NEET negative marking, without the confusing score math
The official 2026 rule is simple: +4 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong answer and 0 for a blank. Use the calculator to check any 180-question attempt.
Practise a free NEET paperNEET score calculator
Check the negative-marking math
Calculated score
580/ 720
170 attempted
180 total
150 × 4 − 20 × 1 = 580
The calculator uses the official 2026 rule. Check the next NTA bulletin before a later exam.
Official 2026 rule
One formula covers every NEET score
Count the marked answers after a paper. Multiply correct responses by four, then subtract the wrong responses. Blank questions do not change the total.
Source: the NTA NEET UG 2026 Information Bulletin. Check the next bulletin before a later exam.
+4
Correct answer
Four marks are added.
−1
Wrong answer
One mark is deducted.
0
Unanswered
No mark is added or lost.
Correct marks
Correct × 4
Wrong penalty
Wrong × 1
Final score
Out of 720
Worked examples
Check the count before judging the score
These examples all total 180 questions. The score changes only through the balance of correct and wrong responses.
The common mix-up
A wrong answer loses one mark, not five
NTA subtracts one mark for an incorrect option. Students sometimes call it a five-mark loss because a correct answer would add four instead.
Changing one response from correct to wrong moves the score from +4 to −1. That creates a five-mark difference, but the official negative mark remains −1.
One question, three outcomes
Correct
Four marks added
Blank
No score change
Wrong
One mark deducted
After the calculation
Find which wrong answers can be fixed
- 01
Separate knowledge gaps
Mark questions where the concept or fact was missing. These need study before another full paper.
- 02
Separate decision errors
Find misreads, sign errors, unit errors and rushed choices. These need a repeatable check.
- 03
Retest one pattern
Use the next timed paper to see whether the same error type becomes less common.
NEET negative marking FAQ
Is the negative marking in NEET 1 mark or 5 marks?
NTA deducts one mark for each incorrect answer. The five-mark difference describes changing one response from correct (+4) to wrong (-1). It is not a five-mark penalty.
What does one-fourth negative marking mean in NEET?
A correct answer earns four marks and a wrong answer loses one. The one-mark penalty is one fourth of the four marks awarded for a correct answer.
Are marks deducted for unanswered NEET questions?
No. The 2026 NTA bulletin awards zero marks for an unanswered question. A wrong marked option receives minus one mark.
How do I calculate my NEET score?
Multiply correct answers by four, then subtract the number of wrong answers. Unanswered questions add zero: score = (correct × 4) − wrong.