How to Calculate Your Exam Score From the Answer Key

Every SSC and RRB exam releases an answer key with your recorded responses before the result. You can calculate your exact score from it in five minutes.

The formula

Score = (correct + dropped questions) x marks per correct question - wrong x negative marking

Most SSC papers use +2 and -0.5 per question, while most RRB papers use +1 and -1/3. Always confirm the exact scheme in the official notification, because it is the commission that decides it, not the calculator.

Step by step

1. Open your response sheet or the answer key link from the commission.
2. Count how many questions you got right, wrong, and left unattempted.
3. Look for dropped questions. These are questions the commission cancels, usually because of flawed options or disputed answers. Dropped questions are awarded full marks regardless of your answer.
4. Apply the formula subject by subject, then add the subjects.
5. Compare with the previous cycles cutoff trend to estimate where you stand.

Why unattempted questions matter

Unattempted questions carry no penalty, so a wrong attempt can cost you more than a lost mark in a rank race. When you analyse your response sheet, note how many of your wrong answers were blind guesses versus informed attempts. That is the number to fix before the next attempt.

You can skip all of this manual counting on our calculator pages: paste the answer key link and the score comes out per subject, with attempts, bonus marks and an estimated rank.