ALP cutoffs are published at two stages: CBT 1 (determining CBT 2 eligibility) and CBT 2 Part A (determining CBAT shortlisting). The 2018-to-2024 trend shows a consistent upward movement of 4–5 marks at both stages for the General category — driven by better preparation tools, wider ITI enrollment, and an increasing pool of repeat aspirants.
CBT 1 Historical Cutoffs
| Cycle | General (/75) | OBC (/75) | SC (/75) | ST (/75) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALP 2024 (CEN 01/2024) | 51.44 | 45.78 | 40.33 | 34.89 |
| ALP 2018 (CEN 01/2018) | 47.22 | 41.56 | 36.78 | 31.44 |
| ALP 2026 (Projected) | 50–54 | 44–48 | 39–43 | 33–38 |
CBT 2 Part A Cutoff (CBAT Shortlisting)
| Cycle | General (/100) | OBC (/100) | SC (/100) | ST (/100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALP 2024 (CEN 01/2024) | 59.78 | 53.44 | 47.22 | 41.56 |
| ALP 2018 (CEN 01/2018) | 55.33 | 49.11 | 43.78 | 38.22 |
| ALP 2026 (Projected) | 58–63 | 52–57 | 46–51 | 40–45 |
What Score to Actually Target
CBT 1 (General): Target 58–62/75. A 51–54 projection means scoring 50–52 leaves you exposed to normalization variance. A 58+ raw score provides meaningful margin.
CBT 2 Part A (General): Target 65+/100. With a projected cutoff of 60–63, a 65+ score gives 3–5 marks of buffer against shift-difficulty normalization adjustment — the range where most borderline candidates are either included or excluded. Candidates consistently scoring 60–64 in mocks should treat this as insufficient and prioritize BSE improvement, which offers the most recoverable marks in the section.
Category-Wise Gap Analysis
OBC cutoffs run approximately 5–7 marks below General. SC cutoffs run approximately 11–12 marks below General. ST cutoffs run approximately 17 marks below General at both CBT stages. These gaps are structurally stable across cycles because they reflect the underlying performance distributions, which shift gradually rather than dramatically year-on-year.