WHAT IS THE AFCAT EXAM?

AFCAT stands for Air Force Common Admission Test. Administered twice each year by the Indian Air Force (IAF) as AFCAT 01 and AFCAT 02, this national entrance exam serves as the gateway for men and women aspiring to take flight as Commissioned Officers across various specialized branches.

This exam provides direct entry into:

Flying Branch

Fighters, Transports & Helicopters

Ground Duty (Technical)

Aeronautical Mech & Electronics

Ground Duty (Non-Technical)

Admin, Logistics, Accounts & Edn

Selection Process At A Glance

Online Exam

AFCAT CBT (100 Questions / 300 Marks)

AFSB Stage-I

Screening (OIR & PPDT Day 1)

AFSB Stage-II

Psychology, GTO, Interview & CPSS

Medical Board

AFCME / IAM Clinical Evaluation

Final Merit

All-India Air Force Academy Joining

NCC Special Entry Scheme: Aspirants who hold a valid Air Wing NCC 'C' Certificate are exempted from the AFCAT computer-based written exam. Eligible candidates are called directly for AFSB testing for the Flying Branch.

Branch-Wise Age Limits

Branch Stream	Standard Age Limit	Relaxations / Concessions	Marital Status
Flying Branch	20 to 24 Years	Relaxable up to 26 Years for holders of current DGCA-issued Commercial Pilot Licences (CPL)	Below 25 must be unmarried
Ground Duty (Technical)	20 to 26 Years	Standard age boundary across mechanical and electronic engineering streams	Below 25 must be unmarried
Ground Duty (Non-Technical)	20 to 26 Years	Applicable for Administration, Logistics, Accounts, Education & Meteorology	Below 25 must be unmarried

Academic Eligibility Criteria

Flying Branch

10+2 with Physics & Math + Degree

10+2 Level: Minimum 50% marks in both Physics and Mathematics individually.

Graduation: Minimum 3-year Bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 60% marks, OR a 4-year B.E. / B.Tech degree with 60% aggregate.

Ground Duty (Technical)

Engineering / Technology Degree

10+2 Level: 50% marks each in Physics and Mathematics.

Degree: 4-year engineering degree in Aeronautical, Mechanical, Electrical, Computer Science, or equivalent branches approved by IAF with minimum 60% aggregate.

Ground Duty (Non-Technical)

Discipline-Specific Graduate / PG

Admin & Logistics: Graduate in any discipline (Min. 3 years) with 60% marks.
Accounts: B.Com, BBA (Finance), BMS, CA, CMA, CS, or CFA with 60% aggregate.
Education: Graduation (60%) + Post-Graduation (50%) in designated disciplines.

AFCAT Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme

AFCAT is an objective-type Computer-Based Test (CBT) delivered strictly in English. It consists of 100 questions to be attempted within 2 hours.

Test Name	Key Subject Sections	Duration	No. of Questions	Total Marks
AFCAT Online Test	• Verbal Ability in English • General Awareness & Defence Affairs • Numerical Ability • Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test	2 Hours (120 Minutes)	100 Multiple Choice Questions	300 Marks

+3 Marks

Correct Response

-1 Mark

Negative Marking (Wrong Answer)

0 Marks

Unattempted Question

Comprehensive AFCAT Syllabus

Detailed subject syllabus breakdown structured to align with official Indian Air Force parameters:

English Verbal Ability

Vocabulary & Lexicon

Synonyms & Antonyms Idioms & Phrases One-Word Substitution Homonyms Analogy

Syntax & Grammar

Error Detection Sentence Completion Fill in the Blanks Sentence Rearrangement Cloze Test

Comprehension

Reading Comprehension Passages Theme Deduction

General Awareness

Defence & Security Focus

Indian Armed Forces Structure Missiles, Aircraft & Radars Joint Military Exercises Defence Command Centers

Core Disciplines

Indian History & Freedom Struggle Geography & Climate Indian Constitution & Polity Basic Economic Concepts General Science (Phy, Chem, Bio)

Current Events

National & Global Developments Sports & Awards Key Government Schemes

Numerical Ability

Foundational Arithmetic

Number System Decimal Fractions HCF & LCM Square / Cube Roots Exponents & Powers

Applied Mathematics

Average Percentages Profit & Loss Simple & Compound Interest Ratio & Proportion Mixtures & Allegations

Advanced Quantitative Applications

Time & Work Time, Speed & Distance Trains, Boats & Streams Area, Perimeter & Mensuration Probability & Statistics

Reasoning & Military Aptitude

Verbal Reasoning

Logical Deductions Analogy & Classification Coding-Decoding Series Completion

Non-Verbal & Spatial Aptitude

Pattern Recognition Figure Completion Embedded Figures Rotational Spatial Ability Military Situational Aptitude

Technical Branch Requirement

Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT) Mechanical / Electrical / CS Core

Note on Flying Branch Testing (CPSS): Recommended Flying Branch candidates undergo the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS) at an AFSB. CPSS is a strict once-in-a-lifetime test; candidates who have previously failed CPSS or PABT are not eligible to apply for the Flying Branch.