{
 "name": "Exam patterns: sections, questions, marks, time and negative marking",
 "description": "Section-wise pattern of 15 Indian competitive exams (UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL/CHSL/GD, IBPS PO/RRB, RRB NTPC, JEE Main, NEET UG, CAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT): questions, marks and time per section, marks per correct answer and the negative marking.",
 "source": "Latest official notification of each exam, as summarised on the exam's RankVyuh page",
 "updated": "2026-10-27",
 "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
 "rows": [
  {
   "exam": "UPSC Prelims",
   "stage": "GS Paper I",
   "conducted_by": "Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)",
   "section": "General Studies Paper I",
   "questions": 100,
   "marks": 200,
   "section_time": "2 hours",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.6666666666666666,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 200,
   "total_time": "120 minutes",
   "marking_note": "+2 for a correct answer. A wrong answer costs one third of the question's marks (0.66). GS Paper I marks decide the Prelims cutoff."
  },
  {
   "exam": "UPSC CSAT",
   "stage": "Paper II",
   "conducted_by": "Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)",
   "section": "CSAT (Paper II)",
   "questions": 80,
   "marks": 200,
   "section_time": "2 hours",
   "marks_per_correct": 2.5,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.8333333333333334,
   "total_questions": 80,
   "total_marks": 200,
   "total_time": "120 minutes",
   "marking_note": "+2.5 for a correct answer. A wrong answer costs one third of the question's marks (0.83). Qualifying paper: 66 marks (33%) needed."
  },
  {
   "exam": "SSC CGL",
   "stage": "Tier 1",
   "conducted_by": "Staff Selection Commission",
   "section": "General Intelligence & Reasoning",
   "questions": 25,
   "marks": 50,
   "section_time": "15 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.5,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 200,
   "total_time": "60 minutes (4 × 15)",
   "marking_note": "+2 for each correct answer, −0.5 for each wrong answer. Computer-based, in English and Hindi."
  },
  {
   "exam": "SSC CGL",
   "stage": "Tier 1",
   "conducted_by": "Staff Selection Commission",
   "section": "General Awareness",
   "questions": 25,
   "marks": 50,
   "section_time": "15 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.5,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 200,
   "total_time": "60 minutes (4 × 15)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "SSC CGL",
   "stage": "Tier 1",
   "conducted_by": "Staff Selection Commission",
   "section": "Quantitative Aptitude",
   "questions": 25,
   "marks": 50,
   "section_time": "15 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.5,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 200,
   "total_time": "60 minutes (4 × 15)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "SSC CGL",
   "stage": "Tier 1",
   "conducted_by": "Staff Selection Commission",
   "section": "English Comprehension",
   "questions": 25,
   "marks": 50,
   "section_time": "15 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.5,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 200,
   "total_time": "60 minutes (4 × 15)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "SSC CHSL",
   "stage": "Tier 1",
   "conducted_by": "Staff Selection Commission",
   "section": "English Language",
   "questions": 25,
   "marks": 50,
   "section_time": "15 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.5,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 200,
   "total_time": "60 minutes (4 × 15)",
   "marking_note": "+2 for each correct answer, −0.5 for each wrong answer. Computer-based, in English and Hindi."
  },
  {
   "exam": "SSC CHSL",
   "stage": "Tier 1",
   "conducted_by": "Staff Selection Commission",
   "section": "General Intelligence",
   "questions": 25,
   "marks": 50,
   "section_time": "15 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.5,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 200,
   "total_time": "60 minutes (4 × 15)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "SSC CHSL",
   "stage": "Tier 1",
   "conducted_by": "Staff Selection Commission",
   "section": "Quantitative Aptitude",
   "questions": 25,
   "marks": 50,
   "section_time": "15 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.5,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 200,
   "total_time": "60 minutes (4 × 15)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "SSC CHSL",
   "stage": "Tier 1",
   "conducted_by": "Staff Selection Commission",
   "section": "General Awareness",
   "questions": 25,
   "marks": 50,
   "section_time": "15 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.5,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 200,
   "total_time": "60 minutes (4 × 15)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "SSC GD",
   "stage": "CBE",
   "conducted_by": "Staff Selection Commission",
   "section": "General Intelligence & Reasoning",
   "questions": 20,
   "marks": 40,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 80,
   "total_marks": 160,
   "total_time": "60 minutes",
   "marking_note": "+2 for each correct answer, −0.25 for each wrong answer. Part D can be taken in English or Hindi; our mocks use English."
  },
  {
   "exam": "SSC GD",
   "stage": "CBE",
   "conducted_by": "Staff Selection Commission",
   "section": "General Knowledge & General Awareness",
   "questions": 20,
   "marks": 40,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 80,
   "total_marks": 160,
   "total_time": "60 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "SSC GD",
   "stage": "CBE",
   "conducted_by": "Staff Selection Commission",
   "section": "Elementary Mathematics",
   "questions": 20,
   "marks": 40,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 80,
   "total_marks": 160,
   "total_time": "60 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "SSC GD",
   "stage": "CBE",
   "conducted_by": "Staff Selection Commission",
   "section": "English / Hindi",
   "questions": 20,
   "marks": 40,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 2,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 80,
   "total_marks": 160,
   "total_time": "60 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "IBPS PO",
   "stage": "Prelims",
   "conducted_by": "Institute of Banking Personnel Selection",
   "section": "English Language",
   "questions": 30,
   "marks": 30,
   "section_time": "20 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 100,
   "total_time": "60 minutes (3 × 20)",
   "marking_note": "A wrong answer costs a quarter of that question's marks. IBPS publishes section totals, so we spread marks evenly within each section."
  },
  {
   "exam": "IBPS PO",
   "stage": "Prelims",
   "conducted_by": "Institute of Banking Personnel Selection",
   "section": "Quantitative Aptitude",
   "questions": 35,
   "marks": 30,
   "section_time": "20 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 100,
   "total_time": "60 minutes (3 × 20)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "IBPS PO",
   "stage": "Prelims",
   "conducted_by": "Institute of Banking Personnel Selection",
   "section": "Reasoning Ability",
   "questions": 35,
   "marks": 40,
   "section_time": "20 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 100,
   "total_time": "60 minutes (3 × 20)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "IBPS RRB",
   "stage": "PO & Clerk Prelims",
   "conducted_by": "Institute of Banking Personnel Selection",
   "section": "Reasoning",
   "questions": 40,
   "marks": 40,
   "section_time": "25 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 80,
   "total_marks": 80,
   "total_time": "45 minutes (25 + 20)",
   "marking_note": "+1 for each correct answer, −0.25 for each wrong answer. Separate cutoffs for each section."
  },
  {
   "exam": "IBPS RRB",
   "stage": "PO & Clerk Prelims",
   "conducted_by": "Institute of Banking Personnel Selection",
   "section": "Quantitative Aptitude / Numerical Ability",
   "questions": 40,
   "marks": 40,
   "section_time": "20 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 80,
   "total_marks": 80,
   "total_time": "45 minutes (25 + 20)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "RRB NTPC",
   "stage": "CBT 1",
   "conducted_by": "Railway Recruitment Boards",
   "section": "General Awareness",
   "questions": 40,
   "marks": 40,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.3333333333333333,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 100,
   "total_time": "90 minutes",
   "marking_note": "+1 for each correct answer, −⅓ for each wrong answer. Common for graduate and undergraduate posts."
  },
  {
   "exam": "RRB NTPC",
   "stage": "CBT 1",
   "conducted_by": "Railway Recruitment Boards",
   "section": "Mathematics",
   "questions": 30,
   "marks": 30,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.3333333333333333,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 100,
   "total_time": "90 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "RRB NTPC",
   "stage": "CBT 1",
   "conducted_by": "Railway Recruitment Boards",
   "section": "General Intelligence & Reasoning",
   "questions": 30,
   "marks": 30,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.3333333333333333,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 100,
   "total_time": "90 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "JEE Main",
   "stage": "Paper 1",
   "conducted_by": "National Testing Agency",
   "section": "Physics (20 MCQ + 5 numerical)",
   "questions": 25,
   "marks": 100,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 4,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 75,
   "total_marks": 300,
   "total_time": "3 hours",
   "marking_note": "+4 for a correct answer and −1 for a wrong one, for both MCQs and numerical value questions, as in recent NTA papers. All 75 questions are compulsory."
  },
  {
   "exam": "JEE Main",
   "stage": "Paper 1",
   "conducted_by": "National Testing Agency",
   "section": "Chemistry (20 MCQ + 5 numerical)",
   "questions": 25,
   "marks": 100,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 4,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 75,
   "total_marks": 300,
   "total_time": "3 hours",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "JEE Main",
   "stage": "Paper 1",
   "conducted_by": "National Testing Agency",
   "section": "Mathematics (20 MCQ + 5 numerical)",
   "questions": 25,
   "marks": 100,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 4,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 75,
   "total_marks": 300,
   "total_time": "3 hours",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "NEET",
   "stage": "UG",
   "conducted_by": "National Testing Agency",
   "section": "Physics",
   "questions": 45,
   "marks": 180,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 4,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 180,
   "total_marks": 720,
   "total_time": "3 hours",
   "marking_note": "+4 for a correct answer and −1 for a wrong one. All 180 questions are compulsory; the optional Section B was removed from 2025."
  },
  {
   "exam": "NEET",
   "stage": "UG",
   "conducted_by": "National Testing Agency",
   "section": "Chemistry",
   "questions": 45,
   "marks": 180,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 4,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 180,
   "total_marks": 720,
   "total_time": "3 hours",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "NEET",
   "stage": "UG",
   "conducted_by": "National Testing Agency",
   "section": "Biology: Botany",
   "questions": 45,
   "marks": 180,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 4,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 180,
   "total_marks": 720,
   "total_time": "3 hours",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "NEET",
   "stage": "UG",
   "conducted_by": "National Testing Agency",
   "section": "Biology: Zoology",
   "questions": 45,
   "marks": 180,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 4,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 180,
   "total_marks": 720,
   "total_time": "3 hours",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "CAT",
   "stage": "2026",
   "conducted_by": "IIMs (CAT 2026 by IIM Indore)",
   "section": "Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension",
   "questions": 24,
   "marks": 72,
   "section_time": "40 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 3,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 68,
   "total_marks": 204,
   "total_time": "120 minutes (3 × 40)",
   "marking_note": "+3 for a correct answer. −1 for a wrong MCQ, no negative marking for a wrong TITA (type-in-the-answer) question. About a third of the questions are TITA."
  },
  {
   "exam": "CAT",
   "stage": "2026",
   "conducted_by": "IIMs (CAT 2026 by IIM Indore)",
   "section": "Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning",
   "questions": 22,
   "marks": 66,
   "section_time": "40 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 3,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 68,
   "total_marks": 204,
   "total_time": "120 minutes (3 × 40)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "CAT",
   "stage": "2026",
   "conducted_by": "IIMs (CAT 2026 by IIM Indore)",
   "section": "Quantitative Ability",
   "questions": 22,
   "marks": 66,
   "section_time": "40 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 3,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 68,
   "total_marks": 204,
   "total_time": "120 minutes (3 × 40)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "XAT",
   "stage": "2027",
   "conducted_by": "XLRI Jamshedpur",
   "section": "Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation",
   "questions": 28,
   "marks": 28,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 95,
   "total_marks": 75,
   "total_time": "180 minutes (Part 1: 170, GK: 10)",
   "marking_note": "+1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one. After 8 unanswered questions, each further unanswered question in Part 1 costs 0.10. GK has no negative marking and does not count towards the percentile."
  },
  {
   "exam": "XAT",
   "stage": "2027",
   "conducted_by": "XLRI Jamshedpur",
   "section": "Decision Making",
   "questions": 21,
   "marks": 21,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 95,
   "total_marks": 75,
   "total_time": "180 minutes (Part 1: 170, GK: 10)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "XAT",
   "stage": "2027",
   "conducted_by": "XLRI Jamshedpur",
   "section": "Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning",
   "questions": 26,
   "marks": 26,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 95,
   "total_marks": 75,
   "total_time": "180 minutes (Part 1: 170, GK: 10)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "XAT",
   "stage": "2027",
   "conducted_by": "XLRI Jamshedpur",
   "section": "General Knowledge (not in percentile)",
   "questions": 20,
   "marks": 20,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 95,
   "total_marks": 75,
   "total_time": "180 minutes (Part 1: 170, GK: 10)",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "SNAP",
   "stage": "2026",
   "conducted_by": "Symbiosis International (Deemed University)",
   "section": "General English",
   "questions": 10,
   "marks": 10,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 60,
   "total_marks": 60,
   "total_time": "60 minutes",
   "marking_note": "+1 for a correct answer, −0.25 for a wrong one. No calculator. You may take SNAP up to three times; the best score counts."
  },
  {
   "exam": "SNAP",
   "stage": "2026",
   "conducted_by": "Symbiosis International (Deemed University)",
   "section": "Analytical & Logical Reasoning",
   "questions": 20,
   "marks": 20,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 60,
   "total_marks": 60,
   "total_time": "60 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "SNAP",
   "stage": "2026",
   "conducted_by": "Symbiosis International (Deemed University)",
   "section": "Quantitative, DI & DS",
   "questions": 20,
   "marks": 20,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 60,
   "total_marks": 60,
   "total_time": "60 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "SNAP",
   "stage": "2026",
   "conducted_by": "Symbiosis International (Deemed University)",
   "section": "Ethics, Morality & Values (new)",
   "questions": 10,
   "marks": 10,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": -0.25,
   "total_questions": 60,
   "total_marks": 60,
   "total_time": "60 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "NMAT",
   "stage": "2026",
   "conducted_by": "GMAC",
   "section": "Language Skills",
   "questions": 36,
   "marks": 36,
   "section_time": "28 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": 0,
   "total_questions": 108,
   "total_marks": 108,
   "total_time": "120 minutes",
   "marking_note": "No negative marking. The real NMAT is computer-adaptive and reports a scaled score of 36–360."
  },
  {
   "exam": "NMAT",
   "stage": "2026",
   "conducted_by": "GMAC",
   "section": "Quantitative Skills",
   "questions": 36,
   "marks": 36,
   "section_time": "52 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": 0,
   "total_questions": 108,
   "total_marks": 108,
   "total_time": "120 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "NMAT",
   "stage": "2026",
   "conducted_by": "GMAC",
   "section": "Logical Reasoning",
   "questions": 36,
   "marks": 36,
   "section_time": "40 min",
   "marks_per_correct": 1,
   "marks_per_wrong": 0,
   "total_questions": 108,
   "total_marks": 108,
   "total_time": "120 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "CMAT",
   "stage": "2027",
   "conducted_by": "National Testing Agency",
   "section": "Quantitative Techniques & DI",
   "questions": 20,
   "marks": 80,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 4,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 400,
   "total_time": "180 minutes",
   "marking_note": "+4 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong one."
  },
  {
   "exam": "CMAT",
   "stage": "2027",
   "conducted_by": "National Testing Agency",
   "section": "Logical Reasoning",
   "questions": 20,
   "marks": 80,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 4,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 400,
   "total_time": "180 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "CMAT",
   "stage": "2027",
   "conducted_by": "National Testing Agency",
   "section": "Language Comprehension",
   "questions": 20,
   "marks": 80,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 4,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 400,
   "total_time": "180 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "CMAT",
   "stage": "2027",
   "conducted_by": "National Testing Agency",
   "section": "General Awareness",
   "questions": 20,
   "marks": 80,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 4,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 400,
   "total_time": "180 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  },
  {
   "exam": "CMAT",
   "stage": "2027",
   "conducted_by": "National Testing Agency",
   "section": "Innovation & Entrepreneurship",
   "questions": 20,
   "marks": 80,
   "section_time": "",
   "marks_per_correct": 4,
   "marks_per_wrong": -1,
   "total_questions": 100,
   "total_marks": 400,
   "total_time": "180 minutes",
   "marking_note": ""
  }
 ]
}