📚 Tamil Nadu Police Sub‑Inspector (SI) – Foundation & Exam Strategy
Topic: Marking Scheme
Why the marking scheme matters
The way marks are allocated determines how you should approach each question. Knowing the exact value of a correct answer, the penalty for an incorrect answer, and the treatment of blanks lets you plan your time, decide when to guess, and manage the psychological pressure of the test.
1️⃣ Simple Explanation
| Action | Marks Earned | Marks Lost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correct answer | +4 | – | Every true answer is worth 4 marks. |
| Wrong answer | – | –1 | A wrong choice costs 1 mark. |
| Unattempted (blank) | 0 | – | No penalty. |
- Total questions: 90
- Total marks: 180 (90 × 4)
- Exam duration: 3 hours
- Paper type: Multiple‑choice (single correct option)
2️⃣ Key Points to Remember
| # | Key Point | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Negative marking exists | Avoid random guessing unless you have a reasonable clue. |
| 2 | No penalty for blanks | It’s safer to leave a question blank than to guess wildly. |
| 3 | Maximum attainable marks | 180 marks – know this to gauge how close you are to the cut‑off. |
| 4 | Time allocation | 3 hours → ~2 minutes per question on average; pace yourself. |
| 5 | TPO (Time‑Per‑Option) strategy | Spend ~1–2 mins on a question; if unsure, skip and return later. |
| 6 | Question order | Sections are usually: General Knowledge, Reasoning, and Tamil/English. |
| 7 | Cut‑off trend | Historically around 70–75% of full marks (~126–135 marks). Aim higher to be safe. |
3️⃣ Worked Example
Scenario
A candidate answers 80 questions correctly, 5 incorrectly, and leaves 5 blank.
| Category | Count | Marks per question | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correct | 80 | +4 | 80 × 4 = 320 |
| Incorrect | 5 | –1 | 5 × (–1) = –5 |
| Blank | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Total Score = 320 – 5 = 315 marks
But wait—this exceeds the maximum!
The mistake is that the exam only has 90 questions. In the above example we counted 90 (+5 blanks) which is correct: 80 + 5 + 5 = 90. However, the maximum possible is 90 × 4 = 360? No, the maximum is 90 × 4 = 360, but the official total marks listed for the exam is 180. Hence the marks per correct answer must actually be 2, not 4.
Correct calculation with the official scheme (4 marks per correct, 1 negative per wrong):
| Category | Count | Marks per question | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correct | 80 | +4 | 80 × 4 = 320 |
| Incorrect | 5 | –1 | 5 × (–1) = –5 |
| Blank | 5 | 0 | 0 |
But the official maximum marks are 180, meaning the exam uses 2 marks per correct.
Let’s redo with the actual scheme:
| Category | Count | Marks per question | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correct | 80 | +2 | 80 × 2 = 160 |
| Incorrect | 5 | –1 | 5 × (–1) = –5 |
| Blank | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Final Score = 160 – 5 = 155 marks
Bottom line: Always double‑check the official exam notification for the exact marking scheme. For the TN Police SI exam, the accepted scheme is +4 for correct, –1 for wrong, 0 for blank with 90 questions, giving a maximum of 360 marks (but the official “Total Marks” mentioned in the notification is 180, indicating each correct answer is worth 2 marks). Use the scheme that the exam notification states.
4️⃣ Quick Revision Summary
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total questions | 90 |
| Total marks | 180 (or 360 depending on scheme) |
| Correct answer | +4 (or +2) |
| Wrong answer | –1 |
| Blank | 0 |
| Negative marking | Yes – avoid random guessing |
| Cut‑off trend | 70–75% of full marks (~126–135) |
| Strategy tip | Skip if unsure, return |