Question 1

What is the formula for calculating exam score with negative marking?

Accepted Answer

Score = (Correct × Marks per Question) − (Wrong × Penalty per Wrong). The penalty per wrong depends on the mode: fraction (e.g. ⅓ × marks), percentage (e.g. 25% × marks), or a fixed constant. Unattempted questions carry no penalty.

Question 2

Can my exam score go below zero?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the engine never clamps the score. If you get enough questions wrong relative to correct answers, the penalty can exceed your raw score, producing a negative result. Some exam scoring rules set a floor of zero, but that's a rule set by the exam board, not a mathematical impossibility.

Question 3

Are unattempted questions penalised?

Accepted Answer

No. Unattempted questions carry zero marks and zero penalty. Only marked answers count — correct ones add marks, wrong ones subtract according to the penalty rule.

Question 4

What's the difference between a fraction penalty and a fixed penalty?

Accepted Answer

A fraction penalty scales with the marks per question — ⅓ penalty on a 3-mark question costs 1 mark per wrong answer, but the same ⅓ on a 2-mark question costs 0.67. A fixed penalty is an absolute constant regardless of marks per question — 0.5 marks per wrong answer stays 0.5 whether the question is worth 1 mark or 4.

Question 5

What is the negative marking rule for SSC CGL?

Accepted Answer

SSC CGL applies a ½ mark deduction per wrong answer — enter penalty mode 'Fixed' and set 0.5 marks. For a 2-mark question paper (if applicable), this is equivalent to a 25% fraction penalty. Always verify the current notification since SSC may change the scheme.

Question 6

What is the negative marking rule for UPSC Civil Services Prelims?

Accepted Answer

UPSC CSE Prelims deducts ⅓ of the marks assigned to each question for a wrong answer. For a 2-mark question, that's 0.67 marks per wrong answer. Enter penalty mode 'Fraction' with numerator 1 and denominator 3.

Penalty Mode	Deduction Per Wrong	Typical Usage
None	0 deducted per wrong answer	MCQ with no negative marking
Fraction	marksPerQ × (numerator / denominator)	⅓ of 2 marks = 0.67 per wrong
Percentage	marksPerQ × percent / 100	25% of 2 marks = 0.50 per wrong
Fixed	fixed constant per wrong answer	0.5 deducted regardless of marks per Q

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