One mark would be deducted for every wrong answer marked by a candidate in the engineering/medical entrance examinations of 2010, a press note issued here by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE).

Earlier the government had announced that only half a mark would be reduced for wrong answers in these examinations. (Till 2009, the ‘negative mark’ was one mark.)

It is in view of the mixed responses to this announcement from various quarters that the State government had decided to reinstate the negative mark as one mark, the CEE press note said.

The negative mark was made half a mark to “remove students’ anxieties about negative mark to some extent. Nevertheless the demand from corners to completely eliminate the system of negative mark cannot be conceded,” the CEE press note.

The prospectus of the entrance examination for 2010 says that the negative mark would only be half a mark. However, consequent on the government decision on Wednesday, clause 9.4.4 of the prospectus will be amended suitably. A government order has been issued for this.