-ve MARKING: The +ve SIDE


   Almost every student is scared of Negative Marking. Negative Marking does not mean that only those questions should be attempted of which you are dead sure. Generally, 1/4th of the marks allotted to a question are deducted in case it is wrongly marked. To simplify, if a question of 4 marks is incorrect, you will lose 1 mark. Similarly, in case a question of 1 mark being wrong, you lose 0.25 mark (only). The idea behind negative marking is to discourage those candidates who are not well-prepared and attempt all/maximum questions in order to gain greater marks. This may lead to the selection of the unsuitable candidates. Every examination is so designed that only the best minds or the most suitable aspirants can qualify. To reach this goal, Negative Marking was introduced.


   The aim of selectors is to ensure that only the right set of candidates are in. Though there is the interview process to read and judge the mind of the candidates, recruiters want to filter the best set of candidates before the interview. Therefore, Negative Marking ensures that Ignorance is not a bliss for the unprepared and non-serious aspirants. What if there was no Negative Marking: Students would attempt all questions and there would be no serious preparation (except a few ideal and determined candidates). Thus, Negative Marking is a curse for those who don't prepare and aren't serious. Unfortunately, even well-prepared and intelligent candidates are also scared of negative marking. However, the fact is that negative marking is a boon for smarter candidates.


   If you have sincerely prepared for the exam, apply probability while attempting questions of which you are not sure and get better marks. If you are sure that out of two options one is correct, don't leave such questions. Consider this: Each right answer gives you 4 marks and each wrong answer deducts 1 mark. Suppose 100 questions are asked. So total marks are 400. If you were sure of 50 questions, you would score 50x4 = 200 marks. Now, there is a twist. If you had some idea about 25 more questions, you would be in a better position. Apply probability and intelligent estimation. Suppose you attempted these 25 questions, out of which 15 were incorrect (which should not be after carefully filtering the options, we are considering the worst case). Your score after attempting 75 (50+25) questions out of which 15 are incorrect: 


60 Correct and 15 Incorrect:


60x4 - 15x1 = 240 - 15 = 225 marks



You would have scored 25 marks more! In this era of cut-throat competition, even 1 mark becomes the Game Changer. Hence, a huge sum of 25 marks is like a Paradigm Shift. On the other hand, wild guessing would normally have reduced the total marks of those candidates who had answered the question without having any idea of the question. This proves that Negative Marking is a boon for sincere candidates and often plays a decisive role in finalising the merit list. It is upto you to use it or abuse it. It is a win-win situation for those who are determined to win.



[There is only a fine line between Victory and Defeat. That’s all. Thank You]

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