{"id":125,"date":"2026-06-09T07:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T01:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/?p=125"},"modified":"2026-06-06T19:16:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T13:46:42","slug":"ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/","title":{"rendered":"SSC CGL 2026 Negative Marking Strategy: How Many Questions to Attempt for a Safe Score"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- BLOG POST DETAILS: Title: SSC CGL 2026 Negative Marking Strategy: How Many Questions to Attempt for a Safe Score Slug: ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score Category: SSC CGL Language: English Schedule: 9 June 2026 \u2014 7:00 AM Focus Keyword: SSC CGL 2026 negative marking strategy Meta Description (158 chars): SSC CGL 2026 negative marking is -0.5 in Tier 1 and -1 in Tier 2. Know exactly how many questions to attempt per section for a safe score. Calculator + strategy inside. --><\/p>\n<p style=\"background-color: #fff3cd; border-left: 4px solid #f4811f; padding: 14px 18px; font-size: 15px; border-radius: 4px;\">\u26a1 <strong>Quick Facts:<\/strong> Tier 1 negative marking = <strong>-0.5 per wrong answer<\/strong>. Tier 2 Paper 1 = <strong>-1 per wrong answer<\/strong>. Blank answers = <strong>0 marks, no penalty<\/strong>. One wrong answer in Tier 2 costs you the equivalent of missing 1.5 correct answers. Read this before your next mock test.<\/p>\n<p>Most candidates know negative marking exists. Very few understand how to use it as a strategy. The difference between a 140-mark performance and a 155-mark performance is often not knowledge \u2014 it is knowing <em>which questions to skip<\/em> and <em>how many to attempt<\/em>. This post gives you the exact numbers, section by section, with real score calculations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"background-color: #f0fff4; border: 1px solid #c3e6cb; padding: 14px 18px; border-radius: 4px;\">\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Practice your attempt strategy in real exam conditions:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/academy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Free Mock Tests at SuperPahal Academy<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 sectional timer, instant score, full analysis.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>The Basic Maths \u2014 Understanding the Real Cost of a Wrong Answer<\/h2>\n<p>Before strategy, understand the arithmetic. In SSC CGL Tier 1:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Every <strong>correct answer<\/strong> = <strong>+2 marks<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Every <strong>wrong answer<\/strong> = <strong>-0.5 marks<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Every <strong>skipped question<\/strong> = <strong>0 marks<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This means: <strong>4 wrong answers cancel out 1 correct answer<\/strong>. Or said differently \u2014 every time you guess randomly and get it wrong, you need to answer one more question correctly just to break even.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 14px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Scenario<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Correct<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Wrong<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Skipped<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Score<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Attempt all, 80% accuracy<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">80<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">20<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">0<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">(80\u00d72) \u2212 (20\u00d70.5) = <strong>150<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Attempt 85, skip 15 (same accuracy)<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">68<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">17<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">15<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">(68\u00d72) \u2212 (17\u00d70.5) = <strong>127.5<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Attempt 75, skip 25, 90% accuracy<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">67<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">8<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">25<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">(67\u00d72) \u2212 (8\u00d70.5) = <strong>130<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>Attempt 80, skip 20, 90% accuracy<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>72<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>8<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>20<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">(72\u00d72) \u2212 (8\u00d70.5) = <strong>140<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>Best strategy: 80 attempt, 92% accuracy<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>74<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>6<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>20<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">(74\u00d72) \u2212 (6\u00d70.5) = <strong>145<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"background-color: #f0fff4; border-left: 4px solid #27ae60; padding: 12px 16px; border-radius: 4px; margin-top: 14px;\">\ud83d\udca1 <strong>Key insight from the table:<\/strong> Attempting all 100 questions with 80% accuracy gives 150 marks. But attempting 80 questions with 92% accuracy gives 145 marks \u2014 nearly the same score with 20 fewer questions attempted. <strong>Accuracy beats volume every time.<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Tier 1 \u2014 Safe Attempt Target: Section by Section<\/h2>\n<p>With the new 15-minute sectional timer, you cannot compensate across sections. Each section needs its own attempt strategy.