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UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme (GS1 and CSAT)

PWOnlyIAS May 01, 2024 12:55 2010 0

Know all about UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme in GS Paper 1 and CSAT, including how to calculate Marks in UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme.

UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme (GS1 and CSAT)

UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme in GS Paper 1 and CSAT is an important factor in deciding the way in which an aspirant attempts the UPSC CSE Exam. In the UPSC Prelims examination, there is negative marking for incorrect answers. For each wrong response, one-third of the marks allotted to the question are deducted as penalty. This discourages blind guessing and emphasises precision in answering. The negative marking scheme in the UPSC is as follow

  • Each question has four answer options. Choosing the wrong answer results in a deduction of one-third or 0.66 (0.83 in CSAT), of the marks assigned to that question. 
  • If a candidate selects more than one answer, it will be marked wrong, even if one of the answers is correct, and the same penalty applies.
  • Leaving a question blank incurs no penalty.

Get to know all about the UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme in GS Paper 1 and UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme in GS Paper 2 (CSAT) here.

UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme in GS Paper 1

UPSC GS Paper 1 is a 200-mark exam consisting of 100 questions, and hence each question is of 2 marks. The allotted time for this paper is two hours. In the UPSC Preliminary Examination, a penalty of 1/3rd of the marks assigned to a question is imposed for each incorrect answer, and hence an incorrect answer in UPSC GS Paper 1 results in a deduction of 0.66 marks. 

Hence, the UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme in GS Paper 1 is 0.66 marks for every wrong answer.

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Negative Marking Scheme

The Below table outline the how General Studies and CSAT Paper II scored are calculated :  

Papers General Studies Paper I  CSAT – Paper II 
Total Questions 100 80
Total Marks 200 200
Mark per Question +2 For Each Correct Answer +2.5 For Each Correct Answer
Negative Marks per Question -⅓ or -0.66 marks per question -⅓ or -0.83 per question
Multiple Answer Choosing Multiple answer will be treated as wrong Choosing Multiple answer will be treated as wrong
Unanswered Questions It will not carry any marks and it will not be considered for marking scheme It will not carry any marks and it will not be considered for marking scheme
Time Allowed 2 Hours 2 Hours
Formula to Calculate Marks Total Score = [(No. of Correct Answers) ✕ 2] – [(No. of wrong answers) ✕ 0.66] Total Score = [(No. of Correct Answers) ✕ 2.5] – [(No. of wrong answers) ✕ 0.83]

Calculate Marks in UPSC GS Paper 1 after Negative Marking

To calculate the marks in GS Paper 1, the candidate should first multiply his/her number of correct answers with 2. Then, multiply the number of wrong answers with 0.66. Finally, Subtract the marks deducted by wrong answers from the marks scored with correct answers. 

The simple formula that can be used to calculate the marks in UPSC GS Paper 1 is:

Total Score = [(No. of Correct Answers) ✕ 2] – [(No. of wrong answers) ✕ 0.66]

UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme in CSAT

UPSC GS Paper 2 (CSAT) is a 200-mark exam consisting of 80 questions, and hence each question is worth 2.5 marks. The allotted time for this paper is two hours. In the UPSC Preliminary Examination, a penalty of 1/3rd of the marks assigned to a question is imposed for each incorrect answer, and hence an incorrect answer in UPSC CSAT results in a deduction of 0.83 marks. 

Hence, the UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme in CSAT is 0.83 marks for every wrong answer.

Calculate Marks in UPSC GS Paper 1 after Negative Marking

To calculate the marks in GS Paper 2 (CSAT), the candidate should first multiply his/her number of correct answers with 2.5. Then, multiply the number of wrong answers with 0.83. Finally, Subtract the marks deducted by wrong answers from the marks scored with correct answers. 

The simple formula that can be used to calculate the marks in UPSC GS Paper 1 is:

Total Score = [(No. of Correct Answers) ✕ 2.5] – [(No. of wrong answers) ✕ 0.83]

Negative Marking in UPSC CSE Mains and UPSC CSE  Interview

Negative marking is a common practice in competitive exams like the UPSC CSE Exam. However, it’s important to note that negative marking is not applicable in the UPSC mains Exam, which is a written examination, and candidates are required to write descriptive answers.

In the UPSC mains examination, candidates are evaluated based on the quality, depth, and clarity of their answers. Each question carries a certain weightage, and candidates are expected to provide comprehensive and well-structured responses. There is no negative marking in the mains examination but some penalties may be imposed for wrongful acts while writing answers in the form of deductions of marks.

Some acts that can be penalised in the form of deduction of marks as given below, (As per Section II(B), Notes iv and v of the UPSC notification)

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  • Candidates opting to answer in their chosen language may provide English translations in brackets for technical terms.
  • Misuse of this rule may lead to mark deductions or, in extreme cases, the script(s) not being valued.
  • If irrelevant content or identifying marks are found in the answer script(s) unrelated to the questions or answers, the Commission will penalise by deducting marks or not evaluating the script(s).
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UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers UPSC Test Series 2024

 

UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme FAQs

The UPSC Prelims Exam Negative Marking Scheme is one-third of the marks per every question. For GS Paper 1, it is 0.66 per question, whereas in CSAT, it is 0.83 per question.

The UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1 has no passing marks; instead, a cutoff is decided every year on the basis of the difficulty of the question paper, whereas in the CSAT, the qualifying marks are a minimum of 33% of the total marks of the paper.

⅓ negative marking means that for every incorrect answer, one-third of the marks allotted per question will be deducted.

To calculate negative marking in UPSC Prelims Exam, Subtract the marks deducted for all the incorrect answers (⅓ of marks per question) from the marks scored by all the correct answers.

The UPSC Prelims score is calculated by deducting the marks of incorrect answers from the marks of correct answers, to get the final Score.
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Quick Revise Now !
AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD SOON
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

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