State wise Pharmacy Admissions - Exams, Eligibility, Admission Process

State-wise Pharmacy admissions: The field of pharmacy is a unique amalgamation of science, health care, computer technology, counselling, business and mathematics. A pharmacist should be a “people’s person” i.e., he/ she should not only be knowledgeable in pharmaceutics and other branches of pharmacy, but also have good communication and problem-solving skills.

This Story also Contains

1. What is Pharmacy?
2. State-wise Pharmacy Admissions in India
3. Birla Institute of Technology and Science Admission Test (BITSAT)
4. Uttar Pradesh Combined Entrance Test (UPCET)
5. Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT CET)
6. West Bengal Joint Entrance Exam (WBJEE)
7. Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET)

Unlike a decade ago, pharmacy’s importance as a line of education and career has only escalated. Thus, more and more students are willing to venture into this field of healthcare and chemical science. All over India, different states conduct entrance exams for Pharmacy admissions. In this article, aspirants will find all the information regarding state wise pharmacy admissions such as eligibility criteria, important dates, application fee, result, etc.

What is Pharmacy?

Pharmacy is the science of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs. It is a mixture of traditional and modern practices aiming to improve healthcare. Broadly, pharmacy can be divided into three sections - pharmaceutics, pharmacy practice, and medicinal chemistry & pharmacognosy. The curriculum of pharmacy courses usually covers the study of human anatomy and physiology, pharmaceutical biotechnology, biochemistry, and pharmaceutical maths and biostatics. The personnel involved in the pharmacy sector aim to improve healthcare by providing easy and effective accessibility of medicines and curbing illegal practices.

State-wise Pharmacy Admissions in India

The unlimited demand for qualified people in the domain of pharmacy has made more and more students aim for pharmacy admissions. In India, state-wise pharmacy admissions are conducted through entrance tests. Some of the well-known state exams conducted for pharmacy are BITSAT, UPSEE, MHT CET, WB JEE, etc. Given below is a list of the 10 most popular state wise pharmacy entrance exams in India:

State wise Pharmacy Entrance Exams in India

Birla Institute of Technology and Science Admission Test (BITSAT)

BITS Pilani conducts BITSAT every year for B. Pharm admissions along with B.E. and M.Sc. Candidates who crack the exam can get admission in one of the three campuses at Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad. The BITSAT exam is conducted for three hours comprising 150 multiple-choice questions.

B. Pharm Eligibility Criteria: Candidates seeking B. Pharm admission should have passed class 12th (PCM) with at least 75% marks overall and 60% in each subject. There is no age limit specified for B. Pharm aspirants.

Mode of B. Pharm Application: Online

B. Pharm Application fee: Rs. 3400 for male candidates and Rs. 2900 for female candidates.

B. Pharm Exam Pattern: BITSAT will be conducted online for B. Pharm admissions. The paper will have 4 sections- Physics, Chemistry, English Proficiency & Logical Reasoning, and Mathematics. Examinees will be required to answer 150 MCQs during the 3-hour time limit. Every correct answer rewards 3 marks and every incorrect answer deducts 1 mark.

B. Pharm Result: The result of BITSAT B. Pharm will be released in online mode at bitsadmission.com. The BITSAT B. Pharm result will mention the number of correct responses and wrong responses marked by the candidate. His/ her final score will also be mentioned. The exam authorities will also publish a merit list based on the BITSAT result.

Uttar Pradesh Combined Entrance Test (UPCET)

Previously, known as UPSEE, NTA renamed the state level entrance exam as UPCET. The computer-based test is conducted for undergraduate programmes like B.Tech, B.Arch, B.Des, BHMCT, BFAD, B.Voc and B.Pharm admission, and postgraduate programmes like MBA/ MBA Integrated and MCA/ MCA Integrated. The UPSEE B. Pharm application form is released in online mode.

B. Pharma Eligibility Criteria: Other than fulfilling the general requirements of UPSEE like possessing an Aadhaar card, the specific B. Pharm eligibility criteria state that the candidates should pass class 12th (PCB/ PCM) with at least 45% marks overall (40% for SC/ST category).

