AFCAT 2026: AFCAT 1 Correction Window (OUT), Admit Card, Exam Date, Pattern & Syllabus

The full form of AFCAT is Air Force Common Admission Test whereas the full form of NDA is National Defence Academy. Both exams are the sought-after defence entrance exams in the country. NDA exam is conducted by Union Public Service Commission to select candidates for admission to the Army, Navy and Air wings of NDA and Indian Naval Academy Courses. AFCAT exam is conducted to select candidates as Class 1 gazetted Officers in the flying branch and ground duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches. 

AFCAT exam or Air Force Common Admission Test is conducted by Indian Air Force to select candidates as Class 1 gazetted officers in the Flying and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches. EKT or Engineering Knowledge Test is conducted for the candidates who apply for the technical branches. AFCAT exam carries a total of 100 questions from General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English Numerical Ability, Military Reasoning, and Aptitude test. The total marks allotted to the AFCAT exam are 300. The duration of the test is two hours. EKT carries 50 questions that are Engineering subject-specific. Questions are asked from Mechanical, Computer Science, and Electrical & Electronics. The total marks allotted to the test are 150 and is held for 45 minutes.

Yes, there is a negative marking in AFCAT exam. For each wrong answer, one mark is deducted. 

AFCAT application form is released online. The application fee which is INR 550 with GST charges for all categories and can be paid online. The steps to fill AFCAT application form are given below: Visit the official website of IAF Register for the exam by entering the required details Fill the application form of AFCAT Pay the application fee Submit the application form Candidates are not required to send the hard copy of the application form to the examination authority. The window to make corrections in the application form is made available after the application process closes. Candidates can correct their names, father's name, mother's name, uploaded photograph, signature and left thumb impression, etc.

Candidates need to apply online for AFCAT exam only. There is no facility to apply offline. The link to fill the application form is activated on the official website. To apply for AFCAT exam, candidates are first required to register for the exam. The window to edit the application form is made available after the closure of application process.

Once the payment process is successful, the system displays the AFCAT registration number. This means that the payment is successful. Candidates must verify the correction of information entered in the application form before proceeding with the 'Make Payment' option. Applicants will not be able to edit the previous details entered after the selection of 'Course Preferences' step and after the 'Make Payment' step. No cash or cheque or demand draft (DD) is accepted towards payment of examination fee. The examination fee can be paid using credit/ debit cards/ net banking through the payment gateway. Applicants are advised to follow the instructions/ steps given on the payment gateway, and also print/keep the transaction details for their records. After confirmation from bank that the payment is received, the 'Payment Status' display 'Registration Number' which the candidate may note down for future correspondence. Simultaneously, candidates also receive a confirmatory sms/ e-mail.

AFSB or Air Force Selection Board is held for candidates qualifying the online test of AFCAT. The AFSB interview is conducted in three stages at different centres-Dehradun, Varanasi, Gandhinagar and Mysuru. At AFSB, candidates need to undergo the following tests: Stage-I: This stage comprises Officer Intelligence Rating Test along with Picture Perception and discussion test on the first day. This is the screening stage and qualifying the test are called for subsequent rounds of AFSB. In the first stage, the documents of candidates are verified to ascertain their eligibility for the branch they have applied for. Stage 2: This stage is conducted for five days. The tests that are conducted in this stage are Psychological Tests, Group Tests, Interview and Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS). The CPSS is conducted for Flying Branch and it is a once in a lifetime test.

The preparation tips for the AFCAT exam are mentioned below:

• Know the exam syllabus and pattern.
• Solve the previous year question paper to know the exam difficulty level. Focus on the weak topics. Read more about these topics, solve related problems, and take online quizzes.
• AFCAT exam GA section will assess the knowledge of current affairs.

AFCAT exam pattern highlights the overall structure of the exam such as number of sections, weightage of topics, time duration, total marks, marking scheme, etc. AFCAT exam is divided into online test and AFSB interview. Besides AFCAT candidates who applies for the technical branch are required to appear for the Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT). AFCAT test comprises different sections such as General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English . Numerical Ability, Military Reasoning, and Aptitude test. EKT carries questions from Mechanical, Computer Science, and Electrical & Electronics. AFCAT carries a total of 100 questions whereas, EKT carries 50 questions. The total marks allotted to AFCAT are 300 whereas, EKT carries 150 marks. The duration of AFCAT exam is two hours whereas EKT is held for 45 minutes. Both AFCAT and EKT is held in online mode and the language of the question paper is English.

Candidates are required to check all the details in AFCAT admit card carefully. In case of any error, candidates need to inform the examination authority for corrections. New admit card is issued after correction.

