Yes, the LIC AAO (Assistant Administrative Officer) exam has sectional cut-offs in both the Preliminary Examination and the Main Examination.
1. Preliminary Examination:
- The Preliminary Examination consists of three sections: Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Language.
- Sectional Cut-Off: There is a minimum sectional cut-off that candidates must clear in each of the individual sections. This means that in addition to the overall cut-off score, candidates need to score above a certain mark in each section to be eligible for the Main Examination.
- For example, if a candidate performs very well in Reasoning but poorly in Quantitative Aptitude or English Language, they may still fail to qualify for the next stage even if their overall score is high.
- The exact sectional cut-off is determined by LIC and can vary every year based on the difficulty level of the exam and the number of applicants.
2. Main Examination:
- The Main Examination includes both objective and descriptive sections, covering topics like Reasoning Ability, General Knowledge/Current Affairs/Professional Knowledge, Insurance, and Financial Market Awareness, and the English Descriptive section.
- Sectional Cut-Off: Similar to the Preliminary Examination, the Main Examination also has sectional cut-offs that candidates must meet in each section of the exam.
- Candidates need to achieve a minimum score in each section (Reasoning Ability, General Knowledge/Current Affairs/Professional Knowledge, Insurance and Financial Market Awareness, and English Descriptive) to pass the Main Examination.
- The sectional cut-offs are determined after considering the performance of the candidates and the overall difficulty of the exam. They are released by LIC after the exam is conducted.
3. Final Selection:
- The final selection is based on the combined performance of both the Preliminary and Main Examinations.
- Candidates who qualify in the Main Exam are then shortlisted for the Interview Round (if applicable) and final selection.
- Note: The interview is only applicable to candidates who clear the mains exam, and there is no sectional cut-off in the interview round. However, interview performance plays a significant role in the final selection.
Important Points:
- LIC uses normalization in the case of online exams to account for the differences in difficulty across various shifts.
- The cut-off marks (sectional as well as overall) are not fixed and are subject to change every year based on various factors such as the number of vacancies, the number of applicants, and the exam's difficulty level.
- It's essential to score well in each section to ensure you meet the individual sectional cut-offs and overall cut-offs in both the Preliminary and Main Examinations.
For up-to-date information regarding the specific cut-off scores, it's advised to refer to the official LIC notification for the year or the result declaration after each stage of the examination process.