Himachal Pradesh Common Entrance Test Exam Pattern 2026
Himachal Pradesh Common Entrance Test Exam Pattern
HPCET 2024 Exam Pattern
HPCET 2024 is conducted in offline mode as a pen and paper test. The question paper is set only in English.
The exam pattern depends on the course applied for: BTech, BPharm, MCA, or MBA. There is no sectional time limit for completing the paper.
Exam Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam mode | Offline (Pen and paper) |
| Medium | English |
| Question Paper Type | Multiple-choice questions |
| Marking Scheme | +4 marks for correct attempts, 0 for unattempted |
| Negative Marking | -1 |
Number of Sections, Questions, and Duration by Course
| Course | Sections | Number of Questions | Total Marks | Exam Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTech | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics | 150 | 600 | 3 hours 15 minutes |
| BPharm | Physics, Chemistry, Biology | 150 | 600 | 3 hours 15 minutes |
| MCA | Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, Computer Awareness | 100 | 400 | 2 hours |
| MBA | Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability | 75 | 300 | 2 hours |
HPCET 2024 Question Paper Pattern
Candidates are given OMR sheets to mark their answers. The paper contains multiple-choice questions with four options for each question.
The exam duration is 3 hours. The pattern differs for each stream.
HPCET 2024 Question Paper Pattern of B.Tech/ B.Pharmacy
The bachelor-level test contains 150 objective questions to be solved in three hours. Each subject has two sections.
| Subjects | Section | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physics | Section A | 20 | 80 |
| Physics | Section B | 40 | 120 |
| Chemistry | Section A | 20 | 80 |
| Chemistry | Section B | 40 | 120 |
| Mathematics OR Biology | Section A | 20 | 80 |
| Mathematics OR Biology | Section B | 40 | 120 |
| Total | – | 150 | 600 |
HPCET 2024 Question Paper Pattern of MCA
The MCA test consists of 100 questions for two hundred marks. The paper must be completed in 2 hours.
HPCET 2024 Exam Pattern for MBA
The HPCET 2024 MBA exam pattern is divided into four sections. Each section has 25 questions, and every question carries 4 marks.
| Subject | Section | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | Section A | 25 | 100 |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | Section B | 25 | 100 |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | Section C | 25 | 100 |
| Computer Awareness | Section D | 25 | 100 |
| Total | - | 100 | 400 |
HPCET 2024 Exam Pattern for MCA
The HPCET 2024 MCA exam pattern has three sections. The total number of questions is 75, and the maximum marks are 300.
| Subject | Section | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | Section A | 25 | 100 |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | Section B | 25 | 100 |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | Section C | 25 | 100 |
| Total | - | 75 | 300 |
HPCET 2024 Marking Scheme
HPCET 2024 has negative marking for incorrect answers. Selecting multiple responses for one question is treated as an incorrect response, and marks are deducted for it. Unanswered questions receive no marks and no penalty.
Each correct answer gives 4 marks. Each incorrect answer leads to a deduction of 1 mark.
- Marking scheme: +4 marks for each correct answer
- Negative marking: -1 mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer
HPCET 2024 Syllabus
The HPCET 2024 syllabus has two parts: Section A and Section B. Section A is the Theory Part with 80% weightage. Section B is the Practical Component (Experimental Skills) with 20% weightage.
| Sections | Topics |
|---|---|
| Physics | Physics and measurement, Kinematics, Laws of motion, Work, energy and power, Rotational motion, Gravitation, Properties of solids and liquids, Thermodynamics, Kinetic theory of gases, Oscillations and wave motion 2- wave motion, Electrostatics: 1- electric c electric field, Current electricity, Magnetic effect magnetism alternating currents, Electromagnetic waves, Optics, Dual nature of matter and radiation, Atoms and nuclei, Electronic devices, Communication systems, Experimental skills |
| Mathmetics | Sets, relations and functions, Complex numbers and quadratic, equations Matrices and determinants, Permutations and combinations, Binomial theorem and its simple applications, Sequences and series, Limit, continuity and differentiability, Integral calculus, Differential equations, Co-ordinate geometry, Vector algebra, Statistics and probability, Trigonometry, Mathematical reasoning |
| Chemistry | Some basic concepts in chemistry, States of matter, Atomic structure, Chemic structure, Chemical thermodynamics, Solutions, Equilibrium, Redox reactions and electrochemistry, Chemical kinetics, Surface chemistry, Section b inorganic chemistry, C periodicity in properties, General principles and process isolation of metals, Hydrogen, s- Alkaline earth metals), p- Block elements d-and, f – blocks elements, Co-ordination compounds, Environmental chemistry, Section c organic chemistry, Purification and characterization of organic compounds, Hydrocarbons halogens, Organic compounds containing oxygen-nitrogen, Bimolecular, Chemistry in everyday life |
MBA/MCA
HPCET 2024 Exam Pattern
The Himachal Pradesh Common Entrance Test (HPCET) 2024 is divided into four sections. The sections and their topics are listed below.
| Section | Subject | Topics Covered |
|---|---|---|
| Section A | Verbal Ability | Vocabulary Based, English Usage or Grammar, Sentence Correction, Fill in the blanks, Close Passage, Analogies or Reverse Analogies, Jumbled Paragraph, Meaning-Usage Match, Summary Questions, Verbal Reasoning, Facts/Inferences/Judgments, Reading Comprehension |
| Section B | Quantitative Ability | Geometry, Ratios and Proportion, Percentages, In-equations- Quadratic and linear equations, Algebra, Profit & Loss Averages, Accounts, Time-Speed-Distance, Work and time, Number system, HCF & LCM, Geometric Progression, Arithmetic progression, Arithmetic mean, Geometric mean, Harmonic mean, Median, Mode, Number Base System, BODMAS, Menstruation, Allegation & Mixtures, Work, Pipes and Cisterns, Simple Interest & Compound Interest, Set Theory, Venn diagram, Installment Payments, Clocks, Probability, Permutations Combinations, Trigonometry, Vectors, Binomial Expansion, Co-ordinate geometry, Logarithm, Calendar, Maxima & Minima Progression, Surds & Indices, Complex numbers |
| Section C | Reasoning | Data Interpretation and Reasoning, Graphs, Reasoning |
| Section D | Business Awareness (Only for MBA) | Current Affairs, General Knowledge, Business, Punch line of companies, Top officials of big companies, Major corporate events, Famous award and prizes, World Records, Books and authors, Science, History, Geography, International organizations, Important quotations, Social issues, Sports, Finance, Automobiles, Entertainment, Politics etc. |
| Section D | Computer Awareness (Only for MCA) | Current Affairs, General Knowledge, Elements of computers, Number systems, Basic electronic gates, Boolean algebra, Flip-Flops. Systems, Programming and Operating System, Fundamentals of “C” language |
HPCET 2024 Important Instructions
Candidates must follow certain guidelines to avoid exemption, delay, or debarring from the exam.
- HPCET 2024 will be conducted in the offline mode only. An OMR sheet will be given to candidates to mark the answers.
- The total time duration of the exam will be three hours and two hours for the MBA/MCA exams. Candidates must try to reach the examination hall at least 1 hour before the test.
- Candidates must remember to carry the original as well as the photocopy of their admit card and ID proof to enter the exam hall.
- For marking the responses, only blue or black ballpoint pen must be used. The circles must be filled as per the instructions provided in the OMR sheet.
- The questions will be given in English language only. Any alternate language mode or question paper will not be provided for the exam.
- Un-attempted questions will be marked as 0.
- Multiple responses to the same question will be regarded as incorrect and hence, will be subject to half a mark deduction.