Understanding Negative Marking in UPSC Prelims
This section will elaborate on the concept of negative marking in the Prelims exam.
Each paper in the prelims lasts for two hours and contains multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Out of the four choices provided, only one is the correct answer. For every incorrect answer, you are penalized with a deduction of 1/3rd of the marks in the UPSC Prelims.
In simpler terms, if you answer one question correctly and three questions incorrectly, your score remains zero. If out of 4 questions, you answer 1 correctly and 3 incorrectly, your score neither increases nor decreases.
The change in the UPSC marking pattern was implemented to discourage random guessing in the Civil Services Exam.
I. Each question in the exam has four alternatives for the answer. For every wrong answer given by the candidate, one-third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as a penalty. (i.e., 0.66 marks deducted for every wrong answer as every question carries 2 marks)
II. If a candidate selects more than one answer for a question, it will be considered as a wrong answer even if one of the given answers is correct. The same penalty applies to that question.
III. If a question is left blank, i.e., no answer is given by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.
To learn more about UPSC Prelims, consider checking out:
Now that we have a clear understanding of how to calculate negative marking in UPSC, let's discuss some strategies to maximize your score in the IAS Prelims exam.
Strategies to Overcome Negative Marks
- Initially, attempt all the questions for which you are completely confident about the answers.
- Next, focus on the questions where you can confidently eliminate 2 incorrect options. This way, your chances of getting the correct answer increase to 50% for each of these questions. For instance, if you are certain that the correct answer is either option (a) or (b), mark '1' lightly next to option (a) if it seems more likely, and '2' next to option (b). If you feel like you're spending too much time on this question, leave it after marking '1' and '2'.
- Thirdly, leave out all the questions where you have no clue about the correct answer. Now, return to the questions where you marked '1' and '2'. If you're short on time, mark the final answer as the option next to '1'. Don't forget to erase '2'. If you have more time, think and analyze your answer choice and mark the final answer. Remember, in this case, you're not guessing randomly, you're taking a calculated risk.
- Avoid guesswork and leave the answers you're not confident about unattempted. It's better to leave questions unattempted if you're unsure about the answers.
- After all this, if you still have time left, revisit all the questions whose answers you had no idea about. If you get a clue, employ the second strategy. If you don't get any idea about the right answer, your last resort is to make a guess. But ensure that the number of questions for which you are sure of the answer far exceeds the number of questions that you don't know. This is a qualifying paper and you can afford to take a bit of a risk.
Additional Points to Remember
- Ensure to mark your answers correctly. Completely erase any pencil marks.
- If you mark two answers and one of them is the correct choice, you will still be penalized with negative marks for wrong answers.
- If you do not mark any answer, you will not be penalized with any negative marks in UPSC Prelims.
Remember, thorough preparation for the Civil Services Exam is the best way to overcome the fear of negative marking in UPSC Prelims. Understand the syllabus of UPSC Prelims and study accordingly to maximize your score and fulfill your dream of becoming an IAS officer.
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