dpi Resolutions.
   • The photograph must not have kinks, scratches and stains.

Here is how you can access & download the hall ticket in easy steps. 

Direct Link to Download the GPAT Admit Card 2024 – Click here

OR

Step 1 – Visit the official website of the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences.

Step 2 – Locate the GPAT 2024 Admit Card link and click on it.

Step 3 – Now, use your login credentials such as username, date of birth, and password to access the hall ticket.

Step 4 – You will see the admit card on your window. Download this copy onto your computer as you need to print multiple copies of it later. 

DOCUMENTS to be Carried to Test Centre:

Candidates MUST bring to the test centre the following documents:

1. Printed copy of Barcoded/QR Coded Admit card.
2. Any one of the below mentioned Govt issued photo IDs** (must be original and valid/non-expired):
   • PAN Card
   • Driving License
   • Voter ID
   • Passport
   • Aadhaar Card (With Photograph)

Please bring at least one but as many of the above-mentioned Photo IDs which are issued to you and details of which have been provided in the application form.

Candidates without valid ID proof shall not be allowed to enter the examination premises.

SECURITY AT THE TEST CENTRE:

Candidates will not be allowed to take the following items beyond security check point in examination premises under any circumstances:

• Any stationery item like textual material (printed or written), notes, Plastic Pouch, Calculator, Pen, Writing Pad, Pen Drives, Eraser, etc..
• Any electronic device like Mobile Phone, Bluetooth, Earphones, Microphone, Pager, wrist watch/Health Band, Calculator, Electronic Pen/ Scanner etc.
• All ornaments like bracelets, Ring, Earrings, Nose-pin, Chain/Necklace, Pendants, Necklace with pendants, Badge, Brooch etc.
• Other items like Wallet,Goggles, Handbags, Belt, Cap etc.
• Any eatableitem opened or packed, soft drinks, water bottle etc.
• Any other item which could be used for unfair means, for hiding communication devices like wireless/Bluetooth device, spy camera etc.

Candidates will be compulsorily required to carry following items with them to the examination lab: Exam related documents (Admit card, ID Card etc) PwD certificate issued by the Competent Authority, if claiming scribe/ extra-time as per provisions of the RPwD Act, 2016.

Please read the admit card carefully for items permitted to carry inside the examination centres.

RESULTS

DISPLAY OF RECORDED RESPONSES:

1. The NBEMS will display the recorded responses and Question Paper attempted by the candidates on the NBEMS website https://natboard.edu.in prior to declaration of result.
2. The recorded responses shall be displayed for three days. A notice in this regard shall be published after conduct of examination on NBEMS website.

DISPLAY OF PROVISIONAL ANSWER KEY FOR CHALLENGES:

1. The NBEMS will display Provisional Answer Key of the questions on the NBEMS website https://natboard.edu.in to provide an opportunity to the candidates to challenge the Provisional Answer Keys with a non-refundable online payment of ₹ 200/- per question charged as processing charges.

• The provisional Answer Keys shall be displayed for three days. Only paid challenges made during stipulated time through key challenge link will be considered.

• The decision of NBEMS on the challenges shall be final and no further communication will be entertained. NBEMS will not inform the candidates individually about their challenges. The subject experts will examine all the challenges received and then a final answer key will be displayed and Results will be declared based on it. No claims pertaining to the difficulty level of a question shall be entertained. Key challenge can only be raised by bonafide candidates who had appeared in the examination.

DATE OF DECLARATION OF RESULT:

The result for GPAT 2024 will be declared by 8^th July 2024. The result shall be available at NBEMS website https://natboard.edu.in

The result will be compiled based on Final Answer Keys. No grievance with regard to Answer Key(s) after declaration of Result of GPAT will be entertained. The raw (actual) marks obtained by a candidate will be considered for computation of the Result of GPAT and generation of GPAT scores & merit.

VALIDITY OF GPAT 2024 RESULT

GPAT Score is accepted by Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) approved / affiliated University Departments / Constituent / Affiliated Colleges / Institutions for admissions to M. Pharma and PhD courses. The validity of the score of GPAT 2024 shall be for three (03) years.

NBEMS GPAT Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ on Eligibility

Would a candidate appear for GPAT Exam for practice purposes irrespective of eligibility?

Only Eligible candidates would be appearing for the GPAT entrance examination.

Who and all are eligible to appear for the test under the Physically Disabled category?

As per the Persons with Disability Act, a candidate who appears for GPAT qualifying to be physically disabled would be suffering from the following disabilities the extent being of not less than 40% certified by a competent medical authority.

• Dumb
• Visual Impairment
• Hearing Impairment
• Physically Impaired

A candidate doing Graduation through Part-time or Distance, is he/she eligible to apply for GPAT 2024?

The candidate can apply if it is approved by the statutory authorities.

Would a third-year B.pharm student be eligible for GPAT 2024

Yes, B.Pharm third-year students would not be eligible to appear in GPAT Examination.