Mode of B. Pharm Application: Online

B. Pharm Application fee: Rs. 1300 for unreserved male candidates, and Rs. 650 for reserved male and all female candidates

B. Pharm Exam Pattern: UPSEE for B. Pharm admissions will be conducted in English and Hindi medium. Candidates can choose to attempt either of the two papers- Paper 1 (physics, chemistry and mathematics) and Paper 2 (physics, chemistry and biology). Each subject carries 50 questions. Candidates can score 4 marks with every correct response and there is no negative marking.

B. Pharm Result: UPSEE result 2023 will be released in online mode. Candidates who meet the minimum required marks of UPCET B. Pharm will be declared as qualified. Accordingly, a UPCET merit list for B. Pharm admissions will also be declared.

Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT CET)

DTE Maharashtra conducts the MHT CET for various programmes including B. Pharmacy in Computer Based Test mode. Students who wish to apply for B. Pharm can do on or before the online application closing date. MHT CET 2023 for B. Pharm is conducted in the month of May tentatively. Candidates will be allotted colleges in Maharashtra state according to their preferences during the counselling session as well as the marks scored in the MHT CET.

B. Pharm Eligibility Criteria: B. Pharm aspirants should have passed class 12 (with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) to be eligible for appearing in MHT CET.

Mode of B. Pharm Application: Online

B. Pharm Application fee: Rs. 800+ service charges for general category candidates and Rs. 600+ service charges for reserved category candidates

B. Pharm Exam Pattern: The online exam will be divided into three papers. Each subject will carry 50 MCQs i.e., paper 1 includes 50 while paper 2 and 3 comprise of 100 questions each. There will be no negative marking for wrong responses. Paper 1 will be in English medium only while the rest will be conducted in English/ Hindi/ Marathi languages.

B. Pharm Result: The MHT CET result of B. Pharm will be declared online on the official website. The B. Pharm result will be available in the form of score cards. Candidates must note that the result will not be sent to them individually via any other mode.

West Bengal Joint Entrance Exam (WBJEE)

WBJEE is conducted by the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) for UG admissions to engineering and pharmacy courses. WBJEE is a state-level exam conducted in pen and paper mode for 4 hours.

B. Pharma Eligibility Criteria: WBJEE applicants should have passed class 12 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics/ Biology/ Computer Science/ Biotechnology/ Computer Application. The candidate should have passed in both theory and practical sections. The minimum marks in the three core subjects should be at least 45% overall (for SC/ST/OBC /PwD 40%). There is no upper age limit for WBJEE B. Pharm applicants. However, the candidate should not be less than 17 years on December 31, 2023.

Mode of B. Pharm Application: Online

B. Pharm Application fee: Rs. 500 for general category. Rs 400 for SC/ST/OBC-A/OBC-B

B. Pharm Exam Pattern: The offline entrance test will be divided into two papers, namely- Paper 1 for mathematics and Paper 2 for Physics & Chemistry. B. Pharm aspirants appearing for WBJEE may appear for either both the papers or just paper 2. WBJEE candidates will get 120 minutes to solve each paper. There will be 75 MCQs on mathematics and 40 MCQs from Physics and Chemistry each. The marking scheme differs according to different categories of questions.

B. Pharm Result: The B. Pharma result of WBJEE will be declared in online mode at wbjeeb.nic.in. Candidates will have to download their WBJEE B. Pharm result in the form of a rank card which will include their score in each paper and the rank secured. Subsequently, WBJEEB will release a cutoff list as well.

Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET)

KCET will be conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) for engineering, farm science and B. Pharm admissions to various institutions in Karnataka. The KCET application form should be submitted on or before the closing date.

B. Pharm Eligibility Criteria: B. Pharm applicants should have passed class 12 (with PCM or PCB) or 2nd PUC or Diploma in Pharmacy with at least 45% marks.

Mode of B. Pharm Application: Online and offline

B. Pharm Application fee: Rs. 500 for general and OBC candidates, and Rs. 250 for SC and ST candidates

B. Pharm Exam Pattern: KCET 2023 for B. Pharm admissions is conducted in pen and paper mode. Within the time period of 2 hours 40 minutes, candidates need to answer 180 MCQs.

B. Pharm Result: The B. Pharm result will be published by KEA in online mode. The KCET result 2023 for B. Pharm admissions will be released at kea.kar.nic.in/karresults.nic.in. To check the KCET 2023 result, candidates need to enter their registration number.