Negative marking in UPSC is a very important component of the test. Especially at the Preliminary level, this is used. It is designed to prevent blind guessing and promote precision and information in the choice process. Negative marking in the UPSC exam refers to a system in which for each incorrect response, some of the marks allotted for the question are reduced from the overall score of the candidate. It is designed to make candidates think twice about their answers and reduce the effects of blind guesswork. This ensures fairness and rewards individuals with a good understanding of the matters under test.

In this article, we will understand negative marking in UPSC, how to calculate 1/3 negative marking in UPSC, and how to calculate negative marks in UPSC prelims.

Also, check out How many questions to attempt in the UPSC Prelims exam here.

Is there negative marking in UPSC?

Candidates must be aware that there are guidelines for negative marking in UPSC. The UPSC provides a challenging test as a part of the selection process for selecting individuals for the IAS. There are three components to the Civil Services Examination: the Preliminary Examination, the Main Examination, and the Personality Test (Interview).

The UPSC Prelims test has two parts: 

• The General Studies Paper-I (GS Paper-I) and 
• The Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), is also called the General Studies Paper-II (GS Paper-II). 

Both papers have negative marking.

UPSC Prelims Negative Marking

The Prelims exam is the first stage of the UPSC Civil Services examination, and qualifying candidates become eligible for the Mains examination. It is very important for candidates to prepare thoroughly for both papers by reading the subjects concerned, practicing previous years' question papers, and appearing for mock tests in order to get used to the pattern of the exam and managing time. Let's get an idea of UPSC pre-negative marking.

Negative marking in UPSC Prelims is an important feature of the examination. The UPSC Preliminary Examination is objective-type questions (Multiple Choice Questions - MCQs). Every question has several options, and candidates must choose the right answer. In the UPSC Preliminary Examination, negative marking is done for wrong answers. Following are some important points about UPSC negative marking:

• There is a negative marking in both papers, CSAT and GS - I of UPSC Prelims.
• The marking scheme in the UPSC Prelims involves awarding one-third (1/3) of the marks assigned to a question as negative marks for each incorrect answer. 
• There is no UPSC Prelims negative marking for unattempted questions. Candidates can choose not to answer a particular question if they are unsure about the correct answer, and no marks will be deducted for leaving it blank.

What does 1/3 negative marking mean?

The UPSC Prelims exam has a negative marking system in order to discourage the candidate from making random guesses. This means, when you incorrectly answer a question, ⅓ rd of the marks assigned to that particular question will be deducted from your overall score.

For example: If the mark assigned to a question is 3 and you do not answer the question correctly, 1 mark (3/3=1) will be subtracted from your overall score.

Check out Topic-wise UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions here.

How to Calculate 1/3 negative marking in UPSC Prelims?

There is a negative marking system in the UPSC Prelims where ⅓ (one-third) of the marks assigned to a question will be deducted for every wrong answer. This negative marking is for both the papers of the UPSC Preliminary exams. Here's how you can find the negative marks:

Step 1: Find out the marks assigned for every correct answer for the concerned paper.

• For Paper I: Let's assume it is 2 marks per correct answer.
• For Paper II (CSAT): Let's assume it is 2.5 marks per correct answer.

Step 2: Calculate the negative marks for each incorrect answer.

• For Paper I: Divide the marks allotted for each correct answer by 3. In this case, 2/3 = 0.66 marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer.
• For Paper II (CSAT): Divide the marks allotted for each correct answer by 3. In this case, 2.5/3 = 0.83 marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer.

Step 3: Use the calculated values to determine the net marks for the exam. 

• For example, assuming that you wrote 80 questions in Paper I and got 20 of them wrong, your net deduction of marks for all the 20 incorrect answers will be 0.66. So, your overall marks will be:

= (80 x 2) - (20 x 0.66) = 160 - 13.2 = 146.8

Let's understand the calculation part of the UPSC Prelims Negative Marking for GS 1 & GS 2 Paper below.

Negative Marking in UPSC Prelims Paper 1 

The General Studies Paper-I in the UPSC Prelims carries 200 marks, with 100 questions. This implies that each question has 2 marks, and candidates have two hours to attempt the exam. According to UPSC pre-negative marking, for every wrong answer, 0.66 marks will be deducted, which is equivalent to 1/3rd of the total marks allocated to that question.

Check UPSC Prelims Subject-wise Questions Weightage here!

UPSC CSAT Negative Marking

CSAT or General Studies Paper-2 is a core component of UPSC Prelims. Like Paper 1, CSAT paper also has a negative marking. The UPSC Prelims GS-2 includes 80 questions that are worth 200 marks. Each question has 2.5 marks to reward students with correct responses. But in the case of each wrong response, 0.83 marks are deducted. UPSC CSAT negative marking is the usual UPSC practice of deducting 1/3rd mark of the total marks allocated for questions.

Why was 1/3rd negative marking introduced in UPSC?

⅓ rd negative marking in UPSC was introduced in the preliminary examination to discourage random guessing and encourage accurate and informed responses from candidates. It helps ensure that candidates have a thorough understanding of the subjects and reduces the possibility of candidates randomly marking answers without proper knowledge or preparation. The introduction of negative marking promotes fairness and rewards candidates who have a strong command of the subjects being tested.

Check out the Last 25 Years UPSC Mains Question Papers here.

How to avoid UPSC negative marking?

The objective is to answer accurately rather than attempting every question. Prioritize quality over quantity to avoid unnecessary minus marking in UPSC Prelims and increase your chances of success in the Prelims. Candidates should be mindful of the following points:

• Ensure a comprehensive understanding of the syllabus and topics covered in the exam. Study the recommended UPSC materials, standard textbooks, and current affairs extensively.
• Candidates must adopt a strategic approach when faced with uncertainty. It is advisable to attempt questions that they are confident about and leave out questions where they have no or limited knowledge. This will help avoid UPSC Prelims negative marking.
• Regular practice, solving previous years' question papers, and taking mock tests can help candidates develop the skill of analyzing questions and making educated guesses, reducing the chances of incorrect answers and UPSC Prelims negative marking.
• If you are uncertain about an answer, use the process of elimination. Rule out options that are clearly incorrect, which increases the probability of choosing the right answer.
• While self-belief is important, avoid making wild guesses or assumptions based on incomplete knowledge. Stick to what you have studied and remain cautious.

Is there negative marking in mains UPSC?

The UPSC Mains Examination does not have negative marking. It is a descriptive paper where the assessment is based on the quality of the answers written by the candidates. The paper assesses the candidate’s understanding of the subject unlike the prelims exam which is of objective-type. Candidates can answer all the questions, even though they are unsure of the correct answer to the question. They are not penalized for answering the questions incorrectly.

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