The exam clock is running, questions are still left, and there is always a pressure to attempt more. At that moment, one important question always comes to mind: “Should this question be attempted or skipped”?

Attempting a question without being sure can lead to negative marking, while spending too much time on it can waste your valuable time. That is why, the right attempt strategy should be practiced before the exam through regular mock tests and proper analysis.

What is Negative marking in Bank Exams?

Negative marking means marks are deducted for every incorrect answer. In many banking exams, it is one-fourth of the marks assigned to the question, but the exact rule should always be checked in the official notification of the exam. For example, IBPS notification states that 0.25 marks are assigned to every wrong answer, while an unanswered question has no negative marking.

• Correct Answer: +1 mark
• Wrong Answer: -0.25 mark
• Not attempted: 0 mark

How does Negative marking affect the Bank Exam Score?

Negative marking can reduce the benefit of correct attempts when too many questions are answered incorrectly.

For example: 

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How does a Test series help to reduce Negative marking?

A test series creates repeated situations where aspirants have to decide whether a question is important or not. With every mock test, the question arises are:

• Was the question answered confidently?
• Was it a calculated attempt or a guess?
• Was the question left?
• Is there any mistake in the answer?

Why is Test series practice important for Negative marking?

Negative marking is not only a knowledge-based problem. It is also a decision-making problem. An aspirant may know how to solve a question but still lose marks by attempting it too quickly or spending too much time on it.

A regular bank exam mock test series provides opportunities to practice it well. With proper analysis, it becomes easier to understand when to attempt, when to skip and when to return to a question.

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How can Sectional Tests improve Accuracy?

Full-length shows overall performance, but sectional tests help to identify where negative marking is occurring.

Quantitative Aptitude

Focus more on calculation errors and lengthy questions.

Reasoning

Analyze puzzle selection, question difficulty and total time spent.

English Language 

Check errors in grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension and question interpretation.

General/Banking Awareness

Avoid the answers that are completely unknown.

What should be checked after every Bank Exam Mock Test?

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When should a question be Attempted, Skipped or Reviewed?

A candidate should follow the given below steps:

1. Know the method → Attempt

If the concept is clear and the question can be solved within a given time, attempt it.

2. Have a possible approach→ Review

If the question is solvable and it requires calculation, guess and option elimination, keep it for the next round and afterwards to attempt or solve.

3. No Clear Method → Skip

If the answer is totally unknown and is not understandable, then, leave it answered and protect your marks from being deducted.

What common mistakes cause negative marking in Bank Exams?

Some common mistakes are:

• Misreading questions
• Guessing
• Spending more time on one difficult question
• Attempting question to increase the attempt count
• Changing a correct answer
• Attempting general awareness questions randomly

 FREQUENTY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Ques: Does Negative Marking apply to all banking exams?

Ans: It is applied according to the official notification of every site. So, it should always be checked before the exam.

Ques: Is accuracy more important than attempts in bank exams?

Ans: Both are important, but, more attempts with poor accuracy can deduct the net score only because of negative marking.

Ques:  How can Negative Marking be reduced in General Awareness?

Ans: Negative Marking can be reduced in General Awareness only by avoiding answers which are  totally unknown,  non - understandable and can only be guessed.

Ques: Is there any Negative Marking for unattempted questions?

Ans: There is no negative marking for unattempted questions.

Ques: How can mock tests reduce negative marking?

Ans: Mock tests can help to identify guessing, improves careless mistakes, poor question selection and reasons behind wrong attempts.

Ques: Is guessing a good strategy in bank exams?

Ans: Not at all, Random guessing can deduct your marks and can also give you a negative marking. 

Ques: What should be analyzed after a mock test?

Ans: Attempts, accuracy, wrong answer, total time-spent and the reason behind the mistakes should be important to analyze.

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