---
title: "In UPSC Prelims, when should I leave a doubtful question unanswered?"  
description: "In UPSC Prelims, when should I leave a doubtful question unanswered?"  
author: "Aidar Valiev"  
published: 2026-10-15  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/117633/in-upsc-prelims-when-should-i-leave-a-doubtful-question-unanswered  
category: "Mix Category"  
tags: ["UPSC", "Prelims", "Exam strategy"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# In UPSC Prelims, when should I leave a doubtful question unanswered?

I’m trying to get more deliberate about guessing in UPSC Prelims. With negative marking, I sometimes spend too long eliminating options and still end up choosing one without much confidence.

How do you decide whether a question is worth attempting? I’m curious whether candidates use a practical confidence threshold, or if the decision depends more on how many options they can rule out and how much time is left.


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Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/117633/in-upsc-prelims-when-should-i-leave-a-doubtful-question-unanswered

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