The UPSC NDA exam has provisions for negative marking. As a result, one-third part of the marks assigned to a question are deducted whenever a candidate selects an incorrect option. The negative marking is applicable in both papers of the NDA written exam; the mathematics paper and the General Ability Test (GAT) paper. The concept of negative marking in the NDA written exam is a very crucial aspect and hence every NDA aspirant must understand so that they can plan their preparation strategy effectively. To help young defence aspirants, Trishul Defence Academy has come up with an article on how to calculate negative markings in the NDA exam. Read on to learn more about the NDA marking scheme and its important factors.

Marking Scheme in the NDA Written Exam

NDA Paper 1 – Mathematics:

NDA Paper 1 in Mathematics consists of 120 questions worth a total of 300 marks. Test-takers have 2 ½ hours to complete this paper. Each correct answer adds 2.5 marks, but for every wrong answer, 0.83 marks are deducted. This paper aims to evaluate maths skills within the given time frame and penalise mistakes to encourage careful marking on the OMR sheet.

• Questions: 120
• Max Marks: 300
• Time: 2 ½ Hours
• Positive Marking: 2.5 marks for each correct answer
• Negative Marking: 0.83 marks deducted for each wrong answer

NDA Paper 2 – General Ability Test (GAT):

NDA Paper 2, the General Ability Test (GAT), consists of 150 questions, divided into 50 English and 100 General Knowledge (GK) questions, making a total of 600 marks. Candidates are provided with 2 ½ hours to complete this paper. Each correct answer is awarded 4 marks, while an incorrect response leads to a deduction of 1.33 marks. This test assesses language proficiency, general awareness, current affairs, etc.

• Questions: 150 (English 50 | GK 100)
• Max Marks: 600
• Time: 2 ½ Hours
• Positive Marking: 4 marks for each correct answer
• Negative Marking: 1.33 marks deducted for each wrong answer

Understand the NDA Marking Scheme with Examples:

Let’s consider a student, Rajeev, who is preparing to take the NDA written examination. Rajeev has diligently prepared for both the Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT) papers of the NDA exam. Rajeev attempted 60 questions in the Mathematics paper of the NDA exam. Upon reviewing his answers, it was discovered that 12 of Rajeev’s responses were incorrect.

Calculation of Rajeev’s Marks in NDA Mathematics Paper:

Final Marks Obtained by Rajeev in Mathematics:

Rajeev’s total marks obtained from correct attempts minus the negative marks for incorrect answers: 120 (marks from correct attempts) – 10 (negative marks) = 110 marks. Therefore, despite attempting 60 questions in the Mathematics paper, Rajeev secured 110 marks after the adjustment of negative marks due to the incorrect answers.

NDA GAT Paper Marking Scheme

Let’s consider another student, Priya, who is also preparing for the NDA exam. Out of a total of 150 questions, she attempted 110 questions in the GAT (General Ability Test) paper of the NDA exam. Later, it was discovered that Priya’s 35 responses were incorrect.

Calculation of Priya’s Marks in NDA GAT Paper:

Final Marks Obtained by Priya in GAT:

Priya’s total marks obtained from correct attempts minus the negative marks for incorrect answers: 300 (marks from correct attempts) – 47 (negative marks) = 253 marks. Therefore, Priya could score only 253 marks despite attempting 110 questions in the GAT paper. The reason was 35 incorrect answers and deduction due to negative marking.

NDA Marking Scheme for Both Math and GAT Papers:

Suppose there was a student named Mayank who attempted 68 questions in NDA Mathematics with 9 incorrect attempts and attempted 126 questions in GAT with 17 incorrect attempts. If the NDA written cut-off for that year in which Mayank gave the exam was 360, then calculate whether he would have been able to qualify for the cut-off. Let’s calculate Mayank’s scores in each paper and his aggregate marks in the NDA written exam.

As Mayank’s aggregate score is 553.42, which is higher than the cut-off of 360, he would qualify for the NDA written cut-off.

What is the meaning of 25% marks in each subject in the NDA cut-off?

In the context of the NDA cut-off, “25% marks in each subject” means that a candidate must secure at least 25% of the total marks allotted to each subject to qualify. This is a sectional cut-off criterion wherein apart from the overall cut-off, candidates are required to score a minimum of 25% marks in each subject (Mathematics and General Ability Test) individually.

Mathematics: 

If the maximum mark for Mathematics is 300, candidates need to secure at least 75 marks (25% of 300) to meet the sectional cut-off for Mathematics.

General Ability Test (GAT):

If the maximum mark for the GAT is 600, candidates need to score a minimum of 150 marks (25% of 600) to fulfil the sectional cut-off for the GAT.

Understand NDA 25% Sectional Cut-off Marks with Example:

Let’s suppose, there was a student named Prateek who attempted 66 questions in NDA Mathematics with 32 incorrect attempts and attempted 118 questions in GAT with 21 incorrect attempts. If the NDA written cut-off for that year in which Prateek gave the exam was 360, then we have to calculate whether he would have been able to qualify for the cut-off. Also, there was a condition that there must be at least 25% marks in each subject as a sectional cut-off other than the overall cut-off. So, let us calculate whether Prateek would have been able to qualify the sectional cut-off in each paper and the overall cut-off.

Prateek’s Performance in the NDA Mathematics Paper:

Prateek attempted 66 questions in the NDA Mathematics paper, scoring 85 marks for correct answers but lost 26.56 marks due to 32 incorrect attempts, resulting in a total of 58.44 marks—below the Mathematics sectional cut-off of 75 marks, constituting 25% of the total 300 marks for the paper.

Prateek’s Performance in the NDA GAT Paper:

In the General Ability Test (GAT), he answered 118 questions, securing 388 marks for correct responses but lost 27.93 marks due to 21 incorrect answers. His total GAT marks were 360.07, surpassing the sectional cut-off of 150 marks, constituting 25% of the total 600 marks for the paper.

Though Prateek cleared the GAT sectional cut-off, his Mathematics score fell short of the sectional cut-off, preventing him from meeting the criteria required to crack the NDA written exam.

Conclusion:

In the context of the exam requirements stipulated, Prateek needed to meet both the sectional cut-off marks in each paper as well as the overall cut-off to progress to the next stage. If he failed to meet the sectional cut-off in any one of the papers—despite having an overall score surpassing the overall cut-off—Prateek would not qualify for the next stage.

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