The National Testing Agency conducts the graduate pharmacy aptitude test (GPAT) for admission into M.Pharma course offered by its approved colleges/institutes. From this year onwards, this national level entrance exam will be conducted by the National Testing Agency. Candidates need to apply to be eligible for admission into the said course through GPAT examination. The exam will be conducted via online mode. Candidates can apply for the GPAT exam by visiting the official website.

The admission to various colleges via GPAT will be based on the performance of a candidate in the exam. Many colleges also offer scholarships to the meritorious candidates based on their GPAT score. Hence, it’s very important for candidates to score well in the exam.  For more details on the GPAT 2024 Entrance Exam, candidates are suggested to follow the article.

GPAT 2024 Exam Dates

Given below are the actual dates for GPAT 2024 which are confirmed by the National Testing Agency-

GPAT 2024 Eligibility Criteria

A candidate must satisfy the eligibility criteria specified by the authorities if he/she wants to appear for the GPAT entrance examination. Here are the mandatory criteria for all the candidates aspiring to appear for the exam-

• Candidates must hold a valid Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy (4 years after 10+2, including lateral entry candidates) from a recognized college/university.
• Candidates appearing in the final year of B.Pharm are also eligible to apply.
• Candidates who have done B.Tech in Pharmaceutical and fine chemical technology or its equivalent are not eligible to appear for GPAT examination.

GPAT 2024 Application Form

The application form for GPAT examination can be obtained via the online mode only. Candidates can fill the form by visiting the official website of the GPAT i.e. https://gpat.nta.nic.in/. To fill out the application form, candidates first need to register themselves for the exam. After that, they will be instructed to pay the relevant application fee for the exam. Once the application fee is paid, candidates can proceed for filling the application form. The details in the form must be entered carefully as no correction facility will be provided once the form is submitted successfully. Candidates also need to keep a scanned copy of the signature and photograph handy while registering for the GPAT examination. Application form received without the fee will be considered invalid/incomplete and will be rejected by the authorities. Candidates should fill the form within the stipulated time to avoid disappointment.

Application Fee

The registration/application fee for General/OBC category candidates is Rs. 1400/- (excluding bank charges). For candidates belonging to SC/ST categories, the application fee to be paid is Rs. 700/- (Bank charges applicable).

Mode of Payment: Applicants can pay the mentioned fee either by online mode (Credit Card/Net Banking/ Debit Card) or by E-Challan of SBI Bank.

GPAT 2024 Exam Pattern

In order to get familiarize with the exam, it’s important for candidates to know the exam pattern. Candidates can take the reference from the given details to know the exam pattern-

• Mode of Exam: Computer Based (Online)
• Exam Duration: Three hours
• Exam Language: English
• Total Marks: 500 Marks
• Total no. of Questions: 125 Questions
• Marking Scheme: +4 marks for each right answer
• Negative Marking: 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong response.

GPAT 2024 Syllabus

The Syllabus of GPAT examination will be as per the level of B.Pharm. The curriculum will comprise of subjects studied during graduation. Here are some of the main topics that a candidate needs to study for the GPAT 2024 examination-

Physical Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Organic Chemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Analysis,  Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence and Dispensing, Physical Pharmacy,  Biochemistry, Pathophysiology, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Clinical Pharmacy And Therapeutics, Anatomy, Physiology And Health Education, Pharmaceutical Engineering, Biopharmaceutics And Pharmacokinetics, Pharmaceutical Management.

Preparation Strategy for GPAT Exam

GPAT is a highly competitive entrance exam and demands extra efforts from the candidates to clear it efficiently. Given below are some important tips on how to prepare for the exam that candidates should follow-

• Plan your own exam strategy. Don’t copy what others are doing.
• Make a time table and follow it on regular basis.
• Use reliable study materials as the authentic source. Avoid collecting books just for sake of exam. Use a few sets of books and prepare from it whole-heartedly.
• Don’t neglect the revision of the topics studied. Try to revise the whole syllabus at least twice before taking the exam.
• Solve test series, mock tests and previous year papers to enhance your performance and learn time management.
• Avoid wasting unnecessary time on social media or other platforms which are not related to the exam.

Recommended Books for GPAT Exam

Here are some of the widely used reference books for GPAT 2024 examination-

1. GPAT & GATE Pharmacy by G. Vidya Sagar
2. GPAT by Mohd. Ali
3. GPAT- A Companion by N.N. INAMDAR
4. Medicinal Chemistry: Wilson
5. Pharmacology: Rang & Dale, K.D.Tripati, Goodman & Gilman.
6. Biochemistry:
7. Organic Chemistry: Morrison & Boyd
8. Pharmaceutics: Lachman, Remington, Aulton, Ansel, Banker, Physical Pharmacy by Martin.
9. Pharma Analysis: Silverstein, Skoog’s, Dr.Ravi Shankar
10. Pharmacognosy: Kokate, Trease & Evans

GPAT 2024 Admit Card

Admit card can be downloaded from the official website. Candidates can download their admit card in the 2^nd week of January 2024. It is mandatory for the candidates to carry the admit card and a valid ID proof in the exam hall, the entry without which will not be allowed. No physical admit card will be sent to the candidates by post or whatever means. Candidates should keep a printout of the admit card for future reference.

GPAT 2024 Result

Result will be displayed in form of a merit list. The merit list will be prepared on the basis of the scores obtained by a candidate in the examination. Candidates can download their scorecard by login into the official website using the registration ID and password. The GPAT 2024 scorecard will be valid for a year. Candidates can apply to different colleges based on their GPAT scores.

Counseling

After the declaration of the merit list, the shortlisted candidates will be called for the counseling procedure. Through the counselling process, candidates will be allotted a seat in a college. The counselling will be organized as per the schedule published by the authority on its website. Candidates need to regularly visit the website for latest updates. Based on that schedule, the participating colleges will offer admission to the selected candidates.

FAQs

Who conducts the GPAT exam?

National Testing Agency

What is the date of GPAT exam?

Not yet announced

When will GPAT application release?

The official date is yet to announce.