Know this. You can sit GPAT in your third year of B.Pharm; a good early score stays valid for three years and takes pressure off the final year.
- Run by
- Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), through the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) under an MoU. It was run by AICTE until 2018 and NTA from 2019 to 2023.
- Admits you to
- Admission to M.Pharm (and some Ph.D) programmes at PCI-approved university departments and colleges, and the GPAT scholarship for M.Pharm students.
- Who can sit
- Students in the final (4th) year of B.Pharm whose result will be declared before M.Pharm admission begins; pre-final (3rd) year B.Pharm students may also sit and use the score for the following year's admission. Your B.Pharm must be from a PCI-recognised institution.
- Pattern
- Computer-based test, 3 hours, 125 multiple-choice questions in English; +4 for a correct answer, -1 for a wrong one.
- When
- Usually in February–March (the 2026 exam was in early March).
- Limits
- No attempt limit is stated. The score is valid for three years.
Courses it leads to
- M.PharmA two-year master's for B.Pharm graduates, specialising in one area of pharmacy — pharmaceutics (formulation), pharmacology, pharmaceutical…2 years
- PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)A PhD is a research degree: you spend several years answering one original question under a supervisor, and write it up as a thesis that outside…3–6 years
Sources, checked 2026-09-28: natboard.edu.in · nbe.edu.in