I am taking the AFCAT for the first time. How should I prepare for it to crack it in my first attempt?

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.

What is the full form of AFCAT?

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.

What is the difference between NDA and AFCAT?

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.

What are the important topics for Numerical Ability in AFCAT exam?

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.

What are the important topics for the English Language section in the AFCAT exam?

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

Which are the important topics for AFCAT Reasoning Ability and Military Aptitude?

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.

Is there any negative marking in AFCAT exam?

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

Is there sectional timings in AFCAT exam?

There are no sectional timings in AFCAT exam. The duration of the test is two hours. AFCAT exam carries questions from General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability and Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test. The total marks allotted to the test are 300.

What is AFCAT marking scheme?

The marking schemen comprises the marks for correct and incorrect answers. The test carries 300 marks.

What is the pattern of AFCAT AFSB?

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.

What is AFCAT Exam Pattern?

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.

What is the difference between AFCAT and EKT?

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.

How many papers are there in the AFCAT exam?

There are only four papers in the AFCAT exam-General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English Numerical Ability and Reasoning, and Military Aptitude Test. AFCAT technical syllabus comprises topics from Mechanical, Computer Science, and Electrical & Electronics. Engineering Mathematics, Engineering Drawing & Physics are some of the common topics which are covered in AFCAT EKT syllabus. The standard of Numerical Ability questions is of Matriculation level. The standard of questions in other subjects is of graduation level (Indian University). The exam paper is in English only. The test paper carries a total of 100 questions whereas EKT carries a total of 50 questions. All the questions asked in the exam are objective-type. Total marks allotted to the AFCAT test are 300 whereas EKT carries a total of 150 marks.

AFCAT Exam Pattern 2025: Negative Marking & Total Marks

535 Students Q&A

Exam On - 31 Jan '26

Updated on Jan 25, 2026 20:19 IST

By Anangsha Patra, Deputy Manager – Editorial

AFCAT Exam Pattern 2026: Indian Air Force prescribes AFCAT exam pattern along with the notification. It highlights the overall structure of the exam. Candidates must be thorough with the AFCAT exam pattern 2026. The exam is divided into online test and AFSB Interview. Total marks allotted to AFCAT exam are 300. There are four sections in the test. Three marks are given for right answers. There are also negative marks in the exam. Based on the online test, candidates are selected for AFSB interview. Besides, must also check the syllabus to know the subjects. Read below for more details on the AFCAT exam pattern.

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