100+ Free GPAT Practice Questions

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Recombinant human insulin (e.g., Humulin) is produced industrially by:

Fermentation of Aspergillus niger using molasses substrate

Cloning the proinsulin gene into E. coli or yeast, expressing it, then enzymatically removing the C-peptide to yield A and B chains linked by disulphide bonds

Hydrolysis of bovine pancreatic extract

Chemical solid-phase synthesis on a Merrifield resin from amino acid monomers

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Practice Questions100 questions

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: GPAT Exam

125 MCQs

Total questions in 180 minutes

NBEMS GPAT 2026 Information Bulletin

+4 / -1

Marking scheme (500 marks total)

NBEMS GPAT 2026 Information Bulletin

~61%

Marks from Pharmaceutical Chemistry + Pharmaceutics

PCI GPAT syllabus weightage

INR 3,500

Application fee (General) for GPAT 2026

NBEMS GPAT 2026 notification

100

Free practice questions here

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GPAT is a 180-minute CBT of 125 MCQs (500 marks total, +4/-1) covering the full B.Pharm syllabus. Conducted by NBEMS since 2024 on behalf of PCI; score gates AICTE-approved M.Pharm seats and AICTE/NIPER scholarship.

Sample GPAT Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your GPAT exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which functional group is responsible for the characteristic blue colour produced by phenolphthalein in alkaline solution?

A.An extended quinoid (para-quinoid) chromophore formed after lactone ring opening

B.A free phenolic hydroxyl with no conjugation

C.A saturated lactone carbonyl

D.A protonated tertiary amine

Explanation: In alkaline medium the lactone ring of phenolphthalein opens and the molecule rearranges into a doubly-deprotonated para-quinoid form. This extended conjugation across the three benzene rings acts as a chromophore, absorbing light around 553 nm and giving the pink-to-magenta colour used as an acid-base indicator.

2Aspirin is synthesised by acetylation of salicylic acid using which reagent?

A.Acetic anhydride with a trace of concentrated sulphuric acid or phosphoric acid

B.Acetyl chloride with aqueous sodium hydroxide

C.Methyl iodide with potassium carbonate

D.Glacial acetic acid alone at room temperature

Explanation: Industrial and pharmacopoeial preparation of acetylsalicylic acid acetylates the phenolic OH of salicylic acid with acetic anhydride; concentrated H2SO4 or H3PO4 acts as a catalyst by protonating the anhydride and increasing electrophilicity of the acyl carbon. The by-product is acetic acid.

3According to the Noyes-Whitney equation, the dissolution rate of a solid drug is directly proportional to which of the following?

A.Surface area of the solid in contact with the dissolution medium

B.Square of the particle radius

C.Thickness of the diffusion layer

D.Concentration of dissolved drug already in bulk solution

Explanation: Noyes-Whitney: dC/dt = (D · A · (Cs - C)) / (h · V). The rate is directly proportional to the diffusion coefficient D, the surface area A and the concentration gradient (Cs - C), and inversely proportional to diffusion-layer thickness h. Micronisation increases A, raising dissolution rate.

4Propranolol exerts its antihypertensive and antianginal action primarily by:

A.Non-selective competitive antagonism at β1 and β2 adrenergic receptors

B.Selective blockade of α1 adrenergic receptors

C.Activation of muscarinic M2 receptors in the heart

D.Inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme

Explanation: Propranolol is the prototype non-selective β-blocker. β1 blockade lowers heart rate, contractility and renin release; β2 blockade contributes to bronchoconstriction (limiting its use in asthma). Membrane-stabilising activity at high doses is clinically minor.

5The active constituent of Cinchona bark used as an antimalarial is:

A.Quinine, a quinoline alkaloid

B.Reserpine, an indole alkaloid

C.Atropine, a tropane alkaloid

D.Morphine, an isoquinoline alkaloid

Explanation: Cinchona bark (Cinchona officinalis and related species, family Rubiaceae) contains quinoline alkaloids — chiefly quinine, quinidine, cinchonine and cinchonidine. Quinine has been used for centuries against Plasmodium falciparum malaria and remains a reserve drug for severe and chloroquine-resistant cases.

6Which of the following best describes the hybridisation of all four carbon atoms in cyclobutadiene in its ground (singlet) state?

