The origin of negative marking in competitive exams first started with exams like UPSC and CAT. Negative marking means that certain marks are cut for answering a question wrongly. It was later introduced in banking exams and CLAT Exam to penalize the students who are randomly guessing answers because they are not prepared. Only the students with ample knowledge get selected in the end. In this blog post, we will sought the common query of many candidates on how should we avoid loss of marks because of negative marking in CLAT Exam. Tips on how to reduce Negative Marking in CLAT Exam:

1. Reduce Negative Marking in
CLAT 2017
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2. We all know one major tip to reduce negative marking.
“Mark an answer only if you are confident about it”
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3. But completely avoiding
guessing in the exam is not
possible. Here are some valid
suggestions to help you guess
and still not lose marks in the
exam.
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4. 1. Do not do the guesswork mindlessly
If you do not know how to solve many questions, the only option you have at hand is to make some
intelligent guesses. You must have a fair idea about majority of topics in all the subjects, so much
so, that you know the possible answer to the question among given set of options, to make such
type of guesses.
Do the guesswork only when you are confused between two answer choices available. Zero down
to 2 options for guesswork, when you are attempting unsure questions. There are 50%
chances that you will get it right. Leave the question unattempted if you are confused between more
than two options, as your chances of getting it right are now reduced to 33% or even lower.
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5. 2. Mark all the answers you are sure about in the beginning
Initially solve the questions you are sure about and then move to solving the questions you are not
very sure about. While you scan the questions, marks those using the ‘Review’ button so that
you can come back to them later.
There is no such specific way to avoid negative marks completely. Leaving the question
unanswered for later attempt is the only way to minimize precious time spent on attempting question
that could result in negative marking. Be cautious of skipping too many unfamiliar questions, as
this will bring down your overall attempt of the total questions attempted in the examination.
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6. 3. Know when it’s time to stop guessing
If an aspirant has an idea about the expected marks that will be enough to get to his target college,
the aspirant must stop guessing. Keep attempting; if you have time at hand to attempt, but it’s time
to stop if you are just guessing to increase your overall attempt. Your attempt shouldn’t be so high
that it leads to loss of marks because of negative marking.
4. Do the analysis of Mocks and Previous Years Papers
Practice of previous year’s papers and mock tests will help to understand the examiner’s criteria of
setting the question paper. Mock tests prepare you for the upcoming exam in a manner that they
acquaint you with the actual exam difficulty level. Candidates get to know the important things like
where they are losing marks or wasting time only by attempting mocks. The aspirant can reduce
loss of marks due to negative marking if they keep their weaknesses in mind and improve for better.
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7. 5. Be careful regarding Units in Elementary Mathematics
Aspirants copy the figures incorrectly on their rough sheet and mark answers incorrectly while
solving graphs and complex questions. Always cross - check what you copy from the screen to the
sheet. This is one of the biggest drawbacks of the online tests that can resolved by taking ample
CLAT online mock tests.
6. Go for reverse Engineering
If you are unaware on how to solve a particular question, then straightaway go to the options
available. Instead of mindless guessing or trying to form equations, just check which option satisfies
all the conditions given in the question. Usually, there is only one such option. This trick is very
useful in saving time in Maths questions.
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8. 7. Correct your frequently made mistakes
Avoid the topic in the exam that you hardly answer correctly. It is not necessary to attempt
questions that you never got correct whilst practicing in the comfort of your home, just because your
attempt is going low. Do not let the examination anxiety make you all the more unreasonable.
Giving due weight to minimizing the scope of negative marking is important. To successfully avoid
the negative marking, follow the above mentioned points. It is highly recommended to take
calculated risks wherever there is a possibility. Don’t go for reckless guesswork as this might harm
you more than doing any good.
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9. Best of luck!
OPUS
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+91 (033) 4003 4556
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Kolkata - 700026
(Sony Centre / Next to Bhawanipur
College) 2nd Floor / Kolkata – West
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