What is negative marking?
Negative marking deducts marks for an incorrect answer. Start with marks earned from correct answers, then subtract the penalty for wrong answers. Choose your examination and check the displayed year and paper before entering your counts.
How to calculate negative marking
Count correct and wrong answers using the final answer key. Multiply each count by the applicable marks or deduction, then subtract the deduction from the marks earned. Do not count skipped questions as wrong unless your examination instructions explicitly require it.
For 100 questions worth 2 marks each, 60 correct and 20 wrong with a 1/4 penalty: earned = 60 × 2 = 120; deduction = 20 × (2 ÷ 4) = 10; score = 110 out of 200. There are 20 unattempted questions, 75% accuracy, an 80% attempt rate and a raw score percentage of 55%.
Negative marking formula
Final score = correct marks − negative marks = (correct answers × marks per correct answer) − (wrong answers × deduction per wrong answer). For a proportional penalty, deduction per wrong answer = question marks × penalty fraction. For a fixed penalty, use the specified deduction directly. Unattempted = total − correct − wrong; accuracy = correct ÷ attempted × 100; attempt rate = attempted ÷ total × 100.
1/3 negative marking explained
One-third means one-third of the marks assigned to that question. The calculator retains the fraction 1/3 through scoring instead of replacing it with 0.33. If your notification literally specifies a fixed 0.33 mark deduction, use the fixed-marks option: it is not the same as an exact one-third fraction. Round only when displaying the result.
With 2 marks per correct answer, 6 correct and 3 wrong: 12 − (3 × 2/3) = 10. The deduction is exactly 2 marks.
1/4 negative marking explained
A quarter penalty is 25% of that question’s positive marks, not always a fixed 0.25 mark.
For a 4-mark question, the deduction is 4 × 1/4 = 1 mark per wrong answer. Ten correct and four wrong earn 40 − 4 = 36 marks.
Fixed marks versus a fraction of marks
A fixed penalty stays the same when you edit positive marks. A fractional penalty changes with positive marks. Select the exact rule in your notification; the two controls are deliberately separate.
On a 2-mark question, fixed 0.25 deducts 0.25, while a 1/4 fraction deducts 0.5. A 1/2 fraction is 50% of question marks.
Unanswered questions and zero attempts
This calculator assigns zero to unanswered questions. When no question is attempted, the raw score and attempt rate are zero (if total is positive), while accuracy is not applicable. If your rules penalize a blank response, require a specific opt-out bubble, or award bonus marks, this basic model is insufficient. Check those instructions separately.
Negative marking in Indian competitive exams
An exam name alone is not a marking scheme. UPSC GS and CSAT are different papers; MPSC recruitment schemes can vary by examination and year; SSC Tier I should not be treated as Tier II. For RRB railway recruitment and IBPS/SBI banking exams, check the particular stage and question type. Only the explicitly dated options below load verified rules. All other examination labels open a blank, editable Custom scheme.
SSC CGL · 2026 · Tier I · MCQ
| Question type | Marks per correct answer | Deduction per wrong answer |
|---|---|---|
| MCQ | +2 | −0.5 |
NEET UG · 2026 · UG · MCQ
| Question type | Marks per correct answer | Deduction per wrong answer |
|---|---|---|
| MCQ | +4 | −1 |
JEE Main · 2026 · Paper 1 · B.E. / B.Tech · MCQ + numerical
| Question type | Marks per correct answer | Deduction per wrong answer |
|---|---|---|
| MCQ + numerical | +4 | −1 |
GATE · 2026 · MCQ / MSQ / NAT · enter paper counts
| Question type | Marks per correct answer | Deduction per wrong answer |
|---|---|---|
| MCQ | +1 | −(1 × 1/3) |
| MCQ | +2 | −(2 × 1/3) |
| MSQ / NAT | +1 | 0 |
| MSQ / NAT | +2 | 0 |
Mixed-mark papers and GATE question types
Use Advanced for separate sections or question types, calculate each group, and add the earned marks and deductions before calculating the overall percentage. In the GATE 2026 rules, MCQs carry a one-third penalty, while MSQ and NAT carry none. Enter your actual paper’s counts; the template does not assume their distribution.