To download AFCAT admit card Visit the official website of IAF, Go to the Candidate Login section on the home, Candidates need to click on the AFCAT cycle for which they have submitted their application forms, AFCAT login page opens, In the login page, candidates need to enter their email IDs, password and captcha code, AFCAT admit card appears on the screen, Download AFCAT admit card and take its printout. 

After downloading AFCAT admit card, candidates must check the details carefully. In case of any error, they should report to the examination authority for correction. The hard copy of the admit card is not sent to candidates by post.

 

 

Topics for the AFCAT Numerical Ability section are Decimal Fraction, Time and Work, Average, Profit & Loss, Percentage, Ratio & Proportion and Simple Interest, Time and Distance. Candidates can prepare this section only through practice. They should also learn the shortcut tricks of solving questions. 

The important topics for the AFCAT English Language section consists of the following:
Comprehension
Error 
Sentence Completion
Synonyms & Antonyms 
Vocabulary
Idioms and Phrases

AFCAT 1 2026 exam analysis will be released on January 31. This will be provided after the completion of the exam. They can refer to the same to check the level of the exam. They can also know the topics from where questions were asked in the exam.

AFCAT 1 vacancy break-up is given below:

Entry Type		Post Code		Male				Female
AFCAT		Flying		21				9
AFCAT Ground Duty Technical		AE (L)		95				27
		AE (M)		53				14
AFCAT Ground Duty Non Technical		Admin		42				11
		LGS		13				3
		Accounts		11				2
Ground Duty Non Technical		Education		07				02
Ground Duty Non Technical		Weapon Systems WS Branch		14				03
Meteorology Entry		Meteorology		07				02
NCC Special Entry		Flying		10%  seats  out  of  CDSE vacancies  for  PC  and  10% seats   out   of   AFCAT vacancies for SSC.

AFCAT vacancies announced by IAF are tentative and that can be changed. Candidates are selected based on requirements and total number of vacancies. Recruitment is carried out based on vacancies.

A total of 284 Vacancies were announced for AFCAT 2 exam. The vacancy break-up is given below.

Entry	Branch	Course Number	Vacancies (Men) (SSC)	Vacancies (Women)
AFCAT Entry	Flying	220/26F/SSC/M & W	01	02
	Ground-Duty (Technical)	219/26T/SSC/ 109AEC/ M & W	AE (L): 85 AE (M): 38	AE (L): 23 AE (M): 10
	Ground-Duty (Non-Technical)	219/26G/SSC/M & W	Weapon System (WS) Branch: 19 Admin: 46 Accts: 09 Lgs: 11 Edn: 07 Met: 06	Weapon System (WS) Branch: 05 Admin: 12 Accts: 02 Lgs: 04 Edn: 02 Met: 02
NCC Special Entry	Flying	220/26F/PC/M and 220/26F/SSC/M&W	10% seats out of CDSE vacancies for PC and 10% seats out of AFCAT vacancies for SSC.

Quant is the most scoring section and very basic questions are asked. With just practice, candidates will be able to score good marks. Questions are asked from  Profit and loss, Time and Work, Time Speed and Distance, Percentage, Simplification, Average, Mixtures, SI and CI, etc. For English, candidates must practice RCs, Vocab and Idioms. Candidates must solve five question papers as this will help them to know their strengths and weaknesses in the given subjects or topics. Candidates need to work on their weaknesses. Candidates must revise everything in the last 30 to 31 days leading to the exam. Also focus on taking the mock tests.

Six months are more than enough to prepare for AFCAT exam. Candidates must start from clearing the basic concepts of every topics. Maths can be tough, therefore, candidates must understand the basic concepts. They should note down the important theorems and formulas. In English, candidates need to focus on improving their vocabularly. Candidates must prepare current affairs of six months from the date of exam. They should also prepare basic Science, Geography, Defence Terms, etc. Logical Reasoning questions will be of non-verbal type. So, candidates must solve previous years' question papers. 

With just three months left for the exam, take mock test on the first day of preparation. This will give candidates an idea how much effort they need to put in to propel towards the ideal score. Set a week-wise target to complete the syllabus. Buy a good book and learn from it. The mock-taking exercise should be followed up with an in-depth mock analysis. Candidates must also solve previous years' question papers.

The minimum good score for AFCAT exam 165-175. Candidates need to secure the required score inorder to qualify the exam. Candidates qualifying the online exam are called for AFSB Interview. Candidates need to practice well inorder to qualify the exam. 

