The UPSC NDA exam includes a provision for negative marking. This means that one-third of the marks assigned to a question are deducted for each incorrect response. This negative marking scheme applies to both papers of the NDA written exam: the Mathematics paper and the General Ability Test (GAT) paper. Understanding this concept is crucial for NDA aspirants, as it impacts their overall strategy and preparation. To aid defence aspirants, MJS Defence Academy provides an in-depth guide on calculating negative markings in the NDA exam. Read on to learn more about the NDA marking scheme and its significant factors.
| Particulars | Details of Papers | |
| Subjects | Paper 1 (Mathematics) | Paper 2 (GAT) |
| Shift | First | Second |
| No. of Questions | 120 | 150 (English 50 | GK 100) |
| Maximum Marks | 300 | 600 |
| Time Duration | 2 ½ Hours | 2 ½ Hours |
| Positive Marking | 2.5 Marks | 4 Marks |
| Negative Marking | 0.83 Marks | 1.33 Marks |
The Mathematics paper in the NDA exam consists of 120 questions with a maximum score of 300 marks. Candidates have 2 ½ hours to complete this paper. Each correct answer earns 2.5 marks, while each incorrect answer results in a deduction of 0.83 marks. This negative marking system is designed to encourage careful answering and to penalize guesswork.
Key Points:
Let’s consider an example to illustrate how marks are calculated, including negative marking.
Example:
A student named Anil attempted 60 questions in the Mathematics paper. Out of these, 12 responses are incorrect.
Steps to Calculate Anil’s Marks:
Determine the number of correct attempts:
Calculate the marks obtained from correct answers:
Calculate the negative marks from incorrect answers:
Calculate the final score:
Therefore, Anil scores 110 marks on the Mathematics paper after accounting for negative marking.
Understanding this calculation method is crucial for candidates to assess their performance and plan their answering strategy to maximize their scores while minimizing the impact of negative marking.
The General Ability Test (GAT) in the NDA exam consists of 150 questions, divided into 50 English questions and 100 General Knowledge (GK) questions, totaling 600 marks. Candidates have 2 ½ hours to complete this paper. Each correct answer earns 4 marks, while each incorrect answer results in a deduction of 1.33 marks. This paper assesses candidates’ language proficiency, general awareness, current affairs knowledge, and more.
Key Points:
Let’s consider an example to illustrate how marks are calculated, including negative marking.
Example:
A student named Rani attempts 110 questions in the GAT paper. Out of these, 35 responses are incorrect.
Steps to Calculate Priya’s Marks:
Determine the number of correct attempts:
Calculate the marks obtained from correct answers:
Calculate the negative marks from incorrect answers:
Calculate the final score:
Therefore, Rani scores 253 marks on the GAT paper after accounting for negative marking.
Understanding this calculation method helps candidates evaluate their performance and develop a strategy to balance accuracy and the number of questions attempted, thereby maximizing their overall score while minimizing the impact of negative marking.
Let’s consider a student, Anil, who is preparing to take the NDA written examination. Anil has diligently prepared for both the Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT) papers of the NDA exam. Anil attempted 60 questions in the Mathematics paper of the NDA exam. Upon reviewing his answers, it was discovered that 12 of Anil’s responses were incorrect.
Calculation of Anil’s Marks in NDA Mathematics Paper:
| Particulars | Details |
| Total Questions in Math Paper | 120 questions |
| Total Marks in Math Paper | 300 marks |
| Positive Marks | 2.5 marks |
| Negative Mark | 0.83 Marks |
| Anil’s Attempts | 60 questions |
| Incorrect Attempts | 12 questions |
| Total Correct Attempts | 60 – 12 = 48 correct attempts |
| Marks Obtained from Correct Attempts | 48 * 2.5 = 120 marks |
| Negative Marks (due to wrong attempts) | 12 * 0.83 = 9.96 marks (approx 10 marks) |
| Final Marks Obtained by Anil | 120 – 10 = 110 marks |
Anil’s total marks obtained from correct attempts minus the negative marks for incorrect answers:
Therefore, despite attempting 60 questions in the Mathematics paper, Anil secured 110 marks after the adjustment for negative marks due to the incorrect answers.
Let’s consider another student, Rani, who is also preparing for the NDA exam. Out of a total of 150 questions, she attempted 110 questions in the GAT (General Ability Test) paper of the NDA exam. Later, it was discovered that Priya’s 35 responses were incorrect.
| Particulars | Details |
| Total Questions in GAT Paper | 150 questions |
| Total Marks in GAT Paper | 600 marks |
| Positive Marks | 4 marks |
| Negative Mark | 1.33 marks |
| Total attempted questions | 110 questions |
| Incorrect Attempts | 35 questions |
| Total Correct Attempts | 110 – 35 = 75 correct attempts |
| Marks Obtained from Correct Attempts | 75 * 4 = 300 marks |
| Negative Marks (due to wrong attempts) | 35 * 1.33 = 46.55 marks (approx 47 marks) |
| Final Marks Obtained by Rani | 300 – 47 = 253 marks |
Rani’s total marks obtained from correct attempts minus the negative marks for incorrect answers: 300 (marks from correct attempts) – 47 (negative marks) = 253 marks. Therefore, Priya could score only 253 marks despite attempting 110 questions in the GAT paper. The reason was 35 incorrect answers and deduction due to negative marking.
In the NDA exam, negative marking is applied as follows:
The Mathematics paper consists of 120 questions worth a total of 300 marks. Each correct answer earns 2.5 marks, and each incorrect answer results in a deduction of 0.83 marks.
The General Ability Test (GAT) consists of 150 questions, divided into 50 English questions and 100 General Knowledge questions, totalling 600 marks. Each correct answer earns 4 marks, and each incorrect answer results in a deduction of 1.33 marks.
To calculate your final score:
Yes, candidates must score at least 25% marks in each subject to meet the sectional cut-off. This means:
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