Negative marking is one of the biggest concerns for government exam aspirants. In many competitive examinations, an incorrect answer can reduce your score, forcing candidates to decide whether a doubtful question is worth attempting.

But some government and government-conducted eligibility examinations follow a different approach: incorrect answers do not attract negative marks.

This changes the examination strategy significantly.

Instead of losing marks for an incorrect response, candidates can attempt questions they are uncertain about after completing the questions they know confidently.

Here are seven prominent examinations whose recent schemes show no negative marking.

1. CTET — Central Teacher Eligibility Test

The Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for determining eligibility for teachers at the central level.

The CTET examination consists of multiple-choice questions. The published examination structure states that each question carries one mark and there is no negative marking. TCS iON

Key points

Conducting body: CBSE
Examination: CTET
Papers: Paper I and Paper II
Questions: MCQs
Negative marking: No
Paper I: Classes I–V
Paper II: Classes VI–VIII

Because incorrect answers do not attract a deduction, candidates can consider attempting questions they cannot eliminate completely.

However, the objective remains accuracy. No-negative-marking simply removes the downside of an incorrect response.

2. UGC NET

The University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

It determines eligibility for categories including Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor and PhD admission, according to the UGC-NET framework. CDN BBSR

The official UGC-NET June 2026 FAQ explicitly states:

Paper 1: 50 questions / 100 marks
Paper 2: 100 questions / 200 marks
Correct answer: 2 marks
Incorrect answer: No negative marking CDN BBSR

That makes UGC NET particularly interesting for candidates who are comfortable taking calculated attempts.

3. HTET — Haryana Teacher Eligibility Test

The Haryana Teacher Eligibility Test (HTET) is conducted for teacher eligibility in Haryana.

The HTET 2025 information bulletin states that there is no negative marking. The examination has three levels covering different teaching stages. HTET

HTET levels

Level I — Primary Teacher
Level II — Trained Graduate Teacher
Level III — Post Graduate Teacher

The published bulletin specifies 150 marks and states that incorrect answers do not result in negative marking. HTET

For candidates targeting teaching careers in Haryana, this removes one of the major risks associated with MCQ examinations.

4. APTET — Andhra Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test

The Andhra Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (APTET) is another examination where recent examination information specifies no negative marking.

The APTET June 2026 structure states that all questions are MCQs carrying one mark each and that there shall be no negative marking. Scribd

APTET structure

Paper I — Classes I–V
Paper II — Classes VI–VIII
150 MCQs
150 marks
No negative marking

The examination is particularly relevant for candidates pursuing teaching eligibility in Andhra Pradesh.

5. OTET — Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test

The Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) is conducted for teacher eligibility in Odisha.

The official 2025 OTET eligibility/examination document states that the test consists of Paper I and Paper II, with MCQs carrying one mark each.

Most importantly, it explicitly states:

There shall be no negative marking. BSE Odisha

OTET structure

Paper I
Paper II
MCQ-based examination
1 mark per question
No negative marking
2.5 hours per paper

Candidates should nevertheless read the latest OTET notification before applying because examination rules can be modified for future cycles.

6. KARTET — Karnataka Teacher Eligibility Test

The Karnataka Teacher Eligibility Test (KARTET) is conducted for candidates seeking teacher eligibility for Classes I–VIII in Karnataka.

The published KARTET 2025 examination pattern reports:

150 MCQs
150 marks
2 hours 30 minutes
No negative marking Physics Wallah

KARTET has:

Paper I for Classes I–V
Paper II for Classes VI–VIII

For candidates preparing for Karnataka teaching eligibility, the absence of negative marking allows a different attempt strategy from examinations where wrong answers carry deductions.

7. Bihar STET — Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test

The Bihar Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test (STET) is another eligibility examination where recent examination information reports no negative marking.

The 2025 Bihar STET examination consisted of 150 questions, with one mark awarded for each correct answer. Recent reporting on the official examination cycle states that incorrect answers carried zero marks rather than a penalty. Shiksha

Bihar STET

Conducting body: Bihar School Examination Board
Papers: Paper I and Paper II
Questions: 150
Correct answer: +1
Incorrect answer: 0
Negative marking: No

Government Exams With No Negative Marking: Quick Comparison

Exam	Level/Area	Questions	Negative Marking
CTET	Central Teacher Eligibility	150 per paper	❌ No
UGC NET	National Higher Education Eligibility	150 total	❌ No
HTET	Haryana Teacher Eligibility	150	❌ No
APTET	Andhra Pradesh Teacher Eligibility	150	❌ No
OTET	Odisha Teacher Eligibility	150	❌ No
KARTET	Karnataka Teacher Eligibility	150	❌ No
Bihar STET	Bihar Secondary Teacher Eligibility	150	❌ No

Note: These are primarily teacher eligibility or higher-education eligibility examinations, not seven conventional direct-recruitment exams such as SSC CGL, banking or railway recruitment. This distinction matters because eligibility tests and recruitment examinations serve different purposes.

Can You Attempt 100% Questions?

