No. NET has no negative marking. A wrong answer scores zero, the same as a blank. That single rule should change how you sit the last half hour of the paper, and most candidates still do not act on it.
Key facts
- 200 MCQs in 180 minutes, one mark each
- Wrong answer: 0 marks
- Blank answer: 0 marks
- A blind guess on four options is worth 0.25 marks on average
Source: NUST published NET test format, checked October 2026
What the rule means in numbers
NET is 200 MCQs, each with four options. Every correct answer is one mark. A wrong answer costs nothing.
So a blind guess on a four-option question is worth a quarter of a mark on average. Leave 20 questions blank and you have thrown away about 5 marks in expectation. Under the merit formula, where NET carries 75% of your aggregate, 5 NET marks is close to 1.9 aggregate points. On a busy merit list that can be hundreds of positions.
expected marks from a blind guess = 1 / 4 = 0.25
20 blanks guessed = 20 * 0.25 = 5 marks
5 NET marks in the aggregate = (5 / 200) * 75 = 1.875 points
And most guesses are not blind. If you can rule out two options, each guess is worth half a mark.
Why candidates still leave blanks
Habit from other tests. MDCAT, ECAT and many academy mock tests use negative marking or have used it in the past. Students carry the "skip if unsure" reflex into a test where it costs them.
The interface. On the computer-based NET, choosing an option commits nothing until you press SAVE. A candidate can select an answer, move on, and leave the question blank without knowing it. This is the most common way blanks happen in CBNET, and it has nothing to do with strategy.
Running out of time. With 54 seconds a question, candidates who get stuck in Mathematics reach the end of the paper with 15 or 20 questions unseen.
How to use the rule
- Answer every question on the first pass. If a question will take more than a minute, pick your best option, press SAVE, flag it, and move on. You can change it later.
- Eliminate before you guess. Two minutes of elimination across ten hard questions is worth more than five minutes on one of them.
- Keep the last 10 minutes for a blank sweep. Go through the paper and check that every question has a saved answer. Only then press FINISH.
Practise without the penalty reflex
The fastest way to break the skip habit is to sit timed papers under the real rules. The full-length papers on this site run with no negative marking and the same 180-minute clock.
The no-negative-marking rule is from NUST's published test format. If NUST changes it for a future cycle, the official admissions page is where it will appear first.
FAQ
Is there negative marking in NUST NET 2027?
NUST has not announced any change for NET-2027. The current published format has no negative marking, so a wrong answer and a blank both score zero.
Should I guess in NET if I don't know the answer?
Yes. A guess can only add marks. Rule out what you can first, because each option you eliminate raises the value of the guess.
Do unsaved answers count in CBNET?
No. In the computer-based test an option only counts once you press SAVE. A selected but unsaved option is treated as blank.
