The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has announced significant changes to the pattern of its recruitment examinations, including the introduction of a fifth option in multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and negative marking for unanswered questions. The new system will be implemented for examinations conducted from March 2026 onwards.
As per the notification issued on December 24, each MCQ will now include a fifth option, to be selected if a candidate does not wish to choose any of the four given answers. The commission has also introduced negative marking not only for wrong answers but also for questions left unanswered.
The MPSC clarified that the same negative marking will apply if a candidate selects an incorrect option, shades more than one circle, or attempts to amend an answer. It will be mandatory for candidates to select one of the five options for every question. Failure to do so will result in a deduction of 25 per cent, or one-fourth, of the marks allotted for that question from the total score.
The commission further stated that the entire answer sheet will be declared invalid if the candidate fails to sign at the prescribed place on Part-2 of the original answer sheet, uses a pen of any ink other than a black ballpoint pen, or makes irrelevant or inappropriate remarks or markings.
Under the revised format, the answer sheet has been divided into two parts. The first part will be used to mark answers, while the second part will be for filling in details such as the name of the examination, subject code, question paper number, and signatures of the candidate and invigilator.
Additionally, the candidate’s seat number will now be a seven-digit numeric code instead of the earlier eight-digit alphanumeric format. The commission said this seat number will remain the same throughout the admission process.
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