What is the UP PGT exam pattern in 2026?

The written test has 120 objective questions for 360 marks in 2 hours, with 30 questions on General Knowledge and 90 on the subject. A 40-mark interview follows, so final merit is out of 400.

How many marks are deducted for a wrong answer in UP PGT?

One mark is deducted for each wrong answer, while each correct answer earns 3 marks. An answer with more than one option marked is reported to cost 1 mark as well.

Is the UP PGT exam online or offline?

It is an offline exam. Answers are marked on an OMR sheet with a black ballpoint pen.

How many marks is the UP PGT interview?

The interview carries 40 marks and is added to the 360 written marks to give a final merit out of 400.

Is there a sectional cut-off in UP PGT?

Published summaries do not mention a sectional cut-off or separate sectional time for this cycle. Check the official notification and your admit card instructions for any rule.

Teaching Exams

UP PGT Exam Pattern 2026: Marks and Marking Scheme

The UP PGT exam pattern for 2026 is a 120-question objective paper of 360 marks, followed by a 40-mark interview. The Uttar Pradesh Education Services Selection Commission (UPESSC) set this scheme for Advertisement No. 06/2026, and it differs from the paper used in the previous cycle.

This page explains the stages, the marks, the negative marking and how to plan your time. The figures follow published summaries of the notification, so confirm them on the official UPESSC website.

Exam Pattern at a Glance
Written Test Pattern
Marking Scheme and Negative Marking
What the Pattern Means for You
Interview
Final Merit
Time Management

Exam Pattern at a Glance

Stage	Format	Marks	Duration	Counted in final merit
Written test	Offline, OMR, objective	360	2 hours	Yes
Interview	Personal interview	40	Not applicable	Yes
Total		400

Written Test Pattern

Section	Questions	Marks	Time
General Knowledge	30	90	2 hours for the whole paper
Subject paper	90	270	Included above
Total	120	360	2 hours

The paper is offline and answers are marked on an OMR sheet with a black ballpoint pen. Reports give no separate sectional time limit, so you can move between sections freely. Check the admit card instructions for the final rule.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

Correct answer: 3 marks.
Wrong answer: 1 mark deducted.
More than one option marked: Reported as 1 mark deducted.
Unattempted question: No marks added or deducted, as far as published summaries state.

The maximum score is 360. Older pages may still show 125 questions, 425 marks and no negative marking from the previous cycle, so follow the official notification for this one.

What the Pattern Means for You

Cost of a wrong guess: A wrong answer takes away one third of what a correct answer gives, so a blind guess loses marks over time. Guess only after removing at least one option.
Where the marks sit: The subject paper holds 270 of 360 marks, so your main effort belongs there.
Easy marks: General Knowledge gives 90 marks for 30 questions and improves quickly with daily revision.
Average time per question: 120 questions in 120 minutes is one minute each, so do not spend more than about 90 seconds on any single question.

Interview

The interview carries 40 marks. Candidates are shortlisted on their written marks, and the shortlisting ratio was not verified. The interview is reported to assess subject knowledge, teaching aptitude and communication, followed by document verification.

Final Merit

Final merit is the written score plus the interview score, out of 400. For example, a candidate with 252 written marks and 30 interview marks has a total of 282. The written test is 90 percent of the total, so the interview helps at the margin but rarely rescues a weak written score.

Time Management

First pass: Solve every question you are sure about in your subject and General Knowledge.
Second pass: Return to questions where you can remove at least one option.
Last five minutes: Check that every bubble on the OMR sheet is filled once and only once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to practice? Explore UP PGT mock tests from top educators.

Browse UP PGT Mock Tests

Table of Contents