How to avoid negative marking in NEET?

Cracking NEET is not only about knowing the concepts but also being able to apply these concepts accurately. Negative marking in NEET makes thousands of candidates lose their precious marks even after studying diligently. Knowledge of how to avoid making these errors is highly vital in getting a good rank and gaining admission in leading medical colleges.

In this article, we will break down the notion behind the negative marking in NEET, how it works, its impact on your score, and the effective ways of reducing it. The key subtopics that we are going to cover are what is negative marking in NEET, is there negative marking in NEET, how much negative marking in NEET etc. 

What is negative marking in NEET?

The marking scheme in the NEET exam is:

• 4 marks will be awarded per correct answer
• -1 mark for every wrong attempt
• 0 marks on unanswered questions

Most aspirants with the hope of maximizing their chance of getting admission to a top medical college end up losing more marks than they can gain by doing extra questions.

In simple terms, the negative marking in NEET mainly occurs due to random guessing. This is why precision and rational rule-out methods are essential.

Is there negative marking in NEET?

Are you among one of those who is always in doubt if there is there negative marking in NEET? Yes, marks will be deducted by giving wrong answers. With 720 marks, a few wrong choices of options can cause a significant drop in rank.

In this case, say you get 10 questions wrong, you lose 10 marks. But if you had left them unattempted, you would not lose anything. This indicates how bad negative marking in NEET can be.

So, it is very important not to blindly guess the options but know how to apply concepts.

How much negative marking is there in NEET?

Do you know that there is negative marking in NEET? Let us consider a scenario:

Say that you answer 180 questions.

You have 140 correct and 40 incorrect questions.

• Right answers = 140 x 4 = 560 marks
• Wrong answers = 40 (1)-40 = -40 marks
• Final Marks = 560-40 = 520 marks

You could have achieved 560 marks without wrong attempts. The 40 wrong answers deducted 40 marks thereby lowering your score down by 40 marks, making the difference between MBBS and BDS admission.

Therefore, negative marking in NEET can lower your rank by a great extent. 

How to calculate NEET marks with negative marking?

The formula is simple:

NEET Marks = (4 x Number of Correct Answers) - (1 x Number of Incorrect Answers)

Suppose you have answered 170 questions and got 150 correct and 20 wrong, your score would be:

(150 x 4) - (20 x 1) = 600 -20 = 580 marks

Using this formula, you can understand how your mistakes will affect your overall mark during the actual NEET exam. Frequent practice will also help you become more aware of the impact of negative marking in NEET.

How to reduce negative marking in NEET?

The most important question aspirants ask is: how to reduce negative marking in NEET? Here are some proven strategies:

1. Revise your NCERT Basics

A majority of the questions in NEET are based on NCERT. A solid base eliminates misunderstandings and mistakes.

2. Take Timed Mock Tests

Simulate the actual exam conditions The more you practice, the more accurate you will get, and you will learn to manage panic.

3. Use Elimination Techniques

In multiple choice there are usually 2 options that are easy to eliminate. Cross out wrong options and concentrate on the remaining ones then answer.

4. Avoid Making Blind Guesses

Random guessing may be disastrous. Unless you are not confident in choosing at least two, it is better to skip the question.

5. Time Management

Rushing at the end makes one make silly errors. Separate your time well between Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

6. Revise Before Submitting

Review the leftover questions if you have time later. Negative marking in NEET is likely to happen due to stupid calculation errors or misunderstanding the question.

Smart Tips to Avoid Negative Marking in NEET

• Before answering, read each of these questions carefully.
• Fill in the OMR sheet neatly; improperly filled bubbles lead to undesirable errors
• Place more emphasis on accuracy than on numbers of attempts as quality matters more than quantity
• To practice common patterns, solve last year's question papers.
• Be calm during the examination; stress will make you choose wrong options.

These practices will enable you to minimize the negative marking in NEET and help you to maximize your score.

Conclusion

Success in NEET is based on knowledge, accuracy and exam strategy. Whereas it is vital to understand concepts, applying them without errors is equally important. Negative marking in NEET may greatly affect your score unless you are very careful. By learning what is negative marking in NEET, how much negative marking in NEET can affect scores, and how to calculate the NEET marks with negative marking, you become aware of its effects. Keep in mind that each mark matters and that you should not make careless mistakes, which can cost you a whole year of your life.

FAQs

Q1. What is negative marking in NEET?

 Negative marking in NEET implies that each wrong answer deducts 1 mark from the total score whereas each correct answer awards +4 marks to the total score.

Q2. Does NEET have negative marking?

 Yes, NEET does have negative marking. Answering incorrectly loses you a mark.

Q3. How does negative marking in NEET affect the overall rank?

 Even 10-15 incorrect responses could considerably diminish your score by 10-15 points, which can significantly reduce your rank and admission possibility.

Q4. What is the formula to calculate NEET marks with negative marking?

 Apply the following formula: (Correct Answers x 4) – (Incorrect Answers x 1). This provides your final NEET score.

Q5. How to minimize negative marking in NEET?

 Avoid guessing, take mock tests, use elimination of options and maintain accuracy.

Also read:

Negative Marking in NEET – How to Calculate and Avoid Them

How To Prepare For NEET - The Complete Roadmap

PrepMed NEET Doctor Hunt Scholarship Test