Negative Marking in UPSC CSE Prelims and Mains
UPSC Prelims Negative Marking: -0.67 in GS Paper 1, -0.83 in CSAT. Step-By-Step Calculation, Smart Strategies, and Common Mistakes to Avoid.
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UPSC Preparation Strategy
Gajendra Singh Godara
Nov 18, 2025
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Many aspirants find negative marking in UPSC a challenging aspect of the Preliminary exam. It means you lose marks for wrong answers. The system is designed to discourage wild guessing and reward accuracy.
Understanding this rule is crucial for success. It affects everyone taking Prelims: even a few careless answers can cost your chance to qualify.
This blog explains UPSC pre negative marking in detail, helping you understand both General Studies and CSAT penalties. We’ll also examine if negative marking applies to later stages of the UPSC exam that is Mains and Interview.
Negative marking is the rule of deducting marks for incorrect answers in the UPSC Prelims exam. Every wrong answer costs you one-third of that question’s marks.
The idea is to discourage random guessing and make sure candidates answer only what they know.
In simple terms, if you answer carelessly, you lose points.
Yes, UPSC Prelims uses negative marking – you cannot risk answering questions you are unsure about.
Prelims Stage:
In the Prelims exam, both papers have negative marking.
General Studies Paper I has 100 questions worth 2 marks each (200 total), and CSAT Paper II has 80 questions worth 2.5 marks each.
For each wrong answer in either paper, UPSC deducts one-third of the question’s marks.
That means -0.67 marks per wrong answer in Paper I and -0.83 marks per wrong in Paper II.
Mains Stage:
There is no negative marking in UPSC Mains. All answers in Mains are descriptive. Wrong answers do not reduce your marks here.
Interview / Personality Test:
No negative marking applies in the UPSC interview (Personality Test). Your responses are assessed on content and personality, not penalized for being incorrect.
Paper I (General Studies):
GS Paper I has 100 questions (200 marks total), 2 marks assigned per question. For each incorrect answer, UPSC deducts one-third of 2 marks, which is about 0.67 marks. In other words, every wrong answer costs you 0.67 points.
Paper II (CSAT):
Paper II has 80 questions (200 marks total), 2.5 marks per question. Each wrong answer in the UPSC CSAT negative marking scheme deducts one-third of 2.5 marks, about 0.83 marks. A wrong CSAT answer thus deducts roughly 0.83 points.
Formula for Calculation:
You can calculate your Prelims score using a simple formula:
Total Score = (Correct answers × marks per question) – (Wrong answers × deduction per question).
Step-by-step, count your correct and wrong answers in each paper, then apply the formula.
For example:
Paper I: If you answered 80 questions correctly and 20 incorrectly, your score is (80×2) – (20×0.67) = 146.67.
Paper II: If you answer 65 questions correctly and 15 incorrectly, your score is (65×2.5) – (15×0.83) = 150.05.
These examples show how even a few wrong answers can reduce your total score significantly. So, try to avoid negative marking.
Before worrying about things like rank required for IAS or even the best stream for UPSC in college, you must first master the basics of clearing Prelims with a safe margin. A big part of that is handling negative marking smartly.
Attempt with Accuracy, Not Just Quantity
Focus on questions you are confident about. Answer what you know for sure. Most successful aspirants recommend attempting only those questions with high certainty. This way, you maximize your chances of getting marks and minimize penalties.
Use Elimination First
If you can eliminate one or two options, your odds of guessing the right answer improve. Only guess when you can safely rule out some choices. For example, if you eliminate two wrong choices out of four, a guess has 50% chance; this raises the odds enough to risk it.
When to Skip a Question
Leaving a question blank carries zero penalty. If you’re unsure (<50% chance), skip it. Remember: a wrong CSAT answer costs about 0.83 marks. Focus on answering easy questions first and skip the tough ones you have no clue about.
Time Management & OMR Accuracy
Be careful with time and answer marking. Fill your answers on the OMR sheet in stages: do all sure answers first, then do elimination guesses if time remains. Reserve the last few minutes for double-checking that each bubble is correctly darkened. Never mark two options for one question – it is treated as wrong.
Mock Tests & Practice
Regular practice tests are crucial. They help you build speed and accuracy under exam conditions, and make you aware of negative marking. After each mock, review mistakes to improve. Simulating exam conditions will train you to manage time and avoid careless errors.
Attempting everything "just in case"
Some aspirants try to answer all questions. This often backfires. Over-attempting without careful elimination can harm your score. It’s smarter to answer fewer questions accurately than many with random guesses.
Neglecting Paper II (CSAT)
Since CSAT is only qualifying (33% needed), some students give it low priority. But wrong answers here still cost points. Treat CSAT seriously – attempt questions you are confident about and skip the rest.
Rushing and marking wrong bubbles
Haste can cause big errors. Candidates sometimes fill answers on the question paper and rush through filling OMR at the end, leading to mistakes. Always fill answers carefully, one by one, and double-check your OMR markings.
Guessing blindly
Avoid pure guessing with no elimination. Unless you have ruled out some options, a wild guess has only a 25% chance of being right, which doesn’t justify the –0.67 or –0.83 penalty. Limit blind guesses to at most a few questions if time permits.
Ignoring the penalty impact
Remember that each wrong answer subtracts marks. Even a handful of incorrect answers can add up to a large deduction. Stay mindful of how penalties affect your total score.
Frequently asked question (FAQs)
Negative marking in UPSC Prelims is real and significant. Every wrong answer chips away at your score, so aiming for accuracy is more important than attempting every question. Understand the scheme well, attempt wisely, and practice thoroughly. With the right strategy and careful approach, you can minimize penalties and improve your chances of clearing the Prelims.
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