AFCAT Normalization Scheme: Good or Bad? – Know The Normalization Formula

AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test) is an exam to get into the Indian Air Force. To avoid abnormality in marking and ranking, the IAF Board has adopted AFCAT Normalization in its marking scheme. It is the process to mark and rank candidates based on the difficulty level of the shifts. The IAF conducts multiple shift exams of the Flying Branch and Ground Duty posts. Read about the AFCAT Normalization scheme in detail in the article.

• Candidates must know about the normalization process in detail.
• The Indian Air Force Introduced Normalization in 2022.
• The normalization process is already in use by other government organizations like the Ministry of Railways and the Staff Selection Commission.

IAF conducts the AFCAT exam twice a year.

What is AFCAT Normalization?

It is a process to equalize scores of students appearing for the same exam but in different shifts having different sets of question papers. Candidates are marked based on the difficulty level of the shifts. It refers to adjusting values to a notionally common scale.

Reason to Introduce AFCAT Normalization

The AFCAT exam is held across multiple shifts. Each shift has a different difficulty level. The normalization process is introduced the difficulty level of each set and is used to fill the gap of disparity. The scheme is both welcomed and criticized by appearing applicants, depending on the difficulty level of the shift.

The normalization process is a global standard. Recruiters adopt this scheme for exams happening in different shifts.

AFCAT Normalization Formula

In the AFCAT exam, candidates are awarded 3 marks for each correct answer. 1 mark is deducted for every wrong answer. But the final merit score depends on the Normalization formula. Read about the AFCAT normalization 2022 process:

Where,

• M_ij – Normalized marks of Jth candidate in the ith shift. 
• AvgM^g_t – Average marks of the top 0.1% of the candidates considering all shifts (number of candidates will be rounded-up). 
• SumM^g_q – Sum of mean and standard deviation marks of the candidates in the examination considering all shifts.
• AvgM_ti – Average marks of the top 0.1% of the candidates in the ‘ith’ shift (number of candidates will be rounded-up). 
• SumM_iq – Sum of mean marks and standard deviation of the ‘ith’ shift. 
• ActM_ij – Actual marks obtained by the jth candidate in ‘ith’ shift.
• SumM^gm_q – Sum of the mean marks of candidates in the shift having maximum mean and standard deviation of marks of candidates in the examination considering all shifts. 

Know More About AFCAT Normalization Scheme Here!

EKT Normalization

The normalization scheme is applicable for the EKT exam of the Indian Air Force. IAF conducts the EKT exam for technical posts.

AFCAT Eligibility Criteria 2022

Candidates who apply for AFCAT must possess these essential eligibility criteria to sit for the exam.

He/She/Others must have:

Check Agniveer Recruitment Details.

AFCAT Age Criteria 2022

The Indian Air Force has different age criteria for various posts. 

• For Flying Branch: The minimum and maximum age of the candidate applying for this post must be between 20 to 24 years.
• For Ground Duty Branch (Both technical and non-technical): The age of the candidates must be between 20 to 26 years.

AFCAT Education Qualification 2022

Candidates applying for Flying Branch must have:

• PCM in higher secondary, and clear each with 50% marks. Must have passed the intermediate exam with 60% marks.
• Must have a graduation degree from a recognized University having a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent.

For Ground Duty (Technical):

• Must have a graduation degree from any recognized university with a minimum of 60% marks in any of these streams – Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Communication Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, I.T, and other technical B. Tech degrees.

For Ground Duty (Non-technical)

• Must have a graduation degree in any discipline with 60% marks. The Accounts Department of IAF takes commerce graduates with 60% marks or equivalent.

Check AFCAT Eligibility.

AFCAT Nationality Criteria 2022

• An Indian national or,
• A Nepalese or Bhutanese or,
• Tibetan refugees arrived and settled in India before 1-1-1962 or,
• Migrated to India from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, and Vietnam, as per guidelines of the Government of India, as and when revised.

AFCAT Exam Pattern 2022

• Candidates applying for AFCAT must qualify for the written test.
• The 300-mark 2 hours CBT Written Exam paper consists of 100 questions.

Qualified candidates then appear before the Air Force Selection Board for two-stage testing. 

• Candidates qualifying for the screening test (Stage-I) can sit for the Stage-II round.
• Candidates appear for a 5-day Stage-II test. Qualifying candidates go for medical examinations.
• The final merit list is prepared based on the overall score.

Candidates applying for technician need to sit for another 150 marks EKT paper. The duration to complete these 50 questions is 45 minutes.

Read AFCAT vs EKT.

AFCAT Normalization Scheme FAQs