SNAP 2026 has 60 MCQs for 60 marks and must be completed in 60 minutes. The paper has four sections. Ethics, Morality and Values is new this year, while the English and Reasoning sections have fewer questions than in 2025.

The test is held in computer-based mode at a test centre. Each question has four options. Candidates may move between sections and answer them in any order.

SNAP 2026 Paper Format

The official SNAP 2026 test structure confirms the question count, duration, marking rule and three test dates. The exact reporting time and test time appear on the admit card.

SNAP 2026 Section-wise Pattern

General English

General English has 10 questions. The official section name covers reading comprehension, verbal reasoning and verbal ability. The 2026 structure gives this section 16.7% of the paper, down from 25% in 2025.

Analytical and Logical Reasoning

Reasoning has 20 questions and contributes one-third of the total marks. The official test structure does not divide these 20 questions into fixed topic totals, so chapter-wise counts shown by coaching sites should not be treated as an official split.

Quantitative, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency

This section also has 20 questions and 20 marks. Its question count is unchanged from 2025. It covers the numerical and data-based part of the paper, but SIU does not publish a chapter-by-chapter marks table.

Ethics, Morality and Values

The new section has 10 questions and 10 marks. It replaces part of the earlier English and Reasoning share without increasing the total paper length. SIU has released a sample question bank and sectional mock for this new area, while the main structure page confirms only the section name and count.

SNAP 2026 Pattern Changes from 2025

SNAP 2026 Marking Scheme

For example, 42 correct answers and 8 wrong answers give 40 marks: 42 marks are added and 2 marks are deducted. The ten unanswered questions do not change the score.

Four wrong answers remove one mark, which is the value of one correct answer. The final percentile is not calculated from the number attempted alone; it depends on the score used for that admission cycle.

SNAP CBT Navigation

The official SNAP mock instructions show one question at a time. The screen provides Next, Clear and Mark for Review options, along with a summary of answered, unanswered, marked and unvisited questions.

Candidates may switch between the four sections. There is no separate timer for each section; the full 60 minutes apply to the complete paper. Before final submission, the system shows an attempt summary and allows the candidate to return to the test or submit it.

Three SNAP Tests and the Best Score Rule

SNAP 2026 is held on three dates and a candidate may appear on up to all three. The papers follow the same section structure, but the questions are different. If more than one test is taken, the highest score is used for the final percentile.

The official rule says there is no normalisation of candidate scores. It also says the paper-setting process is used to keep the spread and difficulty comparable across the three tests. The lower attempts are not averaged with the best attempt.

What the SNAP 2026 Pattern Means

The paper still allows an average of one minute per question, but the section balance has changed. English and Reasoning together now form 30 questions instead of 40. Quantitative, DI and DS stays at 20, and the new Ethics section takes the remaining 10 questions.

There is no fixed time for a section. Time not used in one section remains available for another section because the timer covers the full paper. The screen also allows a marked question to be revisited before final submission.

The SNAP syllabus explains the subject areas, while the previous question papers show the older three-section format used before the 2026 change.