Introduction
The Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) 2025 cycle has concluded, and the trends from both AFCAT 1 and AFCAT 2 offer crucial insights for future aspirants. As one of the most sought-after defence exams in India, AFCAT continues to test candidates on speed, accuracy, and general awareness.
This year, the overall difficulty level remained moderate, but there were subtle shifts in the question patterns, particularly in General Awareness and English. Understanding these nuances is vital because, in a competitive exam like AFCAT, knowing what to study is as important as studying hard.
Overall Difficulty Level
The AFCAT 2025 exams were conducted across multiple shifts. Based on student feedback and expert review, the exam maintained a balanced profile.
| Section | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | Moderate | 15 - 18 |
| Verbal Ability in English | Easy to Moderate | 20 - 22 |
| Numerical Ability | Moderate | 12 - 14 |
| Reasoning & Military Aptitude | Moderate | 18 - 20 |
| Overall | Moderate | 65 - 75 |
Note: “Good Attempts” refers to the number of questions you should have answered with 90%+ accuracy to be in the safe zone.
Section-Wise Analysis
General Awareness (GA)
The General Awareness section continues to be the deciding factor for many candidates. While the syllabus is vast, the 2025 exams showed a clear inclination towards:
- Current Affairs: Questions from the last 6-8 months (Defence exercises, Sports, Awards).
- Static GK: History (Modern India), Geography (Physical features), and basic Science.
The Strategic Insight: Most engineering graduates find Reasoning and Math manageable. The real differentiator is General Awareness. If you can score well here, you gain a massive lead.
Pro Tip: For upcoming attempts, focus on concise, exam-relevant current affairs. The Scoreclever App is an excellent resource because it provides 5x more concise content that is strictly focused on what exams actually ask, helping you retain facts without information overload.
Verbal Ability in English
English in AFCAT is generally scoring if you have a decent command of vocabulary and grammar. The 2025 paper featured:
- Vocabulary: Synonyms and Antonyms were standard but required precise knowledge.
- Idioms & Phrases: A mix of common and slightly tricky idioms.
- Comprehension: Short passages that were easy to read but had close options.
Why Vocabulary Matters: A significant portion of the English section depends on pure memory—synonyms, antonyms, idioms. You either know them or you don’t.
Recommendation: To master vocabulary, consistent revision is key. Scoreclever uses a unique prediction algorithm to schedule revisions exactly when you are about to forget a word, ensuring it stays in your long-term memory.
Numerical Ability
The Numerical Ability section was calculative but conceptual. Questions were strictly from the standard arithmetic syllabus:
- Time and Work
- Profit and Loss
- Simple and Compound Interest
- Speed, Time, and Distance
There were no advanced mathematics questions, sticking to the standard AFCAT pattern.
Reasoning and Military Aptitude
This section is usually the highest scoring for most candidates. The 2025 shifts saw:
- Verbal Reasoning: Analogy, Classification, Coding-Decoding.
- Non-Verbal: Embedded figures, Pattern completion, Dot situation.
The “Dot Situation” questions were slightly tricky in a few shifts, requiring sharp observation.
Cutoff Trends & Safe Score
Based on the difficulty level and the number of vacancies, the cutoff for AFCAT 2025 is expected to hover in the standard range.
Expected Cutoff: 150 - 160 Marks
However, clearing the cutoff is just the first step. To make it to the final merit list after the AFSB interview, you need a score significantly higher than the cutoff.
The Merit List Reality
CRITICAL: Never aim for just the cutoff. The final selection is based on the merit list. A candidate with 155 marks (just clearing cutoff) and a candidate with 200 marks have a vastly different chance of final selection.
Every extra mark you score in the written exam acts as a safety net for your AFSB performance. Since Math and Reasoning scores tend to saturate, your edge comes from General Awareness and English.
Conclusion
AFCAT 2025 has reinforced the fact that a balanced preparation strategy is essential. You cannot rely solely on your strong subjects.
To ensure success in the next cycle:
- Don’t ignore GK: It’s the rank decider.
- Build Vocabulary: It’s the easiest way to boost your English score.
- Practice Accuracy: Negative marking can ruin a good attempt count.
Start your preparation early, focus on the subjects others neglect, and aim for the merit list, not just the cutoff.
