AFCAT FAQ

AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test) is conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) — not UPSC — twice a year. It recruits Group A Gazetted Officers for:

• Flying Branch: Pilot — transport, fighter, helicopter streams.
• Ground Duty (Technical): Aeronautical Engineer — Electronics or Mechanical branch.
• Ground Duty (Non-Technical): Administration, Logistics, Accounts, Education, Meteorology.

Age limits as per AFCAT 2 2026 notification:

• Flying Branch: 20–24 years. Born between 2 Jul 2003 – 1 Jul 2007. CPL holders: upper age relaxed to 26 years.
• Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical): 20–26 years. Born between 2 Jul 2001 – 1 Jul 2007.

Age is reckoned as of 1st July of the year of course commencement. Always check the exact DOB window in the official notification.

Yes — women can apply for all branches of AFCAT, including the Flying Branch. The IAF inducted women as fighter pilots in 2016. Both male and female candidates can apply for Flying, Ground Duty (Technical), and Ground Duty (Non-Technical) branches, subject to meeting the same eligibility criteria.

Candidates must be unmarried at the time of application for most branches, though specific marital status conditions are detailed in the official notification.

Yes, with a condition: final-year students can apply but must not have any active backlogs at the time of AFSB (Air Force Selection Board) testing. They must produce their provisional degree certificate before the commencement of the training course. If backlog exists at AFSB time, the candidature may be cancelled.

AFCAT is a single paper with 4 sections:

Section	Topics	Questions	Marks
General Awareness	History, Geography, Polity, Science, Defence, Current Affairs	~25	~75
Verbal Ability (English)	Vocabulary, Grammar, RC, Idioms, Analogy, One-word sub	~30	~90
Numerical Ability	Arithmetic, Ratio, Percentage, Time & Work, Speed, CI/SI	~20	~60
Reasoning & Mili. Aptitude	Logical Reasoning, Spatial, Coding, Direction, Blood Relations	~25	~75
Total		100	300

Duration: 2 hours. Marking: +3 for correct, −1 for wrong. Medium: English only. Online (computer-based) exam.

EKT has been discontinued. Previously, candidates applying for the Ground Duty Technical branch had to appear for an additional Engineering Knowledge Test. As per recent notifications, this requirement has been removed — all technical branch candidates now appear only in the standard AFCAT paper. Always verify this in the current notification as policies can change.

AFCAT is considered moderate to moderately difficult:

• English: Vocabulary and comprehension at graduate level. Idioms, one-word substitutions, analogy, and spot-error questions are frequently asked.
• General Awareness: Heavy on defence, IAF-specific GK, current affairs. Also covers History, Geography, and Science.
• Numerical Ability: Class X–XII standard arithmetic. Simpler than CAT/GMAT but requires accