Understanding the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) Cutoff in 2019

In 2019, the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) utilized the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) as part of their admission process. This test was used alongside other channels such as the Joint Entrance Examination Advanced (JEE Advanced) and the Kuwaiti, Vietnam, and Pakistani (KVPY). The cutoff marks for the IAT were not publicly standardized across all IISERs and varied considerably based on the overall performance of candidates in that specific year.

Typically, candidates needed to achieve scores above certain percentiles to be considered for admission. According to historical data, a score around 50 or higher was often a competitive threshold for the IAT, but this could vary significantly based on the performance of candidates that year. It is important to note that the exact cutoff marks can only be determined by referring to the official IISER admission announcements or notifications from the relevant year, as they provide the most accurate and detailed information.

The Role of Performance in Determining Cutoff

The cutoff for the IAT is directly influenced by the performance of the students who took the test. The performance of the candidates in a given year can lead to a variety of cutoff scores. In the recent past, the cutoff for the JEE Advanced as low as 2016 can go from very low to very high. For instance, in some years, the cutoff for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) has been exceptionally high, while in other years, it has been notably low.

Therefore, it is impossible to predict the exact safe score without understanding the performance of other students. Based on the trends observed from the previous years, here are some general guidelines:

A score around 75-80 would likely secure you a seat from an IISER but may not be the top preference. A range of 85-95 would generally ensure that you get into your third or fourth preference. A score of 95 or above would typically secure your first or second preference.

These scores are for the general category. For other categories, the cutoff is likely to be lower than these scores. Note that the IISERs do not provide individual scores but only the test ranks.

Further Rounds of Selection

It's crucial to acknowledge that admission into IISERs is a multi-step process involving multiple rounds of seat allocation. Many students can secure offers in subsequent rounds. Personally, I secured my dream IISER offer in the third round of seat allocation, which underscores the importance of waiting for all rounds.

To provide additional context, a comprehensive analysis of the IISER Pune cutoff for different streams from 2018 is available in the linked source, which can be accessed via the below URL:

Credit: My friend Aditya Chincholi

IISER Pune Cutoff Ranks 2018

Conclusion

The IAT cutoff for IISER admissions is highly variable and cannot be predicted accurately without considering the overall performance of the candidates. General trends suggest that achieving a score above 75 puts you in a competitive position, with higher scores ensuring better preference rankings. Additionally, waiting for subsequent rounds can significantly increase your chances of securing a coveted seat.