The full form of AFCAT is “Air Force Common Admission Test”. AFCAT exam is conducted by the Indian Air Force to recruit candidates as Class-I Gazetted officers in Flying & Ground Duty (Technical and Non-technical) branches. AFCAT Exam is conducted twice every year in the months of February and August. Check the full details of AFCAT exam such as AFCAT Exam Pattern, AFCAT Syllabus, AFCAT Salary and Job profile, etc.
AFCAT Exam Pattern and Selection Process
Indian Air Force has a stringent selection process which includes the following levels:
- Online AFCAT
- Service Selection Board (SSB) Interview
a) STAGE – I
b) STAGE – II
c) STAGE – III
d) STAGE – IV
1. Online AFCAT Exam
- It is mandatory for the candidates opting for Ground Duty (Technical) branch to appear in both AFCAT as well as Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT).
- The Online AFCAT Test will be Objective in nature.
- The language of the paper will be English only.
- 3 marks for each correct answer.
- 1 mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer.
- No marks for unattempted questions.
AFCAT 2020 Online Exam Subject and time allowed are in the below table.
| Exam | Subject | No. of Qs | Max Marks | Exam Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFCAT | General Awareness | 100 | 300 | 2 Hours |
| Verbal Ability | ||||
| Numerical Ability | ||||
| Military Reasoning | ||||
| Aptitude Test | ||||
| EKT (Ground Duty Technical Branch only) | Mechanical/Computer Science/Electrical/Electronics | 50 | 150 | 45 Minutes |
2. Service Selection Board (SSB) Interview
If you qualify the Online AFCAT, you will be eligible for SSB. The SSB is a 5-days selection process comprising four stages.
STAGE – I
- Officer Intelligence Rating Test.
- Picture Perception and Discussion Test.
If you failed to clear Stage – I, you will be sent back on the first day itself.
STAGE – II
In case you qualify STAGE – I, you would be eligible to appear for STAGE-II which would take 3-4 days. In these days you will have to undergo the following test.
- Psychological Tests (Written Test).
- Group Tests (Interactive Indoor and Outdoor Activities)
- Personal Interview
- If you have applied for Flying Branch, you will also have to appear for Computerized Pilot Selection System (CPSS) Test.
STAGE – III
After qualifying STAGE – II, you will have to undergo Medical Examination either at Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), New Delhi, or Institute of Aviation Medicine, Bengaluru.
STAGE – IV
- Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) will prepare an All India Merit List based on your performance in the Written Test and AFSB Interview (Stage I + Stage II).
- If you find yourself in the All India Merit List, then based on the vacancies available in various branches/sub-branches, you will be issued the respective joining instructions.
AFCAT Eligibility Criteria
AFCAT Age Limit (as on 1st July 2021)
- Flying Branch
- Minimum Age – 20 years
- Maximum Age – 24 years
- (You must have been born between 02 July 1996 to 01 July 2000.)
- Ground Duty (Technical/Non-Technical Branches)
- Minimum Age – 20 years
- Maximum Age – 26 years
- (You must have been born between 02 July 1994 to 01 July 2000.)
AFCAT Educational Qualifications
| Branch | Educational Qualification |
| Flying Branch | You must be a Graduate in any discipline (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level)/BE/B Tech from a recognized University. If you are a Final Year/Semester student, you are also eligible to apply, provided you produce Degree Certificate issued by the University as per the date fixed by AFSB. |
| Ground Duty (Technical) | Electronics: (10+2)intermediate minimum 6% marks in Physics & math’s & Minimum 4 years Graduation/Integrated PG Degree in Engineering/Technology
Mechanical: candidates with Minimum 60% Marks Each in physics and Mathematics at 10+2 Level & 4 years Engineering/Technology Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering or equivalent degree. |
| Ground Duty (Non-Technical) | Graduation Degree in Any Stream/Commerce with 60% marks minimum/Post Graduation Degree in Any Stream with 50% marks minimum. |
Physical and Medical Requirements
You are advised to be physically fit when you report for SSB in order to be able to undergo the tests at AFSB.
You should aim to achieve an ability to run 01 miles (1.6 km) in 10 mins, do 10 pushups and 03 chin-ups.
AFCAT Syllabus
(a) English – Comprehension, Error Detection, Sentence Completion/Filling in of correct word, Synonyms, Antonyms, and Testing of Vocabulary, Idioms, and Phrases.
(b) General Awareness – History, Geography, Civics, Politics, Current Affairs, Environment, Basic Science, Defence, Art, Culture, Sports, etc.
(c) Numerical Ability – Decimal Fraction, Time and Work, Average, Profit & Loss, Percentage, Ratio & Proportion and Simple Interest, Time & Distance (Trains/Boats & Streams).
(d) Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test Verbal Skills and Spatial Ability.
Standard of Questions
The standard of Numerical Ability Questions will be of Matriculation level.
The standard of questions in other subjects will be of graduation level (Indian University).
AFCAT Application Fee / Exam Fee
The Application fee for the AFCAT exam for all categories is Rs. 250/-
AFCAT Cutoff
| AFCAT | AFCAT Cut Off | EKT Cut Off |
|---|---|---|
| AFCAT (1) 2019 | 133 | 50 |
| AFCAT (2) 2018 | 140 | 55 |
| AFCAT (1) 2018 | 155 | 60 |
| AFCAT (2) 2017 | 160 | 60 |
| AFCAT (1) 2017 | 150 | 60 |
| AFCAT (2) 2016 | 148 | 60 |
| AFCAT (1) 2016 | 132 | 52 |
| AFCAT (2) 2015 | 144 | 52 |
| AFCAT (1) 2015 | 126 | 55 |
| AFCAT (2) 2014 | 123 | 45 |
AFCAT Salary Details
Salary of a AFCAT Flight Cadet (Stipend) is Rs. 56,100/- per month during Training
Salary of a AFCAT Flying Officer is Rs. 56,000 to 1,10,700 /- .
AFCAT Job Profile
Candidates recruited through AFCAT are as Class-I Gazetted officers in Flying & Ground Duty (Technical and Non-technical) branches. You start your career as a Flying Officer and can rise up to the rank of Air Marshal. Air Chief Marshall is the highest officer of the Air force and commands all the Air Forces of the country.
Rank structure for commissioned officers are:
- Junior Level
-
- FLYING OFFICER (FG OFFR)
- FLIGHT LIEUTENANT (FLT LT)
- Executive Level
-
- SQUADRON LEADER (SQN LDR)
- WING COMMANDER (WG CDR)
- GROUP CAPTAIN (GP CAPT)
- Director Level
-
- AIR COMMODORE(AIR CMDE)
- AIR VICE MARSHAL(AIR VICE MSHL)
- AIR MARSHAL(AIR MSHL)
- AIR CHIEF MARSHAL
AFCAT Training
All selected candidates are recruited as Flying Cadets and shall go through training at Airforce training establishments across the country.
Training Duration for Flying and Ground Duty (Technical) Branches is 74 Weeks.
Training Duration for Ground Duty (Non-technical) Branches is 52 Weeks.