Article
Negative Marking in SSC Exams: When Should You Guess?
The arithmetic behind negative marking, and a simple rule for deciding whether to attempt a doubtful question.
By the SSC Rank editorial team · Updated
Most SSC examinations deduct marks for wrong answers. Whether a guess helps or hurts depends on two numbers: the penalty, and how many options you can rule out.
The arithmetic
Take a paper with +2 for a correct answer and −0.5 for a wrong one (the SSC CGL and CHSL Tier 1 scheme).
| Options you can eliminate | Chance of being right | Average gain per guess |
|---|---|---|
| None (blind guess) | 1 in 4 | +0.125 marks |
| One | 1 in 3 | +0.33 marks |
| Two | 1 in 2 | +0.75 marks |
On paper even a blind guess has a small positive expectation. In practice blind guessing adds a lot of variance for very little gain, and it costs time. Guessing after eliminating two options is clearly worthwhile.
A simple rule
- Eliminated two options: attempt.
- Eliminated one option: attempt only if you have a reason to lean towards one of the remaining three.
- Eliminated none: skip and move on.
Penalties differ between exams
A penalty of 0.25 on a 1-mark question (as in SSC CPO Paper 1) is proportionally the same as 0.5 on a 2-mark question. A penalty of 1 on a 3-mark question (as in CGL Tier 2) is harsher — there a blind guess has zero expected gain, so skip unless you can eliminate at least one option.
Check your own accuracy
After each mock test, look at your accuracy figure. If it is below 80%, you are probably guessing too freely; above 95% with many skips suggests you can afford to attempt a few more.