Negative marking is the NISM rule candidates most often get wrong. It differs by series, so a habit that is correct in one exam costs marks in another.
| Series | Penalty for a wrong answer | On a 1-mark question | On a 2-mark question |
|---|---|---|---|
| V-A | None | 0 | Not applicable |
| XV | 25% of the question's marks | 0.25 | Not applicable |
| X-A | 25% of the question's marks | 0.25 | 0.5 |
| X-B | 25% of the question's marks | 0.25 | 0.5 |
| V-D | 10% of the question's marks | 0.1 | Not applicable |
Unanswered questions score zero in every series. In V-A there is nothing to lose by answering, so attempt all 100 questions.
Assume four options. A blind guess is right one time in four. With a 25% penalty the expected result is 0.25 x 1 minus 0.75 x 0.25, which is about +0.06 marks per question. That is slightly positive but close to break-even, so a blind guess barely helps and can cost you time. With a 10% penalty (V-D) the same blind guess is worth about +0.18 marks.
The picture changes fast once you can rule out an option. Remove one wrong option and your chance of being right becomes one in three; the expected result on a 1-mark question in a 25% series rises to about +0.17 marks. Remove two and your chance is one in two, and the expected result is about +0.38. So the rule to practise is simple: answer whenever you can eliminate at least one option, and if you have no idea at all, skip the question and protect your time rather than spending a minute on a coin flip.
The penalty is a fraction of the question's marks, so it never changes this maths; a 2-mark question in X-A or X-B simply doubles both the reward and the penalty.
XV. You answer 90 of 100 questions, 75 right and 15 wrong. Your score is 75 minus 15 x 0.25, which is 71.25. The pass mark is 60.
V-D. You answer all 150 questions, 105 right and 45 wrong. Your score is 105 minus 45 x 0.1, which is 100.5. The pass mark is 90.
Candidates who move from V-A to XV, X-A or X-B often carry the "attempt everything" habit with them, and lose marks to it. Practising on a mock that applies the same penalty as the real exam builds the right instinct before exam day. See the full exam pattern table for every series.
No. V-A has no negative marking, so attempt every question.
25% of the marks assigned to that question: 0.25 for a 1-mark question and 0.5 for a 2-mark caselet question.
10% of the marks assigned to the question, which is 0.1 for each wrong 1-mark answer.
Guess when you can eliminate at least one option. With four options and a 25% penalty, a completely blind guess is only slightly positive on average, so if you have no idea, skipping and saving time is reasonable.
No. Unanswered questions score zero in every NISM series.
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