JEE Main marking scheme: +4, -1 and guessing

Both sections of the physics paper score +4 for a right answer, -1 for a wrong one and 0 for a question left unanswered.

Right answer	+4
Wrong answer	-1, in Section A and Section B
Unanswered	0
Section B entry	An integer, on an on-screen keypad

Section B answers are integers

In Section B you enter the answer as an integer with the mouse and an on-screen numeric keypad. The bulletin says the answer should be rounded off to the nearest integer.

What -1 means for guessing

A pure guess on a four-option question is right one time in four, so on average it is worth 1/4 × 4 − 3/4 × 1 = 1/4 of a mark. Rule out one option and the average rises to 1/3 × 4 − 2/3 × 1 = 2/3 of a mark. An average is not a promise: each wrong guess still costs a mark, so solve what you can first and guess only after ruling options out.

How our timed papers mark

Our two timed papers use the same rule: +4, -1 and 0, for 20 multiple-choice and 5 numerical questions in 60 minutes. The result is marks out of 100 by section, never a percentile or a rank.

Try 2 questions

Question 1Section A: multiple choice

To find a liquid's density, a student weighs an empty beaker,

0.0503\ \mathrm{kg}

, and then the beaker holding

2.15 \times 10^{-6}\ \mathrm{m^3}

of the liquid,

0.05248\ \mathrm{kg}

. What density should be reported, to the correct number of significant figures?

Question 2Section A: multiple choice

The graph shows the stopping potential

V_0

against the frequency

f

of the light for a metal surface. The line meets the frequency axis at

5.0 \times 10^{14}\ \mathrm{Hz}

and passes through

V_0

= 2.07\ \mathrm{V}

10.0 \times 10^{14}\ \mathrm{Hz}

. Taking

e

= 1.6 \times 10^{-19}\ \mathrm{C}

, what are Planck's constant and the work function of the metal?

Next step

Take the free check Start the measurement lesson

Questions people ask

Is there negative marking in Section B?

Yes. The 2027 bulletin gives -1 for an incorrect answer in Section B as well as Section A.

What if a question is dropped?

The bulletin says that if a question is found to be incorrect or is dropped, every candidate in that shift gets 4 marks for it.