AFCAT
Selection of commissioned officers into the Flying, Ground Duty (Technical) and Ground Duty (Non-Technical) branches of the Indian Air Force, through Short Service and Permanent Commission.
Eligibility
Graduates with minimum 60 per cent (Flying requires Physics and Maths at 10+2 with 50 per cent each); Technical branch requires a BE/BTech in relevant disciplines. Men and women are both eligible. Final-year students may apply subject to producing proof by the course date.
Age limit: Flying 20-24 years (up to 26 with a valid DGCA CPL); Ground Duty 20-26 years
Exam pattern
Online computer-based test of 100 questions for 300 marks in 2 hours: General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning and Military Aptitude. Each correct answer earns 3 marks and each wrong answer loses 1 mark. Technical branch candidates also take the Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT) of 50 questions, 150 marks, 45 minutes. Qualified candidates attend the five-day AFSB interview, with a Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS) test for the Flying branch.
Syllabus at a glance
General Awareness covers history, geography, polity, sports, science, defence and current affairs. Verbal Ability tests comprehension, error detection, synonyms, antonyms and idioms. Numerical Ability covers Class 10 arithmetic: percentages, ratios, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time-speed-distance. Reasoning and Military Aptitude includes verbal and non-verbal reasoning, spatial ability, figure series and embedded figures. The EKT covers core mechanical, computer science or electrical-electronics engineering subjects.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| AFCAT 01/2027 notification | Nov 2026 (2026 cycle was notified 9 Nov 2025) | expected |
| Online application window | Mid Nov to mid/late Dec 2026 | expected |
| Admit card release | Jan 2027 | expected |
| AFCAT 01/2027 online exam | Late Jan to Feb 2027 | expected |
| AFCAT 01/2027 result | Mar 2027 | expected |
| AFCAT 02/2027 notification | May-Jun 2027 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- AFCAT Air Force Common Admission Test Guide - Arihant Experts (Arihant)
- A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning - R.S. Aggarwal (S. Chand)
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations - R.S. Aggarwal (S. Chand)
- Objective General English - S.P. Bakshi (Arihant)
- Lucent's General Knowledge - Lucent Publications
How toppers play it
- With +3/-1 marking, a wrong answer costs a third of a right one; aim for 70-80 high-confidence attempts rather than all 100, since cutoffs usually sit around 150-165 out of 300.
- Start with Reasoning and Military Aptitude and Verbal Ability, which are quick and high-accuracy, then Numerical Ability, and finish with General Awareness.
- Practise spatial ability, embedded figures and dot-situation questions specifically; they are unique to AFCAT and frequent in the military aptitude section.
- Use the official online sample test on the AFCAT portal to get used to the on-screen navigation and timer before exam day.
- Flying-branch aspirants should prepare for the CPSS separately; it is a once-in-a-lifetime test and failing it permanently bars Flying entry.