AFCAT Shift Timings 2026: Check Shift-Wise Exam Timings, Reporting Time & Duration
Air Force Common Admission Test 2026 ( AFCAT )
AFCAT Shift Timings 2026: The Indian Air Force conducts AFCAT exam in two shifts-morning & afternoon. AFCAT shift timings are 9.45 am to 11.45 am & 2.45 pm to 4.45 pm. The details related to the exam timings are mentioned in the admit card. Read below for more details on AFCAT shift timings 2026.
IAF AFCAT Shift Timings 2026
AFCAT Shift Timings 2026: Indian Air Force (IAF) is all set to conduct AFCAT 1 2026 exam on January 31. The exam will be conducted in the morning and afternoon shifts. AFCAT shift timings are 9.45 am to 11.45 am to 2.45 pm to 4.45 pm. The details related to the exam timings are mentioned in the AFCAT admit cards. Candidates are advised to reach the exam centre one hour before the reporting time to complete the verification process. The pre-verification process for Shift 1 is done from 7.30 am to 9.30 am, whereas it is done from 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm for Shift 2. Candidates are not allowed to enter the exam centre the entry gate closes. The total duration of AFCAT exam is two hours. There are no sectional timings. In this article, we have provided AFCAT 2026 exam timings, including reporting time, exam day guidelines, exam pattern and other details .
- AFCAT Shift Timings 2026
- AFCAT Exam 2026 Reporting Time
- AFCAT Exam Day Guidelines 2026
- AFCAT Exam Pattern 2026
- AFCAT Syllabus 2026
- AFCAT Exam Centres 2026
AFCAT Shift Timings 2026
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 exam is conducted in two shifts. Each shift is conducted for two hours. Shift 1 timing is from 9.45 am to 11.45 am, and shift 2 from 2:15 PM to 4.15 pm. Candidates have to report to the test centre as per the reporting time. Carry the admit card along with a valid ID proof that mentions - name, father's name, date of birth, and a clear photograph). You are not allowed to to carry Textual material, Calculators, Docupen, Slide rulers and log tables, Electronic watches, Mobile phones, Bluetooth, pager or any other electronic items to the exam centre.
Upcoming Sarkari Exam Dates
CTET
8 Feb '26
27 Nov '25 - 10 Feb '26
2 Feb '26 - 16 Feb '26
4 Feb '26 - 2 Mar '26
16 Feb '26 - 10 Mar '26
31 Mar '26
12 Apr '26
12 Apr '26
6 Oct '26 - 5 Nov '26
AFCAT exam is conducted to select Class 1 gazetted officers in flying branch and ground duty (technical and non-technical) branch. AFCAT shift timings highlight the time for exam shifts. The table below provides AFCAT timings for Shift 1 and 2.
| Paremeters | Shift 1 Timings | Shift 2 Timings |
|---|---|---|
| Candidates must read the directions |
9.30 am to 9.45 am |
2.30 pm to 2.45 pm |
| Biometrics, Photo/ Thumb Impression/ Sign on Attendance Sheet, and applicant seating in exam hall verification of admit card and ID proof |
7.30 am to 9.30 am |
12.30 pm to 2.30 pm |
| AFCAT shift timings |
9.45 am to 11.45 am |
2.45 pm to 4.45 pm |
Also Read:
AFCAT Exam 2026 Reporting Time
AFCAT reporting timings highlight the time when candidates need to reach the exam centre for the pre-verification process. The shift-wise reporting timings are given below.
| AFCAT Shifts | AFCAT Reporting Time |
|---|---|
| Shift 1 | 7.30 am |
| Shift 2 | 12.30 pm |
AFCAT 2 2024 vacancy break-up is given below.
| Entry Type | Post Code | Male | Female | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AFCAT | Flying | 18 | 12 | |||||
AFCAT Ground Duty Technical | AE (L) | 88 | 23 | |||||
AE (M) | 36 | 09 | ||||||
AFCAT Ground Duty Non Technical | Admin | 43 | 03 | |||||
LGS | 13 | 14 | ||||||
Accounts | 10 | 11 | ||||||
Ground Duty Non Technical | Education | 07 | 02 | |||||
Ground Duty Non Technical | Weapon Systems WS Branch | 14 | 02 | |||||
Meteorology Entry | Meteorology | 08 | 02 | |||||
NCC Special Entry | Flying |
| ||||||
AFCAT exam is conducted to select Commissioned Officers in Flying and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches. The exam is conducted twice a year-February and August/September. The exam for the February session is conducted for admission to the courses commencing in January. The exam for the August/September session is conducted for admission to the courses commencing in July. AFCAT selection process comprises online test and AFSB interview. The online 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 AFSB interview is conducted at Dehradun, Varanasi, Gandhinagar and Mysuru. The AFSB interview is conducted in two stages. Stage 1 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. If candidates are recommended by the Selection Board, they are send for the medical examination either at Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), New Delhi or Institute of Aviation Medicine, Bengaluru. The All India Merit List is compiled based on their performance in the online test and interview, subject to being medically fit. Based on the vacancies available in various branches/sub-branches, joining instructions are issued to join one of the training establishments.
