AFCAT Cut Off

The AFCAT cut-off is the minimum aggregate score a candidate must secure in the written exam to be shortlisted for the AFSB (Air Force Selection Board) interview. The Indian Air Force releases the cut-off along with each result, and it is announced separately for AFCAT 1 and AFCAT 2 of every year. The AFCAT paper carries 300 marks, and the cut-off is an overall figure — not a category-wise (General/OBC/SC/ST) one.

Earlier cycles also had a separate EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test) cut-off (150-mark paper) for Ground Duty (Technical) candidates. The AFCAT 01/2026 and 02/2026 notifications have no EKT. From AFCAT 02/2026, Ground Duty (Technical) candidates can also apply through GATE Score Entry, for which the IAF declares a separate GATE cut-off.

AFCAT Cut-Off Marks (Previous Years)

The table below lists the overall AFCAT written cut-off (out of 300) for each cycle. The cut-off moves each year with the number of vacancies, the difficulty of the paper and overall candidate performance.

Factors That Decide the AFCAT Cut-Off

• Number of vacancies in the notified cycle — more vacancies generally lower the cut-off.
• Difficulty level of the AFCAT paper for that cycle.
• Number of candidates who appear and their overall performance.
• Normalisation, since AFCAT is held in multiple shifts.

What Score Should You Target?

Over the last few cycles the AFCAT cut-off has ranged roughly between 110 and 165 out of 300. Aiming for 180+ out of 300 gives a comfortable margin above the cut-off and improves your position in the merit list, since final selection is based on combined AFCAT plus AFSB performance.

Cut-off marks are as released by the Indian Air Force with each result. Figures are for reference; always confirm the official cut-off for your cycle on afcat.edcil.co.in.