Illustration: ten correct and three wrong 1-mark MCQs give 9; five correct and three wrong 2-mark MCQs give 8; four correct 2-mark NAT questions give 8. The combined raw score is 25.
How to use this calculator
Use the marking scheme for your own paper. Exam labels without a verified preset do not supply assumed marks or penalties.
- Choose an examination and confirm the displayed year and stage, or choose Custom examination and name your paper.
- In Simple mode, enter total questions, correct answers, wrong answers and marks per correct answer. Skipped questions are calculated automatically.
- Choose no negative marking, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, a custom fraction or a fixed deduction. For a custom one-third fraction, enter numerator 1 and denominator 3.
- Use Advanced when sections or question types have different scoring. Enter every group’s actual counts; GATE question-type groups do not assume a paper distribution.
- Read the live raw score and calculation breakdown. Copy result copies your current values; Reset clears the scheme and answers.
Raw marks, normalization, percentage and percentile
Raw marks are the direct result of the answer-key scoring rules. Raw percentage is raw marks ÷ maximum marks × 100. Normalization is an examination authority’s adjustment, often across shifts. Percentile describes relative performance in a candidate population. Raw percentage is not percentile. This calculator predicts none of normalized scores, ranks, cutoffs or qualification.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate negative marking?
Multiply correct answers by positive marks, then subtract wrong answers multiplied by the applicable penalty. Use Advanced when different question types have different rules.
What does 1/3 negative marking mean?
Each wrong answer deducts one-third of the marks assigned to that question. For a 2-mark question, the deduction is exactly 2/3 mark. Three such wrong answers deduct exactly 2 marks.
How much is 1/4 negative marking?
Divide the question’s positive marks by 4. A 1-mark question loses 0.25 mark, while a 2-mark question loses 0.5 mark. Fixed 0.25 is a different rule when positive marks are not 1.
Can I calculate a UPSC score here?
Yes, if you enter the scoring scheme from your own official GS or CSAT notification. No UPSC year or paper is automatically verified in this tool. Check the paper’s positive marks and penalty before calculating.
Is negative marking the same in every MPSC examination?
Do not assume so. Check the year, recruitment, stage and answer-sheet instructions. MPSC options here require Custom entries. This calculator does not model special penalties for leaving a response blank.
Can I use SSC CGL Tier I values for Tier II?
No. The verified 2026 Tier I option uses 100 MCQs worth 2 marks each and a fixed 0.5 deduction. Tier II is a separate scheme: enter the applicable section rules in Custom Advanced mode using the official notice below.
Are unanswered questions penalized?
This tool assumes zero marks and no deduction for them. Read your notification: blank-response rules or other special instructions may require separate adjustments.
Can my raw score be negative?
Yes. If deductions exceed marks earned, the calculator shows a negative raw score without forcing it to zero. The authority’s final reported-score rules may differ.
Does this predict a cutoff, rank or percentile?
No. It estimates raw marks only. It has no candidate population, shift normalization or official cutoff model.
Can I use this for a mock test?
Yes. Choose Custom, enter the test’s own marks and penalty, then enter correct and wrong counts. All values remain editable and Reset clears the scheme and answers.
Official sources and scope
Sources checked on 31 October 2026. The linked year and stage define each preset’s scope. Use the final official answer key. Special scoring for dropped questions, bonus marks and partial credit needs separate treatment. JGblogs is not an examination authority.
- SSC CGL · 2026 · Tier I · MCQ
- NEET UG · 2026 · UG · MCQ
- JEE Main · 2026 · Paper 1 · B.E. / B.Tech · MCQ + numerical
- GATE · 2026 · MCQ / MSQ / NAT · enter paper counts
No automatic scheme verified here for this examination. Enter the year, stage, question count, marks and penalty from your notification. No marking rule has been assumed.
Estimated raw marks only. No normalized score, percentile, rank, cutoff or qualification prediction. Blank-answer penalties, bonus/dropped questions, partial credit and descriptive marking are not modeled; apply the official instructions separately. Do not use this tool for an examination with additional scoring rules without accounting for them.
Related student tools
Use the marks and percentage calculator for subject-wise totals.