How To Avoid Negative Marking in NEET 2025?

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is the single medical entrance examination conducted by the NTA in India. As per the NEET marking scheme, one mark is deducted for every incorrect answer. Negative marking in NEET can impact the overall score of candidates despite having good preparation. With each incorrect answer costing one mark candidates must know about good preparation strategy and a careful approach to minimize errors.

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This Story also Contains

1. How to reduce negative marking in NEET: Check the strategies
2. Avoid negative marking strategy: Know the fundamentals
3. NEET 2025 negative marking policy
4. How to reduce negative marking in NEET 2025?
5. NEET negative marking policy: Avoid over guessing
6. Avoid negative marking in NEET 2025: Practice time management
7. How to avoid negative marking in NEET 2025: Fill OMR wisely

NEET UG is the most competitive exam where a single mark can determine the rank and college options for candidates. The challenge is not only scoring high, it's also about avoiding negative marks. For aspirants it is important to understand how to approach the exam while preparing for the NEET 2025 syllabus. This article on ‘how to avoid negative marking in NEET?’ from Career360 aims to focus on guiding candidates how they can reduce negative marking in NEET thus improving chances of success.

How to reduce negative marking in NEET: Check the strategies

Negative marking in NEET is an important aspect for the candidates wishing to appear for the NEET 2025 examination. Refer to the strategies mentioned below to avoid negative marking in NEET 2025.

Avoid negative marking in NEET 2025: Understand the NEET marking scheme

Candidates wishing to appear for the NEET 2025 must understand the marking scheme to avoid the negative marking. As per the NEET exam pattern, 4 marks are awarded for every correct answer and 1 mark is deducted for every incorrect answer whereas no marks are deducted for unanswered questions. As every incorrect answer costs 1 mark it is better to leave a question if a candidate is not sure about the answer.

Avoid negative marking strategy: Know the fundamentals

NEET exam comprises questions based on NCERT syllabus. Physics and Chemistry constitutes 50% of the exam and the remaining 50% is covered by NEET biology syllabus 2025. Candidates must make their basics strong to reduce the negative marking in NEET. When the fundamentals are clear, it’s less likely to make errors that lead to negative marking. Therefore, candidates must ensure that they:

• Cover all NCERT topics

• Practice diagrams and terminologies of Biology

• Solve Physics and Chemistry problems regularly to improve their accuracy in numerical questions

NEET 2025 negative marking policy

Practicing with NEET previous year’s question paper is one of the best ways to prepare for the medical entrance examination. Candidates must solve the previous year’s NEET question paper and analyze their mistakes as this helps in focussing on topics which need improvement and thus avoiding negative marking. Candidates must practice using NEET mock tests as they stimulate actual exam condition and helps in:

• Understanding the NEET paper pattern

• Managing time efficiently

• Identifying weak areas

How to reduce negative marking in NEET 2025?

Many negative marks in NEET often come from not reading the question carefully. Although this is not true with all the candidates, many earn negative marks by misinterpreting words which can lead to incorrect answers. Therefore, to avoid negative marking in NEET 2025, candidates must train themselves by:

• Reading every question carefully before answering

• Avoiding making assumptions about what the question is asking

NEET negative marking policy: Avoid over guessing

Candidates must avoid guessing an answer when they are unsure to avoid negative marking in NEET 2025. Over-guessing is risky in the medical entrance examination due to NEET negative marking policy. Here are some tips for candidates to avoid negative marks:

• Avoid random guessing if you have no idea about the answer

• Guess only if you can eliminate two or three options confidently

Avoid negative marking in NEET 2025: Practice time management

Sometimes under time pressure candidates rush through questions and make mistakes which leads to earning negative marks in NEET. Therefore, it is advisable to allocate time wisely to each section, avoid spending too much time on a single question and practice through the NEET test series to build speed and accuracy.

How to avoid negative marking in NEET 2025: Fill OMR wisely

Sometimes the correct answer is known by the student but while marking it in the OMR sheet, a mistake happens. Therefore, while filling the NEET OMR sheet candidates must:

• Double check the question number before marking the corresponding answer

• Avoid marking answers collectively. Instead mark in batches to save time and avoid mistakes.

Practice numerical skills

In Physics and Chemistry, numerical problems often lead to negative marking in NEET due to calculation errors. It is not important to solve all 200 questions. If you are not sure about the calculated answer, you must leave the question. Therefore, candidates must practice solving problems daily to gain speed and accuracy and write calculations clearly to avoid confusion during the exam.

Stay calm

NEET is a highly competitive exam and anxiety while attempting questions can lead to hurried decisions and mistakes. Therefore, on the NEET exam day candidates should stay calm, avoid distractions and take deep breaths to regain concentration.