AFCAT merit list is prepared based on the performance in the online test and AFSB Interview. Separate qualifying marks are decided for the online test and AFSB interview. Candidates are placed in the order of merit on the basis of their total marks secured in both the stages of exams. Allotment of candidates in Permanent Commission/Short Service Commission in Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) and Flying Branches are done based on the number of vacancies, performance in the selection process, and choices given by candidates.

AFCAT result is prepared using the normalisation process. This is done to adjust the difficulty level of the question papers. The exam is conducted in multiple shifts. Total marks allotted to the exam are 300.

AFCAT cut off is the minimum qualifying marks that candidates need to secure inorder to qualify the exam. AFCAT 1 cut off 2023 was 155 out of 300. In 2022, AFCAT 1 cut off was 157 whereas it was 18 for EKT. In the same year, AFCAT 2 cut off was 157. In 2021, AFCAT 1 cut off was 165 whereas EKT cut off was 30. In 2021, AFCAT 2 cut off was 157 whereas EKT cut off was 18. In 2019, AFCAT 1 cut off was 133 whereas it was 50 for EKT. In 2020, AFCAT 2 cut off was 155 whereas EKT cut off was 40. AFCAT cut off is announced online on the official website. AFCAT cut off is common for all the categories. Candidates securing equal to or more than the cut off marks are called for the next round of selection process.

AFCAT cut off is announced online along with the result. The cut off is released on the official website of IAF. Candidates securing equal to or more than the cut off marks are called for AFSB interview. The final selection of candidates is done based on the marks obtained in the online test and AFSB interview. The steps to check AFCAT cut off are given below: Visit the official website of IAF Click on the AFCAT scorecard link on the home page Candidates need to enter the required details to login After logging, candidates can check the cut off marks Based on the cut off marks, candidates are selected for the next round of selection process.

Yes, there is sectional cut-off marks in the exam. Candidates need to secure the overall cut-off marks to get selected for AFSB Interview. Candidates securing equal to or more than the cut off marks are selected for the subsequent rounds of the selection process. Around 10,000 candidates are selected for the AFSB test based on their performance in the online test. The final selection is done based on the performance in the AFCAT and AFSB interview. 

Training of newly appointed officers is conducted at Air Force Academy Dundigal (Hyderabad). The duration of training for Flying and Ground Duty (Technical) Branches is 74 weeks and that of Ground Duty (Non-Technical) Branches is 52 weeks at Air Force Training Establishments. Candidates are advised to keep themselves in good physical condition to adapt to physical training at AFA that encompasses running, swimming, rope climbing and other forms of physical training in which they are required to undergo mandatory tests during the training. Candidates should keep themselves fit by following the below-mentioned routine: Running upto 4 kms in 5 minutes Skipping Push-ups & Sit-ups minimum 20 each Chin ups: 8 Rope Climbing: 3 to 4 meters Swimming (25 m). 

Candidates after admission in Air Force Academy will not be considered for any other commission. They are not permitted to appear for any interview or exam after they have finally selected for training at AFA. No request for withdrawal of candidature received from a candidate after they have submitted their applications is entertained under any circumstance. PAN Card, Aadhaar card and account in SBI/ Nationalized Bank is mandatory at the time of joining Air Force Academy (AFA). Use/possession of narcotics is banned. Candidate may be tested for presence of drugs in the body during Medicals and subsequently during training/ service career as an officer. If candidate is found to be using/ in possession of narcotics during any time of training/service career, candidate would be debarred from training /service as per extant policy.

The rank-wise salary of AFCAT Officers is given below:

Rank	Level	Pay Scale (In INR)
Flying Officer	Level 10	56,100 – 1,77,500
Flight Lieutenant	Level 10 B	6,13,00-1,93,900
Squadron Leader	Level 11	6,94,00 – 2,07,200
Wing Commander	Level 12A	1,21,200 – 2,12400
Group Captain	Level 13	1,30,600-2, 15,900
Air Commodore	Level 13A	1,39,600-2,17,600
Air Vice Marshal	Level 14	1,44,200-2,18,200
Air Marshal HAG Scale	Level 15	1, 82, 200-2,24,100
HAG+Scale	Level 16	2,05,400 – 2,24,400
VACS/Airforce Cdr/ Air Marshal (NFSG)	Level 17	2,25,000/- (fixed)
CAS	Level 18	2,50,000/- (fixed)

AFCAT selection process is the same for men and women candidates. The criteria in terms of height and weight is different from the male. Candidates applying for the AFCAT exam are required to appear for the online test and AFSB interview.

