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Negative Marking in CAT is Crucial

Calender Icon CAT Registration Ends: 13th September 2023

CAT Negative Marking

 CAT Negative marking is a type of making scheme in which marks are deducted when a candidate attempts a question incorrectly.  CAT 2023 will be held on November, 2023. CAT is one of the most prestigious exams that every MBA aspirant wishes to crack with a 90+ percentile. Negative marking is one of the major highlights of the CAT exam and plays a very crucial role in determining the final score of a candidate. If answered carelessly, your score can dip down to a great extent and affect your overall CAT percentile score.

In order to avoid negative marking and to score well, you must understand the exam pattern for CAT. The details are:

CAT 2022

It is important to note that there is no negative marking for non-MCQ-type questions. For the 75 MCQs, you lose 1 mark every time you attempt a question incorrectly. This can hamper your overall percentile. Thus even if you answer a higher number (or all) of questions but most of them are incorrect, you will end up missing your score. Here is a table explaining this concept:

Case Total MCQs Answered Correctly (AC) Score (A) Answered Incorrectly (AI) Score (B) Total Score = A+B Accuracy = (AC-AI)/75
Case 1 75 55 55*3 = 165 20 20*(-1) = -20 165 + (-20) = 145 47%
Case 2 75 50 50*3 = 150 5 5*(-1) = -5 150 + (-5) = 145 60%

Note: The calculations are done considering the total number of questions out of 75 MCQs only since there is a negative marking for each of them. The non-MCQs are score boosters as there will be no negative marking for them.

It is very clear from the above example that accuracy is extremely important in order to score well. In case 1, even though the candidate answered all 75 MCQs he/she scored equal to a candidate who attempted only 60 out of 75 MCQs in case 2. The candidate in case 2 had a higher accuracy of answering questions correctly, which is important to crack CAT 2023 with a good score.

Apart from this, there are few other points, which you must keep in mind. Some tips to avoid negative marking are:

  1. Read the question and the alternatives carefully. The best part about answering MCQs is that you have the answer right in front of you. Keep your eyes open and try to eliminate the incorrect answers.
  2. Since accuracy is crucial, it is best to avoid doing guesswork. This helps reduce negative marks.
  3. Be cautious while selecting the option on screen since it is a computer-based test. Carelessness can lead to negative marks.
  4. Choose to answer the easy questions first. It is advisable to answer those questions, which have straightforward answers and invest time on those that have lengthy calculations only if time permits.
  5.  Manage and optimize your time well while answering questions.

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