Note: Pre-exam Verification is an important step and therefore, candidates should appear on time, else they will not be allowed in the examination hall, and do not forget to carry the admit card with them.
AFCAT Exam Day Guidelines 2026
AFCAT exam day guidelines are prescribed by IAF. In the exam day guidelines, candidates can check the documents required along with the admit card, items that are allowed and prohibited, dress code, etc. Given below are the AFCAT exam day guidelines.
- Candidates need to carry the following photo-identity proofs along with the AFCAT admit card are PAN card, Adhaar Card, Passport, Driving License, Voter Identity Card, College Identity Card (or any other valid photo identity proof that mentions - name, father’s name, date of birth, and a clear photograph).
- Candidates must bring two colour photographs the same as the one uploaded during online application
- Candidates must carry a blue or black ballpoint pen for rough work and to sign the attendance sheet
- The following items are prohibited inside the exam centre:
- Textual material
- Calculators
- Docupen
- Slide rulers & log tables
- Electronic watches
- Mobile phones, Bluetooth, pager or any other electronic items
- Watches
- Wristbands
- Bracelets
- Handbags
- Ornaments,
- Coats
Also Read: AFCAT Exam Day Guidelines
AFCAT Exam Pattern 2026
Exams for the AFCAT and EKT are conducted in online mode. Candidates who choose the Ground Duty (Technical) branch must take the Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT). The question paper is set in English only. AFCAT exam has 100 questions in total, while the EKT exam has 50 questions. Candidates are given two hours to complete the AFCAT paper and 45 minutes to complete the EKT.
Questions are given from the chapters such as General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, Military Reasoning, and Aptitude tests. AFCAT carries 300 marks.
The structure of AFCAT exam pattern is given below.
| Particulars | AFCAT | EKT (Only for Technical Branch) |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Time |
2 Hours |
45 minutes |
| Exam Mode |
Online |
Online |
| Total Marks |
300 marks |
150 |
| Number of Sections |
|
|
| Total Questions |
100 |
50 |
| Exam Language |
English |
50 |
| Marking Criteria |
3 Mark for each right answer and -1 Mark for each wrong answer |
3 Mark for each right answer and -1 Mark for each wrong answer |
Also Read:
AFCAT Syllabus 2026
AFCAT syllabus is prescribed by the examination authority. The standard of the same is of Graduation level. Candidates need to be thorough with the syllabus to know the necessary topics for the exam. Check below AFCAT syllabus.
| Subjects | Topics |
|---|---|
| English |
Comprehension, Error Detection, Antonyms and Testing of Vocabulary, Idioms and Phrases, Synonyms |
| General Knowledge |
History, Civics, Geography, Politics, Art, Culture, Sports, Defence, Basic Science, Environment, Current Affairs |
| Reasoning and Military Aptitude |
Spatial Ability, Verbal Ability, Simple Interest Time and Distance, Ratio and Proportion, etc. |
| Numerical Ability |
Time and Work, Decimal Fraction, Profit and Loss, Percentage, etc. |
AFCAT Exam Centres 2026
IAF had released the city intimination slip for AFCAT exam. Candidates can check their allotted test cities by logging with the required credentials. The list of AFCAT exam cities is given below.