AFCAT selection process comprises online test and AFSB interview. The AFCAT exam is conducted online. The test comprises questions from General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English . Numerical Ability, Military Reasoning, and Aptitude test. The total marks allotted to the test are 300. The duration of the test is two hours. The questions asked in the exam are objective-type. The standard of questions asked in the exam is of graduation level. The language of the question paper is English . Candidates should score between 140 to 190 marks out of 300 in AFCAT exam. The AFSB interview is conducted in two stages. Stage 1 of AFSB interview comprises Intelligence rating Test and Picture perception and Discussion Test. Stage 2 comprises Psychological Tests, Group Tests, Interview and Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS) test (For Flying Branch) candidates.

While appearing for AFSB, candidates need to carry the following documents: AFCAT Admit Card Original Matriculation/ Secondary School Certificate and Mark sheets issued by CBSE/ ICSE/ State Board No Other Certificate will be accepted for verification of Date of Birth Original Marks Sheet & Certificate of 10+2 (issued by the relevant Board) Original/ Provisional Graduation Degree/ Post Graduation Degree Certificates and Marksheet of each year/ semester issued by University. Provisional Certificate issued by college principal is not acceptable. However, Provisional Degree Certificate issued by the University is acceptable In case of final year/ semester students, a Certificate from the College Principal with proper stamp is required Two attested photocopies of certificates Original NCC Certificate (if applicable) NOC from employers for candidates working in Central/ State government. Or Public Sector Undertakings Original valid Commercial Pilots' License, issued by DGCA, if applicable Inbound Railway Ticket/ Bus Tickets. (For refund of Travelling Allowance) 20 copies of passport-size photographs.

AFCAT full form is Air Force Common Admission Test. The exam is conducted twice a year to pick up Class-1 Officers in Flying and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches. Career in Air Force is loaded with opportunities. Candidates starting their career as Flying Officer can reach to the position of Air Marshal/Chief of Air Staff based on their experience and performance.

Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test is one of the important sections of AFCAT exam. This section assess a candidate's ability to think logically. This section carries maximum questions in the exam. Candidates need to prepare well for the exam.

The preparation tips for the AFCAT exam are mentioned below:

• Know the exam syllabus and pattern.
• Solve the previous year question paper to know the exam difficulty level. Focus on the weak topics. Read more about these topics, solve related problems, and take online quizzes.
• AFCAT exam GA section will assess the knowledge of current affairs.

Topics for the AFCAT Numerical Ability section are Decimal Fraction, Time and Work, Average, Profit & Loss, Percentage, Ratio & Proportion and Simple Interest, Time and Distance. Candidates can prepare this section only through practice. They should also learn the shortcut tricks of solving questions. 

While entering email address ensure it is correct and in use. Password is sent to email address through which you have registered. If you do not receive password you may also use Forgot Password Option to receive a new password. 

Candidates are required to travel to the AFCAT exam centre of their own. The exam centre is allotted to candidates based on their preferences. The details related to the exam centre are mentioned in the admit card. Take the printout of the admit card along with one photo-identity proof.

To retrieve the password while checking AFCAT result, candidates need to click the ' Forgot Password' tab. The system will ask candidates for some details to retrieve the password. After entering the details, the verification link will be sent to the candidate's registered email ID. After verification, the password will be reset. AFCAT result is valid till the merit list of that particular course is out. Once candidates get eliminated in any of the stages of recruitment. They need to take the test again and apply for a new course.

There is no such facility to raise a complaint against the AFCAT result. The result once announced is considered final and no queries will be entertained by the examination authority. Candidates can file an RTI if they have any queries related to the result. AFCAT result for the online test is prepared out of 300 marks. Candidates clearing the online test are called for AFSB interview. The final merit list is prepared based on the performance in the online test and AFSB interview.

Getting good marks in AFCAT increases chances of qualifying for the AFSB interview. The scores enhances your position in the merit list. It also motivated candidates to perform much better. This also helps in identifying the strengths.

Yes, there is sectional cut-off marks in the exam. Candidates need to secure the overall cut-off marks to get selected for AFSB Interview. Candidates securing equal to or more than the cut off marks are selected for the subsequent rounds of the selection process. Around 10,000 candidates are selected for the AFSB test based on their performance in the online test. The final selection is done based on the performance in the AFCAT and AFSB interview. 

The stipend offered to men and women cadets during the entire duration of training at any of the Air Force Training Institutions is INR 56,100 per month (Starting pay in Level 10). On successful completion of the training, the AFCAT salary of candidates in the pay matrix of Commissioned Officers will be fixed in the first cell of Level 10.

Candidates securing AFCAT cut off are called for the next round of selection process. The final selection of candidates is done based on the online test and AFSB interview. The total marks allotted to the online test are 300.