Civil Services Examination · Reference
UPSC Prelims Marking Scheme 2026
UPSC Prelims uses a one-third negative marking system. Each correct answer earns positive marks; each wrong answer deducts one-third of the question's positive value; unattempted questions score zero. For UPSC Prelims 2026, after UPSC cancelled some questions and redistributed those marks proportionally, the GS Paper 1 per-question value is +2.020 / −0.673 (instead of the standard +2 / −2/3).
The complete marking scheme
| Paper | Questions | Max marks | Correct | Wrong | Skipped |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS Paper 1 UPSC 2026 update | 100 | 200 | +2.020 | −0.673 | 0 |
| CSAT Paper 2 | 80 | 200 | +2.50 | −0.833 | 0 |
2026 GS scheme: +2.020 / −0.673 per question (UPSC cancelled some questions and redistributed those marks; standard scheme is +2 / −2/3 = −0.667). CSAT: +2.5 / −2.5/3 = −0.833 per question (one-third of the positive value).
Worked examples
Example 1: GS Paper 1 — balanced attempt (UPSC 2026 scheme)
You attempt 75 questions: 50 correct, 25 wrong,
25 skipped.
Score = (50 × 2.020) − (25 × 0.673) = 101.00 − 16.83
= 84.17 marks out of 200.
Example 2: GS Paper 1 — high attempt rate (UPSC 2026 scheme)
You attempt 95 questions: 65 correct, 30 wrong,
5 skipped.
Score = (65 × 2.020) − (30 × 0.673) = 131.30 − 20.20
= 111.10 marks out of 200.
Example 3: CSAT Paper 2 — just-qualifying
You attempt 35 questions in CSAT: 30 correct, 5 wrong,
45 skipped.
Score = (30 × 2.5) − (5 × 0.833) = 75 − 4.17
= 70.83 marks out of 200.
Above 66.67 — CSAT cleared.
When does negative marking not apply?
- Skipped (unattempted) questions score zero — no negative.
- Scrapped questions — if UPSC or an institute later declares a question invalid, every student who attempted it gets full marks. Students who skipped get zero.
- Multi-correct questions — when an institute accepts more than one option (e.g., A or B both correct), any of the listed options earns full marks; anything else earns the standard negative.
Should you guess?
The break-even calculation: to recover the loss from one wrong answer (−0.673), you'd need to get one-third more questions correct. If your probability of getting a question right by educated guessing is above ~25-33%, the expected value of guessing is positive. Below that, skipping is statistically better.
Practical rule: if you can eliminate at least one option confidently, guessing among the remaining three is usually positive-EV. Blind guesses (random 1-of-4) have an expected value of (0.25 × 2.020) + (0.75 × −0.673) = 0 — break-even, so they don't help.
FAQ
What is one-third negative marking exactly?
For every wrong answer, UPSC deducts one-third of the marks assigned to that question. For 2026 GS: −0.673 marks per wrong (correct = +2.020 after UPSC redistributed cancelled-question marks; standard scheme is −2/3 = −0.667). CSAT: −2.5/3 ≈ −0.833 marks. Unattempted questions are not penalized.
Why is the CSAT cutoff 66.67 specifically?
66.67 marks = 33.33% of 200. UPSC has fixed the qualifying threshold for CSAT at 33% since CSAT was made qualifying-only in 2015. You need strictly above this number, not equal to.
Does the negative marking change for different sets (A, B, C, D)?
No. All four sets (A, B, C, D) use the same marking scheme. Only the question order differs.
Where can I check my UPSC Prelims score with this marking scheme applied?
Use our free UPSC Prelims Score Calculator — it applies this exact marking scheme to your answers and shows your projected score against keys from 9 institutes.
Calculate your score with this scheme applied
Mark your answers, and our free calculator applies +2 / −2/3 (GS) and +2.5 / −2.5/3 (CSAT) automatically. See your score in 60 seconds.
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