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How To Avoid Negative Marking In NDA Exam?

How to avoid negative marking in NDA exam information is provided with tips. Candidates appearing in NDA exam should about NDA exam marking scheme of 2025.
authorImageAbhinandan Kumar22 Sept, 2025
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How To Avoid Negative Marking In NDA Exam?

How To Avoid Negative Marking In NDA Exam: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the NDA exam twice a year. Candidates who want to serve nationally in defence services Air Force, Navy, and Army can appear in the NDA. The minimum eligibility requirement is that class 12th pass out. NDA Aspirants know the value of getting positive marks for correct answers in exams. The loss of marks deducted through negative marking could affect the performance in NDA exam 2025. UPSC wants to test candidates performance in the exam. The authorities want to know efficiency to attempt tricky questions and decision-making skills.

Tips on How To Avoid Negative Marking In NDA Exam

NDA exam is conducted in two stages. It includes a written exam and an SSB interview. Candidates get 2.5 marks for every correct answer in Maths. In General Mental Ability, 4 marks are awarded to candidates for the right answer. There is a negative marking for wrong attempts in Maths 0.83 mark and General Mental Ability 1.33 mark.

Understand Negative Marking in NDA Exam

UPSC authorities decided to penalize for the wrong question attempted in NDA. Therefore, a negative marking scheme is started in online tests comprised of questions from the Maths and General Ability sections.

Candidates should note that 4 marks are awarded for every correct answer in General Mental Ability. However, the 1.33  mark is deducted for the wrong answer. It is to test the decision marking and knowledge of candidates to attempt questions in a limited time.

 No marks are deducted for unattempted questions in NDA. Candidates should be smart enough to decide questions to attempt or leave in the exam. It is to avoid losing marks in negative marking.

 

Understand Negative Marking in NDA Exam

Correct Answer Marks

Maths: 2.5 Mark

General Mental Ability: 4 Marks

Negative Marking For Wrong Answers

Maths: 0.83

General Mental Ability: 1.33

Negative Marking For Unattempted Questions

NA

NDA Previous Year Question Papers

NDA aspirants should know the efforts involved in getting correct answers in the paper. Any guesswork could cause you to lose your marks in the General Mental Ability and Maths sections. There is a separate negative marking 0.83 for Maths and General Mental Ability 1.33. You can skip questions but avoid guesswork.

Maintain Accuracy In Attempting Questions

Your target is to work on your decision-making skills. So that, you can maintain accuracy in solving questions in the NDA exam. It is achievable only by practice and conceptual clarity. Solve topic-wise and then, NDA mock tests for improving accuracy in exams.

Be Present

Show your active presence in attempting the NDA written exam. Take a note of questions asked in GAT and Maths. Make a mindset to attempt a particular set of questions from both sections. Ensure your 100% accuracy on solved questions to achieve cut off. 

Concentrate On Solving Questions

At times, you know the questions well. Lack of concentration and overconfidence can cause losing marks in negative marking. Be on alert mode once you start solving the NDA paper. You can find tricky questions. Don’t waste time trying to avoid such questions. You have enough time to attempt other questions as well.

Recheck Paper

Attempt all the questions in the NDA exam properly. Take your time to recheck the questions solved by marking them on the OMR sheet. Set your time to solve the paper accordingly. You have time to mark answers correctly in the OMR sheet and recheck them.

How To Avoid Negative Marking In NDA Exam FAQs

Q1. How to avoid negative marking in NDA exam?

Ans. Candidates should smartly attempt questions and avoid any guesswork to reduce negative marking in the NDA exam.

Q2. What is a negative marking in the NDA exam for GAT & Maths?

Ans. There is a negative marking scheme for every wrong attempt of 1.33 marks in GAT (General Mental Ability) and 0.83 marks in Maths.

Q3. Is there any negative marking in the NDA for unattempted questions?

Ans. There is no negative marking in the NDA exam for attempted questions.

Q4. How many pass marks are required in NDA?

Ans. Candidates should score 25% of 900 marks i.e. 225 marks in NDA.

Q5. Is there any sectional cut-off in the NDA exam?

Ans. The sectional cut-off in the NDA exam is 25% in each subject.

Q6. What is a good score considered in the NDA exam?

Ans. A good score in the NDA exam (National Defence Academy) is considered between 400 to 450 marks out of 900 marks.
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