A.sp² hybridised, but the molecule is antiaromatic and rectangular rather than square

B.sp³ hybridised in a non-planar puckered ring

C.sp hybridised with two perpendicular π systems

D.A mixture of sp² and sp³ carbons in alternating positions

Explanation: Cyclobutadiene has four sp² carbons and 4 π electrons (4n with n=1), making it antiaromatic by Hückel's rule. To minimise destabilisation it distorts from a square to a rectangular (D2h) shape with alternating short C=C and long C-C bonds — a classic Jahn-Teller-like distortion.

7Sulphonamides exert their bacteriostatic action by competitively inhibiting which enzyme?

A.Dihydropteroate synthase, blocking incorporation of PABA into folic acid

B.Dihydrofolate reductase, the target of trimethoprim and methotrexate

C.Bacterial DNA gyrase

D.30S ribosomal subunit

Explanation: Sulphonamides are structural analogues of p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). They competitively inhibit dihydropteroate synthase, preventing condensation of PABA with pteridine to form dihydropteroic acid (a folate precursor). Mammalian cells use preformed folate and are unaffected — the basis of selective toxicity.

8Which of the following groups is a strong ortho-para directing activator in electrophilic aromatic substitution?

A.-NH2 (amino) — donates electrons by resonance

B.-NO2 (nitro) — strong deactivator, meta director

C.-COOH (carboxyl) — deactivator, meta director

D.-CN (cyano) — deactivator, meta director

Explanation: Substituents with lone pairs on the atom bonded to the ring (-NH2, -OH, -OR, -NHR) donate electron density into the ring by resonance, activating it and directing incoming electrophiles to ortho and para positions where the negative charge can be stabilised.

9In the IUPAC name (2S,3R)-3-hydroxy-2-methylbutanoic acid, the descriptors S and R refer to:

A.The absolute configuration at chiral centres C-2 and C-3 assigned by CIP priority rules

B.Whether the molecule is laevorotatory (S) or dextrorotatory (R)

C.The cis (S) or trans (R) relationship of substituents

D.Endo (S) and exo (R) positions in a bicyclic system

Explanation: R/S descriptors are assigned by the Cahn-Ingold-Prelog (CIP) sequence rules: rank the four substituents at a stereocentre by atomic number; with the lowest priority group pointing away, clockwise = R, anticlockwise = S. They describe absolute, not relative, configuration.

10Which spectroscopic technique is most directly used to determine the connectivity of carbon atoms in an organic molecule?

A.Two-dimensional NMR experiments such as COSY, HSQC and HMBC

B.Mass spectrometry (EI-MS) alone

C.UV-visible absorption spectroscopy

D.Infrared spectroscopy in the fingerprint region

Explanation: 2D NMR experiments correlate spins through bonds: COSY shows H-H coupling, HSQC shows direct 1H-13C bonds, and HMBC shows 2-3 bond H-C correlations. Together they build the carbon skeleton. 1D ¹H and ¹³C NMR identify environments but cannot unambiguously prove connectivity in complex molecules.

About the GPAT Exam

GPAT (Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test) is a national-level entrance examination for admission to AICTE-approved M.Pharm programmes across India and to elite institutions such as the seven NIPERs. Since 2024 it is conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on behalf of the Pharmacy Council of India, replacing the National Testing Agency that ran it from 2019 to 2023. The Computer-Based Test runs 180 minutes for 125 MCQs spread across the B.Pharm syllabus: pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmaceutics dominate (~61% of marks), followed by pharmacology (~22%) and pharmacognosy plus pharmaceutical analysis, biotech, microbiology and pharmacy practice (~17%). Total marks are 500 (+4 correct, -1 wrong, 0 unattempted). GPAT 2026 was held on 7 March 2026.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

180 minutes

Passing Score

No fixed pass; admission depends on All-India GPAT score and institute cutoffs

Exam Fee

INR 3,500 (General/EWS/OBC); INR 2,500 (SC/ST/PwBD) (National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) — conducting body since 2024 under MoU with Pharmacy Council of India (PCI); replaced NTA)

GPAT Exam Content Outline

~30%

Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry (SAR of antibiotics, NSAIDs, CNS drugs, steroids, CVS drugs), heterocyclic chemistry, stereochemistry, drug design, named reactions and drug metabolism

