Is there negative marking in NEET? Yes, the NEET exam marking scheme includes 1 mark deduction for every incorrect answer. Negative marking in NEET UG is done to ensure fair evaluation of student answer sheets. The best strategy to avoid NEET exam negative marking is to prepare well and reduce reliance on guesswork.
The NEET 2025 saw difficult JEE level questions in the Physics section which were not easily answerable. As a result, to avoid guesswork and promote integrity and dignity of the NEET UG exam, negative marking is needed. With the help of NEET online coaching centres like iQuanta, that help students to prepare well for the exam, you may easily be rewarded with +4 marks for each correct answer.
On the other hand, students who rely on guesswork or improper study strategy shall receive negative marks. This system of marking or mark evaluation ensures fair assessment of medical knowledge. Students must know a few tips and tricks which are important to devise a strategy to avoid losing marks to negative marking in the NEET exam.
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Reason Behind Negative Marking in NEET UG
Negative marking in NEET is important to guide students in the right direction and discourage the method of guesswork. With negative marking in place, NTA ensures that students only answer those questions which they are confident about. Below is a short summary of the main reasons behind introducing negative marking in the NEET UG exam.
- To prevent guesswork
- Promote NEET exam integrity and dignity
- Fair evaluation
- Promote deep thinking and strategic answering
- Helps differentiate between prepared students from unprepared students.
Benefits of Negative Marking in NEETÂ
NEET exam 2025 was challenging compared to last year. Students have to rely on their conceptual understanding rather than remembering the facts. Answering all questions in NEET is compulsory. For every wrong answer, 1 mark will be deducted from your total. Here are all the benefits of negative marking in NEET.
| NEET Negative Marking Scheme Benefits | |
| Aspects | Details |
| Discourages wrong answers | Students must try to avoid wrong answers |
| NEET exam sanctity | Preserves the sanctity of the exam |
| Evaluation | Due to negative marking, candidates are given the right marks based on their answering. |
| Student Merit | Gives proper merit to the deserving candidate |
| Guesswork | Reduces dependency on luck through guesswork |
| Standardization | Helps standardize the tests |
NEET Current Marking Scheme
Currently, the NEET exam marking scheme comprises both negative and positive mark distribution. Based on the answers of the NEET test takers, you may receive positive marks for your correct answers and negative marks for incorrect answers. NTA allots no marks for blank questions.
| NEET Marking Scheme | |
| Marks | Basis |
| +4 | Correct Answers |
| -1 | Incorrect Answers |
| 0 | No Answer |
Strategy to Avoid Negative Marking in NEETÂ
Students searching for ways to avoid the negative marking in NEET will find the answers to their questions in this blog. To avoid negative marking in NEET, answer only those questions which you’re 100% confident about. Know the strategy to avoid negative marking in NEET such as elimination techniques, 3-round approach, etc.
Top Strategies to Prevent Negative Marking in NEET
The best students who turn out to be NEET toppers know the top strategies to prevent negative marking and score maximum marks. Simple and efficient techniques help hard working and dedicated students to avoid losing marks. Here are all the techniques you may add to your NEET preparation strategy to avoid negative marking.
| Strategies to Avoid Negative Marking in NEET | |
| Strategy | Details |
| Skipping Questions | Avoid guessing and marking questions you are unsure of. It’s better to skip the question and score no marks rather than negative marks. |
| 3-Round Approach | Round 1 involves solving easy questions which are direct. Use logic to answer moderately difficult questions in Round 2. Round 3 is about using calculated guesses to answer the difficult questions. |
| Elimination Technique | Eliminate the incorrect options and reduce the choices to 2 then take a calculated guess based on your confidence levels. |
| Careful Marking | Mark the answers correctly without spillover in the OMR sheet. |
| Time Management | Allocate 45 minutes to Physics, 45 minutes to Chemistry and 60-70 minutes to Biology leaving the last 10-15 minutes for revision of answers and checking. |
| No Rush | Rushing while answering results in mistakes and may lead to negative marking. Reduce mistakes by managing time effectively to avoid panicky attempts. |
| Accuracy | Focus on accurate answers rather than maximum attempts. Accuracy fetches positive marks. |
Tips to Avoid Negative Marking in NEET
- First solve the easy questions which are directly based on NCERT concepts.
- Chemistry and Biology questions which are easier to solve must be attempted before others.
- Learn the art of elimination to reach the correct answers.
- Remember to leave the question blank if all 4 options are unclear and you are unable to make a calculated guess or use the elimination method.
- The Physics section is difficult. Avoid wasting time on difficult Physics questions leading to a last minute rush for answering easier questions.
- Focus on answering Biology NCERT based questions first as these are easier to solve.
- Utilize time effectively by keeping the last 10-15 minutes for checking your answers.
FAQs
The best strategy to avoid negative marking in NEET is to answer direct questions first. Use elimination to find the most suitable right answer. Avoid answering if you are unsure as 0 marks is better than -1.
Time management is important to avoid negative marking as rushing or panicking while answering may lead to wrong answers resulting in negative marking.
NTA has a negative marking scheme in NEET to promote strategic decision making while preserving the integrity of the exam. The scheme also helps in fair evaluation of NEET test takers.