| Agartala |
Ajmer |
| Ahmedabad |
Aizawl |
| Alwar |
Allahabad/Prayagraj |
| Ambala |
Aurangabad |
| Bareilly |
Behrampur (Odisha) |
| Bathinda |
Belagavi |
| Bengaluru |
Bhagalpur |
| Bhilai |
Bhopal |
| Bhubaneswar |
Bhuj |
| Bikaner |
Chandigarh |
| Chennai |
Coimbatore |
| Warangal |
Delhi and NCR |
| Dhanbad |
Diu |
| Dibrugarh |
Durgapur |
| Faridabad |
Ganganagar |
| Gaya |
Ghaziabad |
| Gorakhpur |
Guntur |
| Gurugram |
Guwahati |
| Gwalior |
Haldwani |
| Hissar |
Hyderabad |
| Imphal |
Indore |
| Itanagar |
Jabalpur |
| Jaipur |
Jalandhar |
| Jalpaiguri |
Jammu |
| Jamshedpur |
Jhansi |
| Jodhpur |
Jorhat |
| Kannur |
Kanpur |
| Kakinada |
Kochi |
| Kohima |
Kolhapur |
| Kolkata |
Kota |
| Kurukshetra |
Leh |
| Lucknow |
Ludhiana |
| Mangalore |
Meerut |
| Mumbai |
Muzzafarpur |
| Mysore |
Nagpur |
| Nasik |
Chhapra |
| Nizamabad |
Noida |
| Panaji |
Patiala |
| Patna |
Port Blair |
| Puducherry |
Pune |
| Rajkot |
Ranchi |
| Rourkee |
Rourkela |
| Sambalpur |
Shillong |
| Shimla |
Silchar |
| Srinagar |
Solapur |
| Sonipat |
Thane |
| Thrissur |
Thiruvananthapuram |
| Tirunelveli |
Tirupati |
| Udaipur |
Vadodara |
| Varanasi |
Vellore |
| Vijayawada |
Visakhapatnam |
Read More:
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
15 Jan '26 - 14 Feb '26 | IBPS PO 2025 Final Result |
22 Aug '26 - 23 Aug '26 | IBPS PO 2026 Prelims Exam |
31 Jan '25 | RBI Assistant 2025 Notificatio... |
31 Dec '23 | RBI Assistant mains exam 2023 |
12 Apr '26 | CDS 1 Exam 2026 |
Apr '26 | CDS 1 2026 Result |
28 Jan '26 - 29 Jan '26 | SSC Stenographer 2025 Skill Te... |
2 Jan '26 - 1 Feb '26 | SSC Stenographer 2025 Final An... |
26 Aug '25 | RPF SI Final Result |
22 Jun '25 - 2 Jul '25 | Physical Test Date |
Apr '26 | NDA 1 Admit Card 2026 |
12 Apr '26 | NDA 1 2026 Exam Date |
Mar '26 | SSC CGL 2026 Application Dates |
May '26 | SSC CGL 2026 Tier-I Exam Dates |
9 Dec '25 | DRDO CEPTAM Application Form 2... |
12 Jan '23 | Tier 2 exam date for STA-B |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 days ago
AFCAT 1 2026 expected cut off will range between 135–145 marks. The expected cut off is decided based on the difficulty level.
J
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
The overall difficulty level of AFCAT 1 2026 exam was moderate. The section-wise difficulty is given below.
| Subject | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|
| General Awareness | Moderate |
| Verbal Ability in English | Moderate |
| Numerical Ability | Moderate |
| Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test | Moderate |
R
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 weeks ago
AFCAT 1 cut off 2026 will be released in March. It is common across all categories. Candidates need to secure the required cut off to qualify the exam. It is decided based on the exam difficulty level.
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
AFCAT 1 2026 exam analysis was released on January 31. This is 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.
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
AFCAT reporting timings are mentioned in the admit card. The shift-wise reporting timings are given below.
| AFCAT Shifts | AFCAT Reporting Time |
|---|---|
| Shift 1 | 7.30 am |
| Shift 2 | 12.30 pm |
A
Contributor-Level 7
Candidates clearing AFCAT exam are offered a salary of INR 56,100-1,77,500. The salary structure is given below. Rank-Flying Officer-Level-10 Pay as per defence matrix-INR 56,100-1,77,500 Military Service Pay (MSP)-INR 15,500 per month. The rank-wise AFCAT Salary is given below: Flying Officer-INR 56,100 1,77,500 Flight Lieutenant- INR 6,13,00-1,93,900 Squadron Leader-INR 6,94,00 2,07,200 Wing Commander-INR 1,21,200 2,12400 Group Captain-INR 1,30,600-2, 15,900 Air Commodore-INR1,39,600-2,17,600 Air Vice Marshal-INR 1,44,200-2,18,200 Air Marshal HAG Scale-INR 1, 82, 200-2,24,100 HAG+Scale- INR 2,05,400 2,24,400 VACS/Airforce Cdr/ Air Marshal (NFSG)0- INR 2,25,000/-(fixed) CAS- INR 2,50,000/-(fixed) Selection of candidates for AFCAT exam is done based on the online test AFSB interview. Candidates are selected as Gazetted Officers in Flying Branch and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches.