PSC Mastery

Negative marking in Kerala PSC objective examinations

In Kerala PSC objective (OMR valuation) examinations, each correct answer earns 1 mark and one third of a mark is deducted for each wrong answer. Leaving a question unattempted costs nothing. The Commission adds a rule most candidates miss: marking more than one answer, or altering a marked answer, results in negative marks — so a corrected bubble is scored as a wrong answer, not as a blank.

Steps

  1. The rule, verbatim

    The Commission’s special instructions for objective-type tests state: "Each correct answer will fetch 1 mark. But 1/3 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer (negative mark)."

  2. Blanks are free

    A question you do not attempt attracts no deduction. The only cost of skipping is the mark you did not earn.

  3. Two bubbles, or a changed bubble, is a wrong answer

    The instructions state that marking more than one answer or making alterations in the marked answer will result in negative marks. This is why care while bubbling is worth more than speed.

  4. Do the arithmetic before you guess

    At one third per wrong answer, three wrong guesses cancel one correct answer. A guess is worth taking when you have genuinely narrowed the options; a blind guess across four options is not favourable.

  5. One caution about other exam types

    The one-third figure is stated in the Commission’s instructions for objective OMR examinations. We did not find the same fraction restated for Departmental Tests or for online examinations, so do not assume it carries across — read the instruction sheet attached to that specific examination.

Frequently asked questions

How much is deducted for a wrong answer in Kerala PSC exams?#

One third of a mark per wrong answer in objective OMR examinations, against 1 mark for each correct answer.

Do unattempted questions carry a negative mark?#

No. Only wrong answers are penalised. Marking more than one bubble or altering a marked answer, however, counts as wrong.

Does the one-third rule apply to Departmental Tests too?#

We could not confirm it. The fraction is stated in the Commission’s OMR instructions for objective-type tests; the Departmental Test material we checked does not restate it. Check that test’s own instruction sheet.

Official sources

Steps last verified against official Kerala PSC sources on 25 August 2026.

Where the Commission has not published a rule, this guide says so rather than guessing. Anything marked “not officially published” is exactly that.

This is an independent guide for aspirants, written from the Commission’s own published instructions. Portal screens and rules change — always confirm on keralapsc.gov.in and in your own Thulasi profile before acting. PSC Mastery is not affiliated with the Kerala Public Service Commission.