AFCAT cut off is the minimum marks or rank that an aspirant must secure to qualify the exam and get recruited as Group A Gazetted Officers in Flying Branch and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) Branches along with NCC Special Entry across India.
As the AFCAT (1) 2021 exam is yet to begin (20th and 21st February 2021), the cut off list will be available on the official IAF website in PDF format. Upon its release, candidates can download the cut off list and check their scores. Candidates who qualify in the AFCAT and EKT exam as per the cut off will be shortlisted for the AFSB (Air Force Selection Board) interview.
In this article, Buddy4Study team has compiled the previous years’ AFCAT cut off marks along with the expected cut offs for the year 2021.
AFCAT Cut Off – Important Dates
Indian Air Force (IAF) will release the AFCAT cut off marks for the year 2021 once the exams are completed. The exam authority will release this year’s cut off on the official IAF website.
AFCAT Cut Off Schedule 2021 (AFCAT 1)
| Exam Events | Important Dates |
| Release of short notification | 28th November 2020 |
| Release of Notification (Detailed) | 1st December 2020 |
| Dates for submission of online applications | 1st December 2020 to 11th January 2021 |
| AFCAT (1) 2021 Admit Card Release | 5th February 2021 |
| AFCAT (1) 2021 Exam | 20th and 21st February 2021 |
| AFCAT Result Release | March 2021* |
| Course Commencement | January 2022* |
*Exact dates yet to be released
AFCAT Cut Off Schedule 2021 (AFCAT 2)
| Exam Events (2021) | Important Dates |
| Release of notification | June 2021* |
| Dates for submission of online applications | June to July 2021* |
| AFCAT (2) 2021 Admit Card Release | September or October 2021* |
| AFCAT (2) 2021 Exam | September or October 2021* |
| AFCAT Result Release | November 2021* |
*Exact dates yet to be released
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Stages of AFCAT Cut Off
As per the AFCAT notification, there will be three stages of AFCAT exam and selection, based on the marks of which (obtained) candidates can secure a post amongst the available positions.
A cut off list will be released after each of the following 3 stages of AFCAT:
- Online Test (AFCAT/EKT)
- AFSB Interview
- Medical Test
Stage 1 – In this stage, candidates have to go through 2 tests:
- OIR (Officer Intelligence Rating)
- PPDT (Picture Perception and Discussion Test)
Candidates qualifying the Stage I screening test shall be subjected to eligibility check and document verification for the branches they have applied to.
Stage 2 – It comprises Psychological test, Group Test and Interview.
Stage 3 – This test is mainly for Flying Branch. The test is known as the CPSS or Computerised Pilot Selection System. This is once in a lifetime test. Those who fail in this test are not eligible for Flying Training at all.
Factors Determining AFCAT Cut Off
Several factors determine the AFCAT cut off. A list of all such factors is given below.
- Number of available vacancies for the three respective positions
- Number of candidates appearing in the exam
- Previous year’s cut off
- Difficulty level of exam
- Number of candidates qualifying AFCAT 2021
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How to Check the AFCAT Cut Off?
To check the cut off marks for the AFCAT exam, candidates need to follow the below steps:
- Visit the official IAF website (https://afcat.cdac.in/AFCAT/)
- Click on ‘Candidate Login’
- Then click on ‘AFCAT 01/2021 Cycle’
- Click on the “AFCAT cut off” link displayed among a set of notifications at the top of the homepage (link will get activated after its official announcement)
- Enter the login credentials that are sent to the candidate’s registered email address and contact number at the time of registration. Enter the exact Registration Number/Roll Number and Date of Birth/Password in the required fields
- AFCAT/EKT Cut Off 2021 will appear on the screen in the form of a PDF. The scorecard will be displayed on the screen which will include the obtained section-wise marks, overall cut off and the final marks scored
- Check and download the cut off result
Note: The shortlisted candidates must keep the copy of the AFCAT scorecard with them until the final list of shortlisted candidates is released.
AFCAT Cut Off – Qualifying Marks in AFSB Interview
Candidates who qualify the AFCAT exam (as per the cutoff released) will be shortlisted for AFSB interview round. Candidates must know that half of the AFCAT marks are considered for the Interview round. AFSB interview consists of a total of 300 marks and AFCAT consists of 300 marks. This comprises a total score of 600 marks.
Candidates will find below the required qualifying marks to get shortlisted in the interview round.
| Total marks allotted for AFCAT Interview | 300 Marks | |
| AFSB (Air Force Selection Board) | Top Scores (Acquired until now) | Low Scores (Acquired until now) |
| 140 – 160 marks | 80-90 marks | |
AFCAT Cut Off – Details on Scorecard
The AFCAT scorecard contains sections, overall score and candidate’s qualifying status. Candidates need to cross-check and verify if all the below details are correctly present on the scorecard or not:
- Name of the Candidate
- Registration Number
- AFCAT Score
- AFCAT Cut Off
- Qualifying Status
AFCAT Cut Off – Score Calculation
IAF calculates the score based on the AFCAT answer key. The AFCAT authority compared the answer sheet against the answer key. Finally, they calculate the number of correct and incorrect attempts. The candidates can follow the marking scheme highlighted below to calculate the scores.
- 3 marks are awarded for every correct answer
- 1 mark will be deducted for every wrong answer
- No mark will be deducted for unattempted questions
Previous Years’ AFCAT Cut Off
Indian Air Force authority publishes the AFCAT cutoff after the results are announced. Candidates who qualify as per the cutoffs are eligible to take part in the AFSB interview.
AFCAT Cut Offs from 2014 to 2020
| AFCAT | AFCAT Cut Off | EKT Cut Off |
| AFCAT (2) 2020 | 155 | 40 |
| AFCAT (1) 2019 | 133 | 50 |
| AFCAT (2) 2018 | 140 | 55 |
| AFCAT (1) 2018 | 155 | 60 |
| AFCAT (2) 2017 | 160 | 60 |
| AFCAT (1) 2017 | 150 | 60 |
| AFCAT (2) 2016 | 148 | 60 |
| AFCAT (1) 2016 | 132 | 52 |
| AFCAT (2) 2015 | 144 | 52 |
| AFCAT (1) 2015 | 126 | 55 |
| AFCAT (2) 2014 | 123 | 45 |
AFCAT Cut Off – FAQs
Are there any fixed number of attempts for the AFCAT exam?
No. A candidate can apply for as long as he/she is eligible for the exam.
Is the AFCAT cut off the same every year?
No. AFCAT cut off varies as per the difficulty level of the exam and the number of appeared candidates.
Where will the AFCAT cut off be announced?
AFCAT cut off will be announced on the official IAF website. Candidates have to click on the scorecard link available on the homepage. After being redirected to the login page, candidates have to enter their credentials to finally check the cutoff list.
Is there a sectional cut off for AFCAT exam?
Yes. Only the candidates who manage to score equal or more than the minimum qualifying marks overall and section-wise shall qualify the examination.
What are the educational qualifications to apply for the AFCAT exam?
The educational qualification for the AFCAT exam varies for different posts. Candidates can check the AFCAT Eligibility Criteria (www.exam.buddy4study.com/afcat-eligibility-criteria) to know the required educational qualification.
