The trend of negative marking is visible in almost all competitive exams. Negative marking is the process of deducting marks from the incorrectly marked answers and does not represent the ability of a candidate. Guessing can be beneficial for you if you guess the right answer; otherwise, guessing can be the reason for a reduced score due to negative marking. Please refer BYJU’S CAT College Predictor tool.
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Like other competitive examinations, the CAT (Common Admission Test) also adapts to the trend of negative marking. The negative marking scheme of the CAT is explained below.
CAT Marking Scheme
- 3 Marks for each correct answer
- -1 Negative mark for each incorrect answer
- No negative markings for unanswered questions.
Check the detailed CAT Exam Pattern here.
So, as the CAT exam has a -1 negative marking for each incorrect answer, candidates must be careful while answering the questions. To help the candidates improve their CAT scores, here are some important tips to reduce negative marking in the CAT exam and thus get a better CAT Score.
Tips to Avoid Negative Marking in CAT 2023 Exam
- Avoid Guessing the Answers
It is suggested to avoid attempting questions which are not known properly. Some of the questions might seem solvable, but in the end, one may not be able to find the final answer to the question. Trying these questions will consume time, and guessing the answer will lead to undesirable negative markings.
- Be Careful while Solving on Rough Sheets
One should be very careful while solving the questions on rough sheets. Check for the exact options and then mark the answer correctly. Also, be attentive, as you may have solved the question correctly in the rough sheet, but you may mark the incorrect option while answering on the screen.
- Read the Questions Correctly
Most of the time, candidates do not read the questions carefully, and they start solving those questions incorrectly and never come up with the right answer. In the end, solving them incorrectly eats up a lot of time.
- Be Concentrated
It was found that candidates waste their time by looking around themselves. It leads to disruption in their concentration and diverts their mind. Due to this, the candidates end up with a wrong answer in the end.
- Avoid Last-Minute Answers
During the last few minutes of the exam, most of the candidates tend to panic and make crucial mistakes. During this time, students try to solve as many questions as they can and by doing this, one might mark some answers incorrectly. Hence, it is advised to avoid such situations.
- Solve the Easy Questions First
In every exam, there are some questions that can be easily and quickly solved. Solving those questions first and building up confidence during exam hours saves a lot of time for tough questions.
- Mark the Right Option
It is always suggested to mark the correct answer option corresponding to the question. As many candidates mark the options in a hurry, it is suggested to cross-check the marked answer before moving on to the next question.
With these tips, the candidates will be able to reduce their chances of negative scores and increase their possibilities of getting into their desired B-Schools. As the CAT is an extremely competitive exam, aspirants need to be thoroughly prepared and confident to ace it in their first attempt.
The CAT aspirants are suggested to keep visiting BYJU’S and get acquainted with the latest exam details, notifications and syllabus. The candidates are also provided with engaging video lessons, sample papers and previous years’ question papers for effective CAT preparation.
