SNAP syllabus and exam pattern 2026: a single 60-minute test of 60 questions across four sections, including the new Ethics, Morality and Values section, with plus 1 for a correct answer and minus 0.25 for a wrong one.
The SNAP syllabus and exam pattern 2026 cover a single computer-based test of 60 minutes with 60 multiple-choice questions for 60 marks, conducted by Symbiosis International University for admission to its 16-plus management institutes. From 2026 there are four sections with composite timing, so you can move between them freely. Each correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer loses 0.25, with 0 for an unattempted question. SNAP is conducted in English only.
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General English | 10 | 10 |
| Analytical and Logical Reasoning | 20 | 20 |
| Quantitative, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency | 20 | 20 |
| Ethics, Morality and Values | 10 | 10 |
| Total | 60 | 60 |
Symbiosis has added a fourth section, Ethics, Morality and Values, worth 10 questions and 10 marks, and rebalanced the older ones. General English falls from 15 questions to 10 and Analytical and Logical Reasoning falls from 25 to 20, while Quantitative, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency stays at 20. The totals are unchanged: 60 questions, 60 marks and 60 minutes of composite timing with no sectional lock, and the same plus 1 and minus 0.25 marking.
General English has 10 questions on reading comprehension, verbal reasoning and verbal ability. Analytical and Logical Reasoning has 20 questions on analytical puzzles, arrangements, series, coding and critical reasoning. Quantitative, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency has 20 questions on arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data interpretation and data sufficiency. Ethics, Morality and Values has 10 questions. SNAP still has no General Knowledge or current affairs section.
Ethics, Morality and Values is the fourth section added to SNAP, carrying 10 questions for 10 marks, a sixth of the paper. It asks how you reason about right and wrong in ordinary personal, academic and workplace situations rather than testing any prescribed body of philosophy. Expect plain concept questions on ideas such as honesty, fairness, integrity, accountability, conflict of interest and social responsibility, together with short situational items that sketch a dilemma and ask which response is the most defensible. The marking here is the same as everywhere else in the paper, plus 1 and minus 0.25, so a careless guess costs exactly what it costs in reasoning. For the full topic list, what Symbiosis has officially stated and what is only inference, see our SNAP Ethics, Morality and Values syllabus and preparation guide.
Analytical and Logical Reasoning is no longer the outright largest section. It now shares the top weight with Quantitative, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency, 20 questions in each, about 33 percent of the paper apiece. Reasoning is still SNAP's signature and stays broader and more puzzle-based than the reasoning in CAT or XAT, with arrangements, series, coding and critical reasoning. Give reasoning and quantitative the same top priority, then General English and Ethics, Morality and Values, with 10 questions in each.
Yes. SNAP has uniform negative marking of 0.25 for every wrong answer, against 1 mark for a correct one, with 0 for an unattempted question, and this rule is the same across all four sections. Because the penalty is only a quarter of a mark, you can attempt a question when you can eliminate one or two options, but avoid blind guessing on the harder reasoning puzzles.
SNAP has 60 questions for 60 marks in 60 minutes, which is exactly 1 minute per question, so speed is decisive. The timing is composite with no sectional lockout, so you can start with your strongest section and move freely. Since the exam is easy to moderate in difficulty, comparable to CMAT and easier than CAT or XAT, accuracy and pace matter more than depth.
Registration for SNAP 2026 opened on 21 August 2026 and closes on 25 November 2026. The test is held on three dates, 13 December 2026, 19 December 2026 and 26 December 2026, and the result is declared on 12 January 2027. The fee is Rs 2,550 per attempt plus Rs 1,000 for each programme you apply to, plus taxes. You may sit up to 3 attempts, your best score counts and there is no normalisation across the dates.
Split your heaviest study between Analytical and Logical Reasoning and Quantitative, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency, because those two sections carry 40 of the 60 marks, then keep General English on daily practice for speed. Do not treat Ethics, Morality and Values as free marks, since 10 of 60 marks is a large swing on a test that gives you a minute per question. SNAP still has no GK section, so you can skip current affairs. Take full-length mocks under the exact 60-question, 60-minute clock to fix your section order and pace. See our full SNAP 2026 strategy guide and build speed on our SNAP mock test series, which covers General English, quantitative and reasoning, and browse all exams we cover.
The SNAP syllabus and exam pattern stay compact and speed-driven: 60 questions for 60 marks in 60 minutes, four sections, uniform 0.25 negative marking and no GK. The 2026 change matters, because reasoning and quantitative now share the top weight with 20 questions in each, and the new Ethics, Morality and Values section decides the 10 marks that many candidates will leave to chance.
SNAP is a single 60-minute computer-based test of 60 multiple-choice questions for 60 marks, with four sections: General English 10, Analytical and Logical Reasoning 20, Quantitative-DI-DS 20, and the new Ethics, Morality and Values 10. Marking is plus 1 correct and minus 0.25 wrong, uniform across sections, in English only.
Symbiosis has added Ethics, Morality and Values as a fourth section, worth 10 questions and 10 marks. General English fell from 15 questions to 10 and Analytical and Logical Reasoning fell from 25 to 20 to make room. The total stays at 60 questions in 60 minutes.
No. SNAP dropped its General Knowledge section years ago and did not bring it back in 2026, so you do not need to prepare current affairs. The fourth section added in 2026 is Ethics, Morality and Values, which is reasoning about right and wrong, not a current affairs paper.
Yes. SNAP deducts 0.25 for every wrong answer, against 1 mark for a correct one, with 0 for an unattempted question, uniformly across all four sections. Guess only when you can eliminate one or two options.
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Registration opened on 21 August 2026 and closes on 25 November 2026. The test runs on 13, 19 and 26 December 2026 and the result is declared on 12 January 2027. The fee is Rs 2,550 per attempt plus Rs 1,000 per programme, plus taxes, and you may take up to 3 attempts with the best score counting.
