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Is there negative marking for MSQ in GATE?
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No. GATE has no negative marking for MSQ (multiple select) questions, and none for NAT (numerical answer) questions either. Only MCQs carry a penalty. But MSQs also give no partial credit: you earn the marks only if you select exactly the correct set of options.
The three question types
| Type | What you do | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|
| MCQ (multiple choice) | Pick the one correct option out of four | Yes: 1/3 mark off for a wrong 1-mark question, 2/3 mark off for a wrong 2-mark question |
| MSQ (multiple select) | Pick one or more correct options out of four | None |
| NAT (numerical answer type) | Key the number on a virtual keypad | None |
These rules are the same in the GATE 2027 pattern as in the previous cycle.
How MSQ marking works in practice
Take an MSQ whose correct options are B and D.
| What you select | Result |
|---|---|
| B and D | Full marks |
| B only | 0 marks (no partial credit) |
| B, C and D | 0 marks (an extra option makes it wrong) |
| Nothing | 0 marks |
Wrong selections cost nothing beyond the lost marks. So for an MSQ you lose nothing by attempting it, and a second glance at each option is worth more than speed. The usual mistake is to leave an MSQ blank because "I am not sure about all four options". With no penalty, a reasoned selection is always better than a blank.
How MCQ penalties work
For a 1-mark MCQ, a wrong answer costs 1/3 mark, and for a 2-mark MCQ it costs 2/3 mark. Leaving it blank costs nothing. If you answer 30 one-mark MCQs and get 6 wrong, you lose 6 × 1/3 = 2 marks.
The penalty is one third of the question's value, so a blind guess among four options breaks even on average: 1/4 × 1 − 3/4 × 1/3 = 0. It helps only when you can remove at least one option. The paper has 65 questions in all; the mix is in how many questions are in GATE.
Practising each type
- Treat MCQs as "eliminate, then decide". Once you can drop two options, the guess has a positive average gain.
- Treat MSQs as four true/false checks. Check each option separately.
- Treat NATs as accuracy tasks: use the on-screen calculator carefully (is a calculator allowed in GATE).
The full question breakdown and marks by paper are in the GATE exam pattern guide.
Official source
The marking scheme is in the GATE 2027 Information Brochure and on the question paper pattern page of gate2027.iitm.ac.in, IIT Madras. Brochure PDF.
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