Negative Marking Calculator UPSC: Calculate Prelims Score & Negative Score for IAS Prelims

The Negative Marking Calculator for UPSC is a practical calculation tool designed to help IAS aspirants estimate their Prelims score with precision. The UPSC Prelims comprises two papers—General Studies (GS) Paper 1 and CSAT (Paper 2)—both featuring a 1/3rd negative marking scheme for incorrect answers. Allowing accurate score calculation for measuring performance in the UPSC Civil Services Exam and therefore, planning future attempt strategy, the negative marking calculator for UPSC Prelims takes into account the official marking scheme fixed by the Union Public Service Commission. It works by taking the number of correct and incorrect answers and applying the official marking scheme: +2 for correct and –0.66 for wrong answers in GS, and +2.5 for correct and –0.83 for wrong answers in CSAT. By using this tool, candidates can determine not just their total estimated marks but also how much they lost due to negative marking. This is especially useful after mock tests or the actual exam, allowing for data-driven self-evaluation and better accuracy in attempts. The Negative Marking Calculator for UPSC is a crucial tool in every serious aspirant’s preparation journey.

Use the Negative Marking Calculator provided in this article to calculate your estimated marks for UPSC Prelims, how to obtain estimated negative score, and negative marks calculation formula for UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1 and CSAT. 

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Negative Marking Calculator UPSC by Testbook

The Negative Marking Calculator for UPSC by Testbook is a user-friendly calculator designed to help aspirants accurately estimate their Prelims score. It simplifies the process of calculating both the positive marks from correct answers and the negative score from incorrect ones, based on the official UPSC marking scheme. With this Negative Marking Calculator, candidates can input the number of correct and wrong answers for both GS Paper 1 and CSAT, and view their estimated score after applying the 1/3rd negative marking rule. 

Negative Marks:

 

Note: 1/3 negative marking is applied.

Aspirants can utilize this negative marking calculator during mock test analysis, post-exam evaluations, and while tracking performance over time. Since every mark counts in a highly competitive exam like UPSC, having a reliable tool like Testbook’s Negative Marking Calculator is crucial to help aspirants make informed decisions about the accuracy, number of attempts, and future attempt strategy. It’s a must-use resource for serious UPSC candidates who are planning to qualify the Prelims in one attempt.

How to Use UPSC Negative Marking Calculator to Estimate Prelims Marks?

UPSC aspirants can now utilize the Negative Marking Calculator for UPSC to estimate their negative score for the upcoming Prelims 2025 exam. The UPSC Negative Marking Calculator factors in the negative marking scheme designated by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in order to estimate their overall expected score in the UPSC Prelims Exam. Knowing this will help you fine-tune your strategy for future attempts or mock tests! Follow the steps given below in order to tally your negative score using the Negative Marking Calculator for UPSC Exam –

Step 1 – Count Total Questions Attempted in both GS Paper 1 and CSAT.

Step 2 – Note the Number of Incorrect Answers for each paper.

Step 3 – Tally Your Negative Score for UPSC:

Multiply the number of incorrect answers with the negative marking per incorrect question as shown below – 

• GS Paper 1: Incorrect answers × 0.66
• CSAT Paper 2: Incorrect answers × 0.83

• Step 4 – Subtract Total Negative Marks from your total correct answer score to get the final estimated marks.

Also check – UPSC Marks Calculator to calculate your overall Prelims score.

Negative Marking Scheme in UPSC Prelims

There is a negative marking of ⅓ marks in the UPSC Prelims, which means that 1/3rd mark allotted to a particular question will be deducted in the UPSC Prelims GS Paper 1 and the CSAT. The following is the paper wise negative marking scheme in UPSC Prelims Exam – 

UPSC Negative Marking Calculation for GS Paper 1 

The General Studies Paper 1 in the UPSC Prelims is the most crucial paper, as its score alone determines whether a candidate qualifies for the Mains. It consists of 100 multiple-choice questions, each carrying 2 marks, totaling 200 marks.

✅ Marking Scheme

• Correct Answer: +2 marks
• Incorrect Answer: -0.66 marks (1/3rd of 2)
• Unattempted Questions: No marks added or deducted

This means for every wrong answer, 1/3rd of the marks assigned to that question are deducted from your total score. So, accuracy is more important than the number of attempts.

📌 Formula for Calculation

Final Score = (Number of Correct Answers × 2) – (Number of Incorrect Answers × 0.66)

🔍 Example 1

Let’s say you attempted 90 questions, out of which:

• Correct Answers: 65
• Incorrect Answers: 25
• Unattempted Questions: 10

Now apply the formula –

• Marks from correct answers = 65 × 2 = 130
• Marks deducted for incorrect answers = 25 × 0.66 = 16.5
• Total Score = 130 – 16.5 = 113.5 marks

This is your estimated score for GS Paper 1. You can now compare this with the cutoff for that year to know if you've likely cleared the Prelims.

🔍 Example 2 (Balanced Attempt)

• Correct Answers: 58
• Incorrect Answers: 17
• Unattempted Questions: 25

Now apply the formula –

• Correct score = 58 × 2 = 116
• Deducted marks = 17 × 0.66 = 11.22
• Final Score = 116 – 11.22 = 104.78

This shows how a well-balanced attempt with fewer wrong answers can result in a safer score.

UPSC Negative Marking Calculation for CSAT

CSAT (Paper II) is a qualifying paper in UPSC Prelims. Though its marks are not added to the final merit list, failing to qualify in this paper will disqualify a candidate from appearing for the Mains—regardless of how well they perform in GS Paper 1.

The CSAT paper contains 80 questions, each carrying 2.5 marks, totaling 200 marks.

✅ Marking Scheme

• Correct Answer: +2.5 marks
• Incorrect Answer: -0.83 marks (1/3rd of 2.5)
• Unattempted Questions: No marks added or deducted

The negative marking here is higher per question than GS Paper 1 because the marks per question are higher.

📌 Formula for Calculation

Final Score = (Number of Correct Answers × 2.5) – (Number of Incorrect Answers × 0.83)

⚠️ Important:

You need to score at least 66 out of 200 marks to qualify in CSAT. This means getting around 27 correct answers (with minimal incorrect answers) is the minimum safe benchmark.

🔍 Example 1

• Correct Answers: 30
• Incorrect Answers: 15
• Unattempted: 35

Now apply the formula –

• Marks from correct answers = 30 × 2.5 = 75
• Marks deducted for incorrect answers = 15 × 0.83 = 12.45
• Final Score = 75 – 12.45 = 62.55 marks

This is below the qualifying mark of 66, meaning the candidate will not clear the Prelims, even if they scored well in GS Paper 1.

🔍 Example 2 (Safe Zone)

• Correct Answers: 32
• Incorrect Answers: 10
• Unattempted Questions: 38

Now apply the formula –

• Correct Score = 32 × 2.5 = 80
• Deduction = 10 × 0.83 = 8.3
• Final Score = 80 – 8.3 = 71.7 marks

This score is above the qualifying mark, which means the candidate has passed the CSAT paper.

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