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16 February, 2026
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The National Testing Agency will release the Swayam exam pattern 2026 for the January semester at exams.nta.nic.in/swayam. As per previous year NTA Swayam paper pattern, the entrance exam will be conducted in a hybrid mode as a computer-based and pen-and-paper-based test. Moreover, the Swayam exam total marks are 100. The entrance exam will be held in English. Swayam exam dates 2026 for January & July semesters are expected to lie in May and December respectively. Continue reading for more information on the exam pattern of Swayam exam 2026.
If you are going to appear for the Swayam exam 2026 by NTA, it is advisable to check the detailed exam pattern beforehand. The Swayam exam pattern includes important information related to the entrance exam. Details such as the number of question papers, total marks, mode of exam, marking scheme, and more are made available through the Swayam paper pattern.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Conducting Authority | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Mode of Exam | Computer-Based Test Pen and Paper-Based Test |
| Medium of Paper | English |
| Negative Marking | No negative marking for MCQ |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Exam Official Website | exams.nta.nic.in/swayam |
As per previous year paper pattern, there are three types of schemes for the examination – 66 papers, 463 and 65 papers. NTA swayam exam pattern for each paper varies. In the first scheme, there are 66 papers with 100 MCQs. In the second scheme, there are 463 papers with 50 MCQs. Lastly, in the last scheme, there are 65 courses with 20 MCQs, 10 short answer questions, and 7 long answer questions.
| Number of Papers | Number of Questions |
|---|---|
| 71 Papers | 100 MCQ in CBT Mode |
| 500 Papers | 50 MCQ in CBT Mode |
| 69 Papers | Section A – 20 MCQs in CBT Section B – 10 Short Answer Questions Paper Pen mode Section C – 7 Long Answer Questions (5 to be attempted out of 7) Paper Pen mode Total – 35 |
As per the previous year NTA Swayam exam pattern January semester, there will be no negative marking for MCQ sections, and all unanswered or unattempted questions will be given no marks. However, if a question is found to be incorrect and the question is dropped, then marks will be awarded only to those candidates who have attempted the question. The reason could be due to human error or technical error.
NTA has further informed through the brochure that if a question is found to be incorrect, ambiguous, or has multiple correct answers, only those candidates who have attempted the question and chosen one of the correct answers would be given the mark.
| Number of Papers | Marks Per Question | Swayam Exam Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 71 Papers | 1 | 100 marks |
| 508 Papers | 2 | 100 marks |
| 69 Papers |
|
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The duration of the Swayam exam 2025 will be 3 hours or 180 minutes. The entrance exam will be held in two shifts. The shift 1 of NTA swayam will be held from 09:30 AM-12:30 P.M, while shift 2 is scheduled for 03:00 PM – 06:00 PM.
| NTA Swayam Exam Date | Shift 1 Timings | Shift 2 Timings |
|---|---|---|
| May/December | 09:30 AM – 12:30 PM | 03:00 PM – 06:00 PM |
If you wish to appear in multiple exams, you would be able to choose only one course in each shift, i.e., you can appear for a maximum of eight papers spread across eight shifts.
If you are who are doing multiple courses, you should ensure that the courses that you are choosing for examination are in different shifts. Shift-wise and course-wise examination schedule is available on the official website.
Also Read:
For the January semester, the NTA is expected to conduct the Swayam exam in May.
The Swayam exam is conducted for a duration of 3 hours.
There will be no negative marking for the MCQ section.
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