AFCAT

Air Force Common Admission Test

Flying · Technical · Ground Duty Branch — IAF

AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test) is conducted by the Indian Air Force twice a year to select officers for Flying Branch, Technical Branch and Ground Duty Branches (Administration, Logistics, Accounts, Education, Meteorology, ATC). It leads to one of India's most prestigious careers.

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Conducted by
Indian Air Force (IAF)
Frequency
Twice a year (Feb & Aug intake)
Total Marks
300 (AFCAT) + EKT (Technical)
Prep Time
6–12 months
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Eligibility
Graduate (any branch) for Ground Duty; Engg. for Technical; PCM 60% in 10+2 for Flying
Age Limit
20–26 years for most branches (26 for Flying, 30 for NCC Special Entry, varies by category)
Attempts
Limited by age eligibility window

Exam Pattern & Stages

Stage 1
AFCAT Online Test
300 marks
Computer-Based Test

100 questions, 2 hours. Verbal Ability (18 Qs), Numerical Ability (18 Qs), Reasoning & Military Aptitude (24 Qs), General Awareness (25 Qs), Spatial Ability (15 Qs). +3/-1 marking.

Stage 2
EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test)
150 marks
Technical Paper

Only for Technical Branch aspirants. 50 questions, 45 minutes. Based on your engineering branch: Computer Science, Mechanical, Electrical & Electronics, or Aeronautical Engineering subjects.

Stage 3
AFSB Interview
Qualifying
5-Day Air Force Selection Board

At Dehradun, Mysore or Gandhinagar AFSB. Phase I: Cognitive Tests, PPDT. Phase II: Psychology tests, GTO series, Group discussions, Personal Interview. Medical follows final selection.

Syllabus Breakdown

Verbal Ability
  • Comprehension Passages
  • Error Detection
  • Sentence Completion & Correction
  • Synonyms & Antonyms
  • Idioms & Phrases
Numerical Ability
  • Decimal & Fractions
  • Percentage, Ratio & Proportion
  • Average, Time & Work
  • Simple & Compound Interest
  • Profit-Loss, Permutation-Combination
Reasoning & Military Aptitude
  • Verbal Intelligence — Series, Analogy, Classification
  • Spatial Ability — Pattern Identification, Mental Rotation
  • Military Aptitude — Practical Army/AF situations
General Awareness
  • History, Geography, Polity & Economy
  • Science & Technology
  • Defence, Military & IAF-specific GK
  • Current Affairs (last 6 months)
  • Sports & Awards

Career Outcomes & Posts

Flying Branch — Fighter, Transport, Helicopter Pilot
Technical Branch — Aeronautical Engg. (Electronics / Mechanical)
Ground Duty — Administration & Logistics
Ground Duty — Accounts, Education, Meteorology
Air Traffic Control (ATC) Officer

Expert Preparation Tips

1

General Awareness (defence GK + current affairs) is highly scoring and can separate you from others — invest dedicated time daily

2

Verbal Ability in AFCAT is at a high level — focus on Reading Comprehension and build a strong vocabulary

3

Spatial Ability is unique to AFCAT — practice paper-folding, mirror images and mental rotation daily

4

For Flying Branch: eyesight standards are strict; verify your eligibility before starting preparation

5

AFSB is the final test of your officer-like qualities — read 'SSB Cracker' and practice group tasks with friends

6

Clear EKT (if applying for Technical) by studying your engineering core subjects — last 2 years of B.Tech are crucial

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