Exam Pattern
HP PAT Exam Pattern
Himachal Pradesh Polytechnic Admission Test
There is an English section on this paper and it is worth 80 marks. HP PAT sets Mathematics and Physics at 50 questions each, Chemistry at 30 and English at 20, so a candidate revising only PCM leaves 80 of the 600 marks untouched. The level is the other thing to get right. This is a polytechnic admission test taken after Class 10, pitched at the NCERT Class 10 Appendix-II syllabus in the board's own 2026 prospectus, so material aimed at a 10+2 engineering entrance sits well above what is asked.
First Year Polytechnic
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 150 |
| Total marks | 600 |
| Duration | 180 minutes |
| Negative marking | 1 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, English |
| Test | Qs | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 50 | 200 |
| Physics | 50 | 200 |
| Chemistry | 30 | 120 |
| English | 20 | 80 |
Timing: Single 180-minute timer for the Full Mock, covering all four sections; no sectional lock.
HP PAT 2026 (Himachal Pradesh Polytechnic Admission Test) is conducted by the Himachal Pradesh Takniki Shiksha Board for admission to first-year Polytechnic diploma courses after Class 10. The current official 2026 prospectus directly confirms 150 four-option MCQs (Mathematics 50, Physics 50, Chemistry 30, English 20) for 600 marks in 180 minutes, +4 per correct answer and -1 per wrong answer, at the official NCERT/Class-10 Appendix-II syllabus level. An unanswered question scores zero.
Official source · checked 29 August 2026The HP PAT First Year Polytechnic exam pattern is 150 questions carrying 600 marks, to be answered in 180 minutes. That works out to about 72 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 4 sections are Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and English. Mathematics carries the most, 200 marks of the 600 or about 33%, against 80 marks for English. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
HP PAT First Year Polytechnic marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 4 marks.
- A wrong answer deducts 1 mark; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 20% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. A blind guess between four options is right 25% of the time, which is already above that line, so an educated guess is worth making rather than leaving the question blank.
- Worked example: attempt 120 of the 150 questions and get 90 right and 30 wrong, and you score 330 out of 600.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 72 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free HP PAT mock test to see where your time actually goes.
HP PAT exam pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in HP PAT?
HP PAT deducts 1 mark for a wrong answer. An unattempted question always scores zero, so the choice is only ever between guessing and leaving it blank.
How many questions are there in HP PAT?
HP PAT has 150 questions. That leaves about 72 seconds per question in HP PAT.
What are the total marks in HP PAT?
HP PAT is out of 600 marks, which works out at 4 marks a question.
How long is the HP PAT exam?
HP PAT runs for 180 minutes.
Does HP PAT have a sectional time limit?
No. HP PAT runs every section on one composite timer of 180 minutes, so you can move between sections freely and give the slower ones more of your time.