If the applicable examination has no negative marking and no separate penalty for unanswered questions, attempting every question can be mathematically sensible.

Consider a 100-question examination:

With negative marking

Suppose:

Correct = +1
Wrong = −0.25

If you guess four questions and get only one correct:

1 − 0.75 = 0.25 marks

Your guessing still produced a positive expected contribution in this simplified example, but careless guessing can hurt depending on the marking scheme and your probability of being correct.

Without negative marking

Suppose:

Correct = +1
Wrong = 0

If you attempt four uncertain questions and get one correct:

1 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 1 mark

There is no score reduction from the three incorrect answers.

That is the strategic advantage.

But Don’t Misunderstand “No Negative Marking”

This is where many articles become misleading.

No negative marking does not mean:

“You can guess everything and automatically score well.”

It means:

An incorrect answer does not reduce your existing score.

Your probability of getting the question right still matters.

A good strategy is:

Round 1 — Sure-shot questions

Attempt questions you know confidently.

Round 2 — Elimination

Attempt questions where you can eliminate one or more options.

Round 3 — Calculated guesses

Use remaining time on questions where you have some basis for selecting an option.

Round 4 — Complete the paper

If the rules genuinely impose no penalty for incorrect answers or blanks, use the remaining time to ensure no question is unnecessarily left unanswered.

Who Should Target No-Negative-Marking Exams?

These examinations can be particularly attractive to candidates who:

Lose marks because of negative marking
Have reasonable conceptual knowledge but inconsistent accuracy
Are strong at elimination-based questions
Want to maximize attempts
Are preparing for teaching eligibility
Prefer MCQ examinations without deduction for wrong answers

However, “no negative marking” should not be your only criterion.

Also check:

Eligibility
Age requirements
Qualification
State eligibility
Exam frequency
Certificate validity
Recruitment opportunities after qualification
Actual vacancies
Whether the examination itself provides a job or only eligibility

That last point is especially important.

Passing CTET, HTET, APTET, OTET, KARTET, REET or STET does not automatically mean you receive a government job. These examinations primarily establish eligibility; recruitment generally involves a separate selection process.

6️⃣ FAQ Section

1. Which government exams have no negative marking?

Recent examination schemes include CTET, UGC NET, HTET, APTET, OTET, KARTET and Bihar STET among examinations with no negative marking. Always verify the current notification.

2. Is CTET conducted without negative marking?

Yes. The CTET examination structure states that there is no negative marking. CTET

3. Does UGC NET have negative marking?

No. The official UGC-NET June 2026 FAQ states that there is no negative marking. CDN BBSR

4. Is HTET free from negative marking?

Yes. The HTET 2025 bulletin states that there is no negative marking. HTET

5. Does APTET have negative marking?

The APTET June 2026 examination structure states that there is no negative marking. Scribd

6. Does OTET have negative marking?

No. The 2025 OTET examination document explicitly states that there shall be no negative marking. BSE Odisha

7. Does KARTET have negative marking?

The published KARTET 2025 examination pattern reports no negative marking. Physics Wallah

8. Does Bihar STET have negative marking?

Recent Bihar STET 2025 examination information reports no negative marking. Shiksha

9. Can I guess answers in an exam without negative marking?

You can make educated guesses because an incorrect answer does not reduce your score. However, guessing does not guarantee marks.

10. Should I attempt every question?

If the latest examination rules impose no penalty for incorrect answers or the relevant unanswered-response condition, completing all questions can be a sensible strategy.

11. Is CTET a government job examination?

CTET is primarily a teacher eligibility examination. Passing CTET establishes eligibility; it does not itself guarantee appointment to a government teaching post.

12. Is UGC NET a government job exam?

UGC NET is an eligibility examination conducted by NTA on behalf of UGC. It determines eligibility for categories such as JRF, Assistant Professor and PhD admission; it is not itself a single government-job recruitment examination. CDN BBSR

13. Which no-negative-marking exam is available after graduation?

Eligibility depends on the examination. UGC NET is a major national-level option for candidates meeting its postgraduate eligibility requirements. Teaching eligibility tests may also require specific teacher-education qualifications.

14. Does no negative marking make an exam easy?

No. A no-negative-marking scheme removes one type of scoring penalty, but the syllabus, competition, qualifying marks and difficulty level can still make the examination challenging.

15. Can I attempt 100% questions in CTET?

CTET has no negative marking, so incorrect responses do not reduce the score. Candidates should still follow the latest instructions regarding answering and marking the OMR sheet. CTET

16. Are all government exams without negative marking?

No. Many major government recruitment examinations do have negative marking. For example, a recent DSSSB advertisement specifies a 25% deduction for an incorrect answer. DSSSB

17. Does no negative marking mean I get marks for unanswered questions?

No. An unanswered question normally receives zero marks unless the examination rules specify something different.

18. Can marking schemes change?

Yes. Never assume that an older article accurately describes the current examination. Check the latest official notification before applying or deciding your attempt strategy.

Top 7 Government Exams with No Negative Marking in 2026