<\/p>\n<h3>Section 1 \u2014 Reasoning (25 questions, 15 min)<\/h3>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 14px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Preparation Level<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Safe Attempt<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Expected Correct<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Expected Score<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Beginner<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">15\u201317<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">12\u201314<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">21\u201325 marks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Intermediate<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">18\u201321<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">16\u201319<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">29\u201335 marks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Advanced<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">22\u201325<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">20\u201323<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">37\u201344 marks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Reasoning rules:<\/strong> Attempt Analogy, Series, Coding-Decoding, Syllogism, Blood Relations first \u2014 these are the fastest and most predictable. Skip complex Puzzles and Seating Arrangements in 15 minutes \u2014 they consume 3\u20134 minutes each. If you can confidently eliminate 2 of 4 options on a question, that is a reasonable attempt. If you cannot eliminate even one, skip it.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Section 2 \u2014 General Awareness (25 questions, 15 min)<\/h3>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 14px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Preparation Level<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Safe Attempt<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Expected Correct<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Expected Score<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Beginner<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">12\u201315<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">9\u201312<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">16\u201321 marks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Intermediate<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">17\u201320<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">15\u201318<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">28\u201333 marks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Advanced<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">21\u201325<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">19\u201323<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">36\u201344 marks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>GA rules:<\/strong> GA is the most dangerous section for random guessing \u2014 the answers are either known or unknown, with very little middle ground. The confidence threshold here should be higher than other sections. Only attempt if you are 70%+ sure. Science and Polity questions are usually more certain \u2014 attempt these confidently. Current affairs questions where you recall something but are not certain \u2014 use elimination but be cautious.<\/p>\n<p style=\"background-color: #fff3cd; border-left: 4px solid #e74c3c; padding: 12px 16px; border-radius: 4px;\">\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>GA-specific warning:<\/strong> Arts stream students often treat GA as a &#8220;guessing section&#8221; and attempt all 25. This is one of the biggest score killers in SSC CGL. If you guess 10 questions randomly and get 3 right and 7 wrong \u2014 you score 6 marks from correct and lose 3.5 from wrong \u2014 net gain is only 2.5 marks from 10 attempts. Skipping those 7 uncertain ones saves 3.5 marks.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Section 3 \u2014 Quantitative Aptitude \/ Maths (25 questions, 15 min)<\/h3>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 14px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Preparation Level<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Safe Attempt<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Expected Correct<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Expected Score<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Beginner<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">12\u201315<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">10\u201313<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">18\u201323 marks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Intermediate<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">16\u201319<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">14\u201317<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">26\u201331 marks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Advanced<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">20\u201323<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">18\u201321<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">34\u201340 marks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Maths rules:<\/strong> In Maths, you either know the method or you do not \u2014 there is rarely a halfway point. The 60-second rule applies here strictly: if a question has not started resolving within 60 seconds, skip it immediately. Percentage, Profit\/Loss, Ratio, Time-Work \u2014 attempt these first. Complex DI sets and advanced Geometry \u2014 leave these unless time permits. Never guess in Maths \u2014 the options are designed to trap common calculation errors.