AFCAT

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About AFCAT Exam

The Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) is conducted twice a year by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
It is the gateway for both men and women to join the Indian Air Force as Group-A Gazetted Officers in three branches:
  • Flying Branch
  • Ground Duty (Technical)
  • Ground Duty (Non-Technical)
Successful candidates undergo training at the Air Force Academy (AFA), Dundigal, Hyderabad.

Eligibility Criteria (Branch-wise)

  1. Flying Branch
  • Age: 20–24 years (as on cut-off date).
    • Upper age relaxed to 26 years for candidates with valid Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL).
  • Education:
    • Graduation (any discipline) with 60% marks and Physics & Maths at 10+2, OR
    • B.E./B.Tech with 60%.
  • Marital Status: Unmarried (till completion of training).
  • Physical Standards: Height min 162.5 cm, proportionate weight, eyesight 6/6 (one eye), 6/9 (other eye).
  1. Ground Duty (Technical Branch)
Includes: Aeronautical Engineer (Electronics) and Aeronautical Engineer (Mechanical).
  • Age: 20–26 years.
  • Education:
    • Passed 10+2 with Physics & Maths and
    • Four-year Engineering/Technology degree in relevant discipline.
  • Marital Status: Candidates below 25 yrs must be unmarried.
  1. Ground Duty (Non-Technical Branch)
Branches: Administration, Accounts, Education, Logistics, Meteorology, NCC Special Entry.
  • Age: 20–26 years.
  • Education:
    • Administration/Logistics: Graduate degree (any discipline) with 60%.
    • Accounts: B.Com with 60%.
    • Education: Post-Graduate degree (any subject) with 50% & Graduation with 60%.
    • Meteorology: PG in Science/Math/Geography/Environmental Science/Applied Physics, etc., with 50%.
    • NCC Special Entry (Flying): NCC ‘C’ Certificate (Air Wing) + Graduate with 60% + 10+2 Physics & Maths.

Exam Dates & Notifications

Typical Schedule

Cycle Notification Release Application Window Exam Date
AFCAT–1 December (previous year) Dec–Jan February
AFCAT–2 June June–July August

Selection Process

  1. Written Examination (AFCAT):
    • Objective type, online test.
    • For Flying & Ground Duty (Non-Technical) entries.
  2. EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test):
    • Only for Ground Duty (Technical) branch.
  3. AFSB Interview:
    • Services Selection Board-style testing (psychological, GTO, personal interview).
  4. Medical Examination:
    • Conducted at Air Force medical establishments.
  5. Final Merit List:
    • Based on AFCAT + AFSB Interview (medical is qualifying).

Exam Pattern:

AFCAT– 300 Marks, 2 hrs
  • General Awareness: History, Geography, Polity, Current Affairs, Defence, Science.
  • English: Comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar, Synonyms/Antonyms, Error spotting.
  • Numerical Ability: Arithmetic, Percentages, Profit & Loss, Time & Work, Algebra, Geometry, Statistics.
  • Reasoning & Military Aptitude: Verbal & Non-verbal reasoning, Spatial ability, Pattern recognition.
EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test) – 150 Marks, 45 mins
  • Common: Engg. Maths, Drawing, Physics, Basics of Computers, Electrical/Electronics.
  • Branch-specific:
    • CS/IT: OS, DBMS, Networks, Data structures.
    • Mechanical: Thermodynamics, SOM, Fluid, Machines.
    • Electrical/Electronics: Circuits, Machines, Control, Power Electronics.
    • ECE: Signals, Communication, Radar, Semiconductor devices.

About AFSB

The Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) is the interview and personality assessment stage of the AFCAT selection process. Candidates who clear the AFCAT written exam (or NCC Special Entry) are called to attend the AFSB Testing, which is similar in format to the SSB (Services Selection Board) used by Army and Navy.
AFSB Centres
  • Dehradun
  • Mysuru
  • Gandhinagar
  • Varanasi
Candidates can select their preferred centre while filling the AFCAT form.
AFSB Interview Process (5 Days)
Day 1 – Screening Test
  • Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) test (Verbal & Non-verbal reasoning).
  • Picture Perception & Discussion Test (PPDT).
    Only shortlisted candidates proceed further.
Day 2 – Psychological Tests
  • Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): Write stories from pictures.
  • Word Association Test (WAT).
  • Situation Reaction Test (SRT).
  • Self-Description Test (SD).
Day 3 & 4 – Group Testing Officer (GTO) Tasks
  • Group Discussion (GD).
  • Group Planning Exercise (GPE).
  • Progressive Group Task (PGT).
  • Half Group Task (HGT).
  • Individual Obstacles.
  • Lecturette (short speech).
  • Command Task.
  • Final Group Task (FGT).
Day 5 – Conference
  • Personal Interview (may also occur on earlier days).
  • Final Board Conference with all assessors.
  • Results announced (Recommended / Not Recommended).
Medical Examination
  • Recommended candidates undergo detailed medical tests at Air Force medical establishments.
Final Merit List
  • Based on AFCAT Written + AFSB Performance.
  • Medical test is qualifying only.

Cutoff Trend-

AFCAT Cut-off Trend (Last ~5 Years: AFCAT 1 & 2)
Cycle Year Cut-off Marks (out of 300)
AFCAT 1 2025
2025
121
AFCAT 2 2024
2024
139
AFCAT 1 2024
2024
137
AFCAT 2 2023
2023
151
AFCAT 1 2023
2023
155
AFCAT 2 2022
2022
157
AFCAT 1 2022
2022
157