~31%

Pharmaceutics

Physical pharmacy (solubility, dissolution, isotonicity, rheology), dosage form design (tablets, capsules, parenterals, ophthalmics, semi-solids, aerosols), pharmacokinetics and biopharmaceutics (BCS), controlled-release systems and novel drug delivery

~22%

Pharmacology

General pharmacology and toxicology, autonomic and CNS drugs, cardiovascular agents, antimicrobials and chemotherapy, endocrine and metabolic drugs, immunopharmacology and clinical pharmacology

~10%

Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry

Crude drugs and their constituents (alkaloids, glycosides, volatile oils, tannins, resins), biosynthetic pathways, extraction and standardisation techniques, evaluation of crude drugs and herbal formulations

~7%

Pharmaceutical Analysis, Biotechnology, Microbiology and Pharmacy Practice

Titrimetric and instrumental analysis (UV/IR/NMR/MS, HPLC, GC, TLC), pharmaceutical microbiology and sterilisation, biotechnology and bioprocess, biostatistics, pharmaceutical jurisprudence and clinical pharmacy

How to Pass the GPAT Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: No fixed pass; admission depends on All-India GPAT score and institute cutoffs
Exam length: 100 questions
Time limit: 180 minutes
Exam fee: INR 3,500 (General/EWS/OBC); INR 2,500 (SC/ST/PwBD)

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

GPAT Study Tips from Top Performers

1Allocate roughly 60% of your prep time to Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutics because together they decide 304 of 500 marks — most GPAT toppers ace these two first

2Build an error log of every wrong attempt during practice; tag by subject and revisit weekly — GPAT rewards repeat exposure to high-yield MCQs more than reading new chapters

3Memorise drug class SAR tables (β-lactams, sulphonamides, fluoroquinolones, benzodiazepines, NSAIDs, statins, steroids) — these recur every year and are quick marks

4Use the negative-marking calculator: with +4/-1 you should attempt a question only when you can eliminate at least two options confidently; blind guessing across 25 unknowns will cost ~5 marks on average

5Take at least 15 full-length 180-minute NBEMS-style mocks in the last 8 weeks; this trains pacing for 125 MCQs and builds the stamina needed for a single 3-hour window

6Keep one pharmacognosy revision sheet of source plants + family + active constituent + use — that single sheet typically answers 8-10 GPAT questions directly

Frequently Asked Questions

Who conducts GPAT in 2026?

From 2024 onwards GPAT is conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on behalf of the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) under a formal MoU. NBEMS replaced the National Testing Agency (NTA) which had administered GPAT from 2019 to 2023. The official source for notifications, syllabus and admit card is natboard.edu.in.

What is the GPAT 2026 exam pattern?

GPAT is a 180-minute computer-based test with 125 multiple-choice questions for a maximum of 500 marks. Each correct answer earns +4 marks and each wrong answer attracts -1 mark; unattempted questions score 0. The paper is conducted in English only and there is no sectional time limit.

What is the subject-wise weightage in GPAT?

Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutics together account for about 61% of the marks (around 304/500). Pharmacology contributes about 22%. The remaining 17% is shared by Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Pharmacy Practice, Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence and Biostatistics.

What is the GPAT 2026 application fee?

Under NBEMS the GPAT 2026 application fee is approximately INR 3,500 for General, EWS and OBC candidates and INR 2,500 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates. Fees and concessions are notified each cycle in the NBEMS information bulletin and processed through the natboard.edu.in payment portal.

Who is eligible for GPAT 2026?

Candidates must hold (or be in the final year of) a Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) degree from an AICTE/PCI-approved institution, with at least 55% aggregate (50% for reserved categories). There is no upper age limit. Indian nationals, Overseas Citizens of India and Non-Resident Indians are eligible to apply.

What is GPAT used for and which institutes accept it?

GPAT score is mandatory for admission to AICTE-approved M.Pharm programmes (e.g., Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacy Practice, Industrial Pharmacy, Quality Assurance). It is also used by the seven NIPERs as part of their selection and for AICTE Post-Graduate Scholarship of INR 12,400 per month payable for the M.Pharm duration.

When was GPAT 2026 held?

GPAT 2026 was held on 7 March 2026 as a single-day computer-based test across multiple test cities in India. The information bulletin is released by NBEMS in November-December, application window typically runs December-January, and the admit card is issued about a week before the exam.

100+ Free GPAT Practice Questions

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