Kamal Ghorui
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has declared the Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) 2026 result, conducted on March 7, 2026, in a computer-based format across multiple centres nationwide. Along with the result, NBEMS has released detailed information on qualifying criteria, merit ranking, and answer key revisions.The result determines eligibility for MPharm admissions, scholarships, and PhD programmes in pharmacy institutions across India, as per norms approved by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI).
How to check GPAT 2026 result
Candidates can access their GPAT 2026 result online through the NBEMS portal by following these steps:
- Visit the official website: natboard.edu.in
- Click on the link for “GPAT 2026 Result” available on the homepage
- Log in using your application ID and password
- View your scorecard and merit rank displayed on the screen
- Download and save the result for future admission and counselling use
NBEMS has stated that the result will be available only in online mode and will not be sent individually to candidates.Direct link to download GPAT 2026 merit list.
GPAT qualifying criteria explained
As per Clause 10.8 of the GPAT 2026 information bulletin, candidates are declared qualified only if they meet both percentile and merit-based conditions.The minimum qualifying percentile is defined category-wise:
- General/EWS: 50th percentile
- OBC/SC/ST: 45th percentile
- PwBD (all categories): 45th percentile
In addition to meeting the percentile threshold, candidates must also fall within the top 10% of total test-takers. This year, 5,362 candidates out of 53,617 have been considered qualified, subject to applicable reservation policies.
GPAT 2026 rank and tie-breaking policy
NBEMS has clarified that the GPAT rank reflects the overall merit position among all candidates who appeared in the examination.In cases where two or more candidates secure identical scores, the inter-se merit is determined using criteria specified in the official bulletin. These include parameters such as relative performance metrics and evaluation rules predefined by NBEMS.
Answer key revisions and evaluation changes
Following candidate objections to the provisional answer key released on March 13, 2026, NBEMS undertook a review with subject experts.Major revisions include:
- 7 questions were found technically incorrect; full marks have been awarded to all candidates irrespective of attempt status
- Answers to 4 questions have been corrected after expert review
The final answer key has been prepared accordingly and used for result computation.Candidates will be able to access the post-challenge question paper and final answer keys from April 15, 2026, through their applicant login on the official NBEMS website.
Next steps for candidates
Qualified candidates can proceed with MPharm admissions and scholarship applications, as institutions and authorities will use GPAT scores to prepare admission lists and cut-offs.NBEMS has advised candidates to regularly check the official portal for updates on scorecards, counselling processes, and institutional admission timelines.
