GPAT

GPAT is a gateway for many pharmacy aspirants in India for post-graduation. It is an entrance exam for pharmacy graduates who are willing to take admissions in post graduate courses of pharmacy in India. GPAT stands for Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test. It is conducted annually by National Testing Agency (NTA) in different cities of the country. Students who qualify GPAT are eligible to apply for admission in different branches of M. Pharm (Master of Pharmacy) i.e., Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance etc.

Eligibility (Who can apply?)

To appear in GPAT exam, one should follow certain criteria. Person appearing should hold a degree in Pharmacy (B. Pharm), or appearing in the final year examination of B. pharm (Lateral Entry students are also eligible). Student must be a citizen of India. Also, there is no age limit to appear for GPAT.

 Key Points for GPAT

• Mode of exam: Online CBT at centres
• Duration: 3 Hours
• Total Questions: 125
• Total Marks: 500
• Languages: English
• Conducted by: National Testing Agency
• Total Colleges: 800+
• Total seats in M Pharm: 39,900 (approx.)

How to apply for GPAT 2023?

To apply for GPAT exam, you have to visit the official website of GPAT i.e., gpat.nta.nic.in

Next step is to register yourself by creating an account, set a password and login. This password will also be used in future to check the results.

Now, when you have registered yourself on the website, complete the application form, filling all the details asked.

Then upload the scanned documents asked in the form.

Submit the examination application fees, which is Rs. 2000 for general category and Rs. 1000 for OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/Female/Transgender.

In the final step, when the payment is confirmed, print the confirmation page for your reference.

Documents Required at Exam Centre

Do not forget to keep following documents while going to exam centre for GPAT.

1. GPAT admit card
2. Valid photo ID proof
3. Photograph similar to the one uploaded with the application form
4. PwD certificate if applicable

GPAT 2022 Cut-off

In the recent GPAT exam conducted in 2022, the cut off scenario remained decent with General category cut off was 148 marks out of 500, OBC – 120, SC – 94, ST – 75 and EWS – 122.

GPAT 2021 Cut off

Cut-off for previous year GPAT exam, that was conducted in year 2021 remained on a higher side with General category cut-off came out to be 186 marks out of 500, OBC – 152, SC – 114, ST – 87, and EWS – 155.

Factors affecting GPAT Cut-off

There are a number of factors that can affect the cut-off of GPAT such as –

• Number of students appearing in GPAT exam
• Total number of seats available
• Number of students in particular category of admission
• Difficulty of exam

If the number of seats increases, then the cut-off will likely decrease. If the number of applicants increases, then the cut-off will definitely increase due to increased competition. Also, difficulty of exam is an important factor. If the difficulty level is high, then the cut-off will likely decrease.

GPAT Counselling

After the merit list is out, institutions offering M. pharm courses conduct counselling on the basis of GPAT results and respective cut-off marks. Student have to apply for the admission in the institutions separately according to their interests. Candidates are shortlisted on the basis of GPAT cut-off and a merit list is prepared by the institute in order of GPAT score of the candidate for various categories of admission. On the basis of merit list, institutes offer admission to the applicants.

GPAT Exam pattern

GPAT is a computer-based test (CBT) which is conducted in centres having computer lab facilities. There are a total of 125 objective questions, 4 marks each. So, the total marks are 500. Remember, there is negative marking as well. 1 mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer.

How to prepare for GPAT?

As per the exam pattern, we can clearly see the weightage of subjects in GPAT. Preparation of GPAT should follow the trends and pattern of the exam to get effective results. The main things an aspirant should follow for effective results in GPAT exam are

• Manage time – Give most time to the most important subject. In this case, the most important subject are Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutics, so focus more on these two subjects. Do not ignore Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, as they both give direct 39 questions which can define your rank in GPAT.
• Go through recommended books.
• Complete full syllabus at least two months before the exam.
• Make your own notes. This will help you during the last few days of the exam.
• Solve previous year question papers for practice.
• Solve subject wise questions to make your topics strong.
• Give mock tests for practice and having exam experience.

Recommended books –

• Essentials of Pharmacology – KD Tripathi
• Pharmacognosy – CK Kokate
• Pharmaceutical Analysis – Chatwal
• Organic Chemistry – Morrison Boyd
• Medicinal Chemistry – SN Pandey
• The Theory and Practice of Industrial Pharmacy – Liebermann and Lachman
• Synopsis for GPAT – Dr. Surendra H. Bodakhe, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Prof. Vijay Juyal, Dr. Munish Ahuja
• GPAT: A Companion – Nazma N. Inamdar
• GPAT Cracker – Dr. Sanjar Alam

GPAT Syllabus

The syllabus of GPAT comprises of subjects from bachelor in Pharmacy. These subjects are Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Inorganic chemistry, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Pathophysiology, Biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics, Clinical pharmacy and therapeutics, Human anatomy and physiology, Pharmaceutical Engineering, Pharmaceutical management, Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence, Dispensing and hospital pharmacy.

Click here to download complete GPAT syllabus.