The Himachal Pradesh Common Entrance Test is a state-level entrance examination conducted by the Himachal Pradesh Technical University to provide admission to various professional undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
If you wish to get admission to a B. Tech, B. Pharmacy, MCA, MBA, MBA (T&HM), B.Sc. (HM & CT)/BHMCT, M.Sc. Physics and M.Sc. Environment Sciences coursesc ourse at an institution in HP for the academic year 2026-27, you will need to participate in this entrance exam.
Here, we have discussed everything you need to know about the HPCET 2026. Read this article thoroughly to check the important dates, eligibility criteria, application fee, exam pattern, and much more about this entrance exam.
HPCET 2026 Overview
| Exam Name | HPCET |
| Conducting Body | HPTU |
| Exam Level | State Level |
| Courses Offered | B.Tech, B.Pharmacy, MCA, MBA, MBA (T&HM), BHMCT, M.Sc. |
| Academic Session | 2026–27 |
| Mode of Exam | Offline (Pen & Paper) |
| Language of Exam | English & Hindi |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Exam Date | 10 May 2026 (Expected) |
| Official Website | himtu.ac.in |
Important Dates
The HPTU will soon disclose the important dates for the HPCET 2026 soon. For now, you can view the expected timeline from the table available below.
| Event | Date |
| Notification Release | January 2026 |
| Application Start | February 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | April 2026 |
| Admit Card Release | May 2026 |
| Entrance Examination | May 10, 2026 |
| Answer Key | May 2026 |
| Result Declaration | June 2026 |
| Counselling Start | June / July 2026 |
Application Form
The application form for the HPCET 2026 will be available soon. It is highly expected that it will be released in early February, and will be available for 4 weeks. It will be accepted only if you have provided all the details and documents accurately.
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria to apply for the HPCET 2026 are listed below, go through the following points to find out if you are eligible to submit an application.
| Course | Educational Qualification | Age Limit |
| B.Tech (Direct Entry) | 10+2 with Physics & Mathematics + one optional subject (Chemistry / CS / IT / Biology etc.). | Not applicable |
| B.Pharmacy (Direct Entry) | 10+2 with Physics & Chemistry + Mathematics or Biologym | Minimum 17 years on or before 31 December 2026 |
| B.Sc. (HM & CT) / BHMCT | 10+2 in any stream from a recognized board. | Not applicable |
| MBA | Bachelor’s degree (minimum 3 years). | Not applicable |
| MBA (Tourism & HM) | Bachelor’s degree (minimum 3 years). | Not applicable |
| MCA | Bachelor’s degree (any discipline), Mathematics at 10+2 or graduation is required. | Not applicable |
| M.Sc. Physics | B.Sc. with Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics. | Not applicable |
| M.Sc. Environmental Sciences | Bachelor’s degree in Science / Engineering / Medical / Pharmacy / Architecture. | Not applicable |
Notes:
- Candidates who are going to participate in Class 12 Exam in 2026 can apply for respective UG programme; and for individuals who are in final year/semester of their qualifying degree can apply for the respective PG programme.
- The minimum requirement in qualifying exam for undergraduate and postgraduate courses 45% and 50%, respectively; reserved category candidates (SC/ST/BPL) get relaxation of 5%.
Application Fee
In order to apply for the Himachal Pradesh Common Entrance Test 2026, the payment of the application fee is mandatory. A candidate who belong to UR, EWS or OBC, need to pay the amount of 1,600 rupees, incase of applying for any course.
Candidates who belong to SC, ST or BPL category are neer to pay only 800 rupees. It can be paid using the debit card, credit card, NET banking and UPI. Ensure that you pay it by the due date, because without it form won’t be processed.
Exam Pattern
The HPTU will conduct the HPCET 2026 in offline mode. The number of questions and time duration various, refer to table below to check these details.
B.Tech
| Subject | Section | Questions to be Attempted | Marks per Question | Maximum Marks |
| Physics | A | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| Physics | B | 30 (out of 40) | 4 | 120 |
| Chemistry | A | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| Chemistry | B | 30 (out of 40) | 4 | 120 |
| Mathematics | A | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| Mathematics | B | 30 (out of 40) | 4 | 120 |
| Total | — | 150 | — | 600 |
B.Pharmacy (Allopathy)
| Subject | Section | Questions to be Attempted | Marks per Question | Maximum Marks |
| Physics | A | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| Physics | B | 30 (out of 40) | 4 | 120 |
| Chemistry | A | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| Chemistry | B | 30 (out of 40) | 4 | 120 |
| Biology | A | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| Biology | B | 30 (out of 40) | 4 | 120 |
| Total | — | 150 | — | 600 |
B.Sc. (HM & CT) / BHMCT
| Subject | Questions | Marks per Question | Maximum Marks |
| General English | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| General Knowledge | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Reasoning | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Data Interpretation & Graphs | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Total | 100 | — | 100 |
MCA
| Subject | Questions | Marks per Question | Maximum Marks |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 25 | 4 | 100 |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 25 | 4 | 100 |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 25 | 4 | 100 |
| Total | 75 | — | 300 |
MBA
| Subject | Questions | Marks per Question | Maximum Marks |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 25 | 4 | 100 |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 25 | 4 | 100 |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 25 | 4 | 100 |
| Total | 75 | — | 300 |
MBA (T & HM)
| Subject | Questions | Marks per Question | Maximum Marks |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 25 | 4 | 100 |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 25 | 4 | 100 |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 25 | 4 | 100 |
| Total | 75 | — | 300 |
M.Sc. Physics
| Subject Area | Questions | Marks per Question | Maximum Marks |
| Mathematical Methods, Mechanics & Properties of Matter | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Optics, Electricity & Magnetism | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Modern, Nuclear & Particle Physics | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Atomic, Molecular, Thermodynamics, Solid State & Electronics | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Total | 100 | — | 100 |
M.Sc. Environmental Sciences
| Subject | Questions | Marks per Question | Maximum Marks |
| Earth Sciences | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Physical & Chemical Sciences | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Life Sciences | 50 | 1 | 50 |
| Total | 100 | — | 100 |
There is a provision of negative marking, for each incorrect response, 1 mark will be deducted for 4 marks question, and 0.25 mark for 1 mark question.
The medium will be only English and Hindi, the exam time duration for BTech and B.Pharmacy (Allopathy) is 3 hours and 15 minutes, the same for other course is only 2 hours.
How to Apply?
In order to apply for the Himachal Pradesh Common Entrance Test 2026, the step-by-step instructions are as follows:
- Visit the official website of the Himachal Pradesh Technical University.
- Click on the ‘HPCET 2025 Apply Online’ and get redirected to the registration page.
- Register using name, mobile number and email address.
- Login with email address and password, and fill the application form by accurate details.
- Upload photo, signature and necessary documents in required size and format.
- Pay the application fee, submit the application form and take a printout of confirmation page.