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Section 4 \u2014 English (25 questions, 15 min)<\/h3>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 14px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Preparation Level<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Safe Attempt<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Expected Correct<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Expected Score<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Beginner (Hindi medium)<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">14\u201316<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">11\u201314<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">19\u201325 marks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Intermediate<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">18\u201321<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">16\u201319<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">30\u201336 marks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Advanced<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">22\u201325<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">20\u201323<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">38\u201344 marks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>English rules:<\/strong> Grammar-based questions (Error Spotting, Sentence Improvement, Fill in the Blanks, Active\/Passive, Direct\/Indirect) \u2014 attempt these first. These have definitive correct answers. Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms, One Word Substitution) \u2014 attempt only if you know the word; guessing vocabulary is the riskiest move in English. Reading Comprehension \u2014 attempt last; if you have 5 or fewer minutes remaining, skip the RC passage entirely and save marks.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Tier 1 \u2014 Overall Safe Score Target by Category<\/h2>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 14px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Category<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Expected Cutoff Range<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Safe Score Target<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Questions to Get Right<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">General \/ EWS<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">140\u2013148<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>155\u2013165<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">78\u201383 correct<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">OBC<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">135\u2013142<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>148\u2013158<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">74\u201379 correct<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">SC<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">125\u2013133<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>138\u2013148<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">69\u201374 correct<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">ST<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">115\u2013123<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>128\u2013138<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">64\u201369 correct<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 10px; font-size: 13px; color: #555;\">* Keep 10\u201315 marks buffer above expected cutoff \u2014 normalization across exam shifts can move your score slightly. These are estimated ranges based on previous year trends.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Tier 2 \u2014 Why Negative Marking is Far More Dangerous Here<\/h2>\n<p>In Tier 2 Paper 1, negative marking is <strong>-1 per wrong answer<\/strong> \u2014 double the Tier 1 penalty. And since each correct answer gives +3 marks, one wrong answer costs you the equivalent of missing 1.33 correct answers.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 14px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Section<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Questions<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Time<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Safe Attempt<\/th>\n<th style=\"background-color: #fffb00; padding: 10px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: left;\">Negative<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Maths<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">30<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">30 min<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>20\u201324 (90%+ accuracy)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">-1 per wrong<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">Reasoning<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">30<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">30 min<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>22\u201326 (88%+ accuracy)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">-1 per wrong<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">English<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">45<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">40 min<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>33\u201338 (88%+ accuracy)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">-1 per wrong<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background: #f9f9f9;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">General Awareness<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">25<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">20 min<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"><strong>18\u201322 (85%+ accuracy)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 9px 12px; border: 1px solid #ddd;\">-1 per wrong<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"background-color: #fff3cd; border-left: 4px solid #e74c3c; padding: 12px 16px; border-radius: 4px; margin-top: 14px;\">\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>Tier 2 critical warning:<\/strong> In Tier 2, a student who attempts 130 questions with 85% accuracy scores <strong>298 marks<\/strong>. A student who attempts 110 questions with 93% accuracy scores <strong>297 marks<\/strong> \u2014 nearly the same, with 20 fewer risky attempts. Accuracy is worth far more than volume in Tier 2.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>The 5 Rules of Negative Marking Strategy<\/h2>\n<h3>Rule 1 \u2014 The 60-Second Skip Rule (Maths and Reasoning)<\/h3>\n<p>Set a mental timer for each question. If a Maths or Reasoning question has not started resolving within 60 seconds \u2014 meaning you do not have a clear path to the answer \u2014 mark it and move on. You can return if time allows. Spending 3 minutes on one difficult question while 5 easy questions wait ahead is the most common and costly mistake in SSC CGL.