The GATE paper consists of around 60 questions for a total of 100 Marks. The question "Is there a GATE Negative Marking?" will now come up for prospective GATE applicants. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), Multiple Select Questions (MSQs), and/or Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions make up a GATE exam paper. As a result, most applicants are skeptical that negative marking is applicable to GATE examinations. Let us first go through the GATE Exam Pattern.
GATE Exam Pattern
|
Particulars |
Details |
|
Exam Mode |
Online - Computer-Based Test |
|
Number of Questions |
65 |
|
Total Marks |
100 |
|
Number of Subjects (Papers) |
29 |
|
Type of Questions |
MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), and NAT (Numerical Answer Type) |
|
Language |
English |
|
Number of Sections |
General Aptitude+ Candidates selected Subjects |
|
Name of the Sections |
General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics* and Subject Specification Section* In place of Engineering Mathematics, Chemistry will be compulsory for Life Science (XL) Paper |
|
Marking Scheme |
Questions carry 1 mark and 2 marks |
|
Negative Marking |
For a wrong answer chosen in an MCQ, there will be a negative marking. For 1-mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. For 2-mark MCQ, the 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. NO negative marking for MSQ & NAT. |
Negative Marking in GATE 2023
In NAT and MSQ questions, there is no negative marking. However, each wrong MCQ answer will result in a mark reduction.
The following table summarizes the negative marking criteria for MCQ questions in the GATE 2023 paper:
|
Sections |
Marks |
Negative |
|
General Aptitude (MCQ) |
1 |
-⅓ |
|
2 |
-⅔ |
|
|
Subject (MCQ) |
1 |
-⅓ |
|
Subject (NAT) |
1 |
No negative |
|
Subject (MCQ) |
2 |
-⅔ |
|
Subject (NAT) |
2 |
No negative |
In the table given above, there is no GATE Negative Marking System for Multiple Select Questions (MSQs) and/or Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions. However, GATE Negative Marking applies to Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). If a candidate responds incorrectly to a one-mark MCQ,1/3rd mark will be deducted. Similarly, for two-mark MCQs, around ⅔ marks are deducted if the answer is wrong.