<\/p>\n<h3>Rule 2 \u2014 The 70% Confidence Rule (GA and English Vocabulary)<\/h3>\n<p>For GA and vocabulary questions, only attempt if you are at least 70% confident. &#8220;I think it might be this&#8221; is not enough \u2014 that level of uncertainty in a -0.5 environment costs you over time. The rule is simple: <em>if you cannot explain to yourself why an option is correct, do not mark it.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Rule 3 \u2014 Elimination Before Guessing<\/h3>\n<p>If you are unsure, try to eliminate wrong options first. With 4 options:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you can eliminate <strong>0 options<\/strong> \u2014 skip, random guess has 25% success rate which is too risky<\/li>\n<li>If you can eliminate <strong>1 option<\/strong> \u2014 still borderline, skip unless very confident<\/li>\n<li>If you can eliminate <strong>2 options<\/strong> \u2014 50-50 chance \u2014 attempt if the stakes feel right<\/li>\n<li>If you can eliminate <strong>3 options<\/strong> \u2014 attempt with confidence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Rule 4 \u2014 Never Change a Confident Answer<\/h3>\n<p>Research consistently shows that first instincts in MCQ exams are correct more often than the changed answer. If you marked an answer confidently, do not change it during review unless you have discovered a clear factual error. Second-guessing correct answers is a documented phenomenon in competitive exams and it costs marks.<\/p>\n<h3>Rule 5 \u2014 Track Your Accuracy in Every Mock Test<\/h3>\n<p>After every mock test, calculate not just your total score but your <em>accuracy percentage per section<\/em>. Formula: Accuracy % = (Correct \u00f7 Attempted) \u00d7 100. If your Maths accuracy is below 75%, that means you are attempting too many uncertain questions in that section. The fix is not to study more \u2014 it is to attempt fewer, more selectively.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Score Calculator \u2014 Find Your Number<\/h2>\n<p>Use this formula to calculate your Tier 1 score and work backwards to your target:<\/p>\n<p style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; padding: 14px 18px; border-radius: 6px; font-family: monospace; font-size: 14px;\"><strong>Score = (Correct \u00d7 2) \u2212 (Wrong \u00d7 0.5)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Example 1: 72 correct, 8 wrong \u2192 (72\u00d72) \u2212 (8\u00d70.5) = 144 \u2212 4 = <strong>140 marks<\/strong><br \/>\nExample 2: 78 correct, 6 wrong \u2192 (78\u00d72) \u2212 (6\u00d70.5) = 156 \u2212 3 = <strong>153 marks<\/strong><br \/>\nExample 3: 65 correct, 3 wrong \u2192 (65\u00d72) \u2212 (3\u00d70.5) = 130 \u2212 1.5 = <strong>128.5 marks<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>To reach 155 marks (safe for General category):<\/strong> You need approximately 78 correct answers with no more than 6\u20138 wrong answers. That means attempting roughly 84\u201386 questions with 92%+ accuracy \u2014 not attempting all 100.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Common Mistakes That Increase Negative Marks<\/h2>\n<h3>Mistake 1 \u2014 Attempting All Questions Out of Fear<\/h3>\n<p>Many students attempt all 100 questions because leaving questions &#8220;feels wrong.&#8221; But mathematics does not care about feelings. If your accuracy on uncertain questions is 30%, those attempts are hurting you. Blank is always better than wrong when you are genuinely unsure.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake 2 \u2014 Rushing in the Last 2 Minutes<\/h3>\n<p>With 2 minutes left, many students rapidly mark all remaining unattempted questions. At random guessing rates, this creates more damage than it recovers. If you have 8 unattempted questions and 2 minutes left, mark only those where you can eliminate at least 2 options quickly.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake 3 \u2014 Not Tracking Wrong Answers in Mock Tests<\/h3>\n<p>Most students look at their total score after a mock test and move on. The more useful analysis is: how many questions did I get wrong, and why? Were they knowledge gaps, time pressure, or careless errors? Each type of wrong answer has a different fix \u2014 and identifying which one is hurting you most changes your preparation direction.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake 4 \u2014 Different Strategy for Easy and Hard Papers<\/h3>\n<p>When a paper feels easy, students become overconfident and attempt more. When it feels hard, they panic and also attempt more \u2014 trying to compensate. The strategy should stay constant regardless of paper difficulty. Your attempt count should be driven by your accuracy, not by how the paper feels.<\/p>\n<h3>Mistake 5 \u2014 Ignoring Section-wise Accuracy<\/h3>\n<p>A student might have 85% overall accuracy but 70% accuracy in Maths and 95% in GA. This means they should attempt fewer Maths questions and more GA questions \u2014 but without tracking per-section accuracy, they never discover this. Use your mock test results to set section-specific attempt targets.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Your Action Plan \u2014 Starting From Your Next Mock Test<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\u2705 <strong>After this mock test:<\/strong> Record Correct, Wrong, Skipped per section \u2014 not just total score<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 <strong>Calculate accuracy per section:<\/strong> Correct \u00f7 Attempted \u00d7 100<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 <strong>Set section-wise attempt targets<\/strong> based on where your accuracy drops below 80%<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 <strong>Practice the 60-second skip rule<\/strong> in your next timed session<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 <strong>Track error log:<\/strong> For every wrong answer, note \u2014 knowledge gap, time pressure, or careless mistake<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 <strong>Adjust targets every 2 weeks<\/strong> as your accuracy improves<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"background-color: #f0fff4; border: 1px solid #c3e6cb; padding: 16px 18px; border-radius: 4px; text-align: center; font-size: 15px;\">\ud83d\ude80 <strong>Practice this strategy in real exam conditions<\/strong><br \/>\nSuperPahal Academy \u2014 Free mock tests with 15-minute sectional timer and detailed section-wise analysis.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/academy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>\u2192 Start Free at superpahal.com\/academy<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Q1. What is the negative marking in SSC CGL 2026?<\/h3>\n<p>In Tier 1, the negative marking is <strong>-0.5 marks per wrong answer<\/strong>. In Tier 2 Paper 1 (Sections I, II, and III), it is <strong>-1 mark per wrong answer<\/strong>. Paper 2 (Statistics) and Paper 3 (Finance &amp; Economics) have -0.5 per wrong answer. Unattempted questions attract no penalty.<\/p>\n<h3>Q2. Should I attempt all 100 questions in SSC CGL Tier 1?<\/h3>\n<p>No \u2014 attempting all questions is only beneficial if your accuracy is consistently above 90%. For most candidates, attempting 75\u201385 questions with 88\u201392% accuracy produces a better score than attempting all 100 with 78\u201382% accuracy. Quality of attempts matters more than quantity.<\/p>\n<h3>Q3. How many questions should I attempt in each section for 150+ marks?<\/h3>\n<p>To score 150+ in Tier 1, aim for approximately 76\u201378 correct answers with fewer than 10 wrong. That means attempting around 82\u201386 questions total \u2014 roughly 20\u201322 per section \u2014 with 90%+ accuracy per section.<\/p>\n<h3>Q4. Is it better to guess or skip when unsure in SSC CGL?<\/h3>\n<p>Skip unless you can eliminate at least 2 of 4 options. If you cannot eliminate any option, a random guess has only 25% success rate \u2014 mathematically, at that rate, 4 random guesses will produce 1 correct (+2) and 3 wrong (\u22121.5), giving a net gain of only +0.5 marks for 4 attempts. Skipping all 4 scores 0 \u2014 which is better unless you are genuinely eliminating options.<\/p>\n<h3>Q5. Does negative marking apply to all SSC CGL sections equally?<\/h3>\n<p>In Tier 1, yes \u2014 all 4 sections carry -0.5 per wrong answer equally. In Tier 2, the penalty varies: Paper 1 Sections I and II carry -1 per wrong; the Computer Knowledge module and DEST have no negative marking as they are qualifying in nature.<\/p>\n<h3>Q6. How do I track negative marking damage in my mock tests?<\/h3>\n<p>After each mock test, calculate: Total Wrong Answers \u00d7 0.5 = Total Marks Lost. Then ask \u2014 if I had skipped all uncertain questions instead of guessing, how many of those marks would I have saved? This number tells you the cost of your guessing habit. Many students discover they are losing 8\u201312 marks per mock test to bad guesses.<\/p>\n<p style=\"background-color: #f0fff4; border: 1px solid #c3e6cb; padding: 14px 18px; border-radius: 4px;\">\ud83d\udcda <strong>Also read:<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-syllabus-what-to-study-what-to-skip\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SSC CGL 2026 Syllabus \u2014 What to Study, What to Skip<\/a> |<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-general-awareness-complete-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SSC CGL 2026 GA Complete Guide<\/a> |<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-3-mahine-ka-study-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SSC CGL 2026 \u2014 3 Month Study Plan (Hindi)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u26a1 Quick Facts: Tier 1 negative marking = -0.5 per wrong answer. Tier 2 Paper 1 = -1 per wrong answer. Blank answers = 0 marks, no penalty. One wrong&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":105,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ssc-cgl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>SSC CGL 2026 Negative Marking Strategy: How Many Questions to Attempt for a Safe Score - SuperPahal Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"SSC CGL 2026 negative marking is -0.5 in Tier 1 and -1 in Tier 2. Know exactly how many questions to attempt per section for a safe score. Calculator + strategy inside.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SSC CGL 2026 Negative Marking Strategy: How Many Questions to Attempt for a Safe Score - SuperPahal Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"SSC CGL 2026 negative marking is -0.5 in Tier 1 and -1 in Tier 2. Know exactly how many questions to attempt per section for a safe score. Calculator + strategy inside.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SuperPahal Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-09T01:30:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-1-2026-10_02_16-PM.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1734\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"907\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"SuperPahal Academy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"SuperPahal Academy\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"SuperPahal Academy\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c3d506e3b5a6e60c5539a07a460b7911\"},\"headline\":\"SSC CGL 2026 Negative Marking Strategy: How Many Questions to Attempt for a Safe Score\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-09T01:30:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1917,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-1-2026-10_02_16-PM.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"SSC CGL\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/\",\"name\":\"SSC CGL 2026 Negative Marking Strategy: How Many Questions to Attempt for a Safe Score - SuperPahal Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-1-2026-10_02_16-PM.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-09T01:30:15+00:00\",\"description\":\"SSC CGL 2026 negative marking is -0.5 in Tier 1 and -1 in Tier 2. Know exactly how many questions to attempt per section for a safe score. Calculator + strategy inside.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-1-2026-10_02_16-PM.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-1-2026-10_02_16-PM.png\",\"width\":1734,\"height\":907},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"SSC CGL 2026 Negative Marking Strategy: How Many Questions to Attempt for a Safe Score\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"SuperPahal Blog\",\"description\":\"India&#039;s Best &amp; Smart SSC Preparation Platform\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"SuperPahal Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/cropped-Logo_New.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/cropped-Logo_New.png\",\"width\":1367,\"height\":318,\"caption\":\"SuperPahal Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c3d506e3b5a6e60c5539a07a460b7911\",\"name\":\"SuperPahal Academy\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d14123a39c3496e8d636009f08cc9db378c7de1284b07e1b42a8d1f2ca6f9ba3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d14123a39c3496e8d636009f08cc9db378c7de1284b07e1b42a8d1f2ca6f9ba3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d14123a39c3496e8d636009f08cc9db378c7de1284b07e1b42a8d1f2ca6f9ba3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"SuperPahal Academy\"},\"description\":\"SuperPahal Academy is an online test platform for SSC CGL aspirants. We provide real previous year shift-wise papers with detailed solutions in English and Hindi. Our goal is simple \u2014 make quality exam practice accessible to every serious government job aspirant across India.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/academy\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/superpahal.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/superpahal-academy\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"SSC CGL 2026 Negative Marking Strategy: How Many Questions to Attempt for a Safe Score - SuperPahal Blog","description":"SSC CGL 2026 negative marking is -0.5 in Tier 1 and -1 in Tier 2. Know exactly how many questions to attempt per section for a safe score. Calculator + strategy inside.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"SSC CGL 2026 Negative Marking Strategy: How Many Questions to Attempt for a Safe Score - SuperPahal Blog","og_description":"SSC CGL 2026 negative marking is -0.5 in Tier 1 and -1 in Tier 2. Know exactly how many questions to attempt per section for a safe score. Calculator + strategy inside.","og_url":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/","og_site_name":"SuperPahal Blog","article_published_time":"2026-06-09T01:30:15+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1734,"height":907,"url":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-1-2026-10_02_16-PM.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"SuperPahal Academy","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"SuperPahal Academy"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/"},"author":{"name":"SuperPahal Academy","@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3d506e3b5a6e60c5539a07a460b7911"},"headline":"SSC CGL 2026 Negative Marking Strategy: How Many Questions to Attempt for a Safe Score","datePublished":"2026-06-09T01:30:15+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/"},"wordCount":1917,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-1-2026-10_02_16-PM.png","articleSection":["SSC CGL"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/","url":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/","name":"SSC CGL 2026 Negative Marking Strategy: How Many Questions to Attempt for a Safe Score - SuperPahal Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-1-2026-10_02_16-PM.png","datePublished":"2026-06-09T01:30:15+00:00","description":"SSC CGL 2026 negative marking is -0.5 in Tier 1 and -1 in Tier 2. Know exactly how many questions to attempt per section for a safe score. Calculator + strategy inside.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-1-2026-10_02_16-PM.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ChatGPT-Image-Jun-1-2026-10_02_16-PM.png","width":1734,"height":907},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/ssc-cgl-2026-negative-marking-strategy-safe-score\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"SSC CGL 2026 Negative Marking Strategy: How Many Questions to Attempt for a Safe Score"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/","name":"SuperPahal Blog","description":"India&#039;s Best &amp; Smart SSC Preparation Platform","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"SuperPahal Blog","url":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cropped-Logo_New.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cropped-Logo_New.png","width":1367,"height":318,"caption":"SuperPahal Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3d506e3b5a6e60c5539a07a460b7911","name":"SuperPahal Academy","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d14123a39c3496e8d636009f08cc9db378c7de1284b07e1b42a8d1f2ca6f9ba3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d14123a39c3496e8d636009f08cc9db378c7de1284b07e1b42a8d1f2ca6f9ba3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d14123a39c3496e8d636009f08cc9db378c7de1284b07e1b42a8d1f2ca6f9ba3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"SuperPahal Academy"},"description":"SuperPahal Academy is an online test platform for SSC CGL aspirants. We provide real previous year shift-wise papers with detailed solutions in English and Hindi. Our goal is simple \u2014 make quality exam practice accessible to every serious government job aspirant across India.","sameAs":["https:\/\/superpahal.com\/academy"],"url":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/author\/superpahal-academy\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":126,"href":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125\/revisions\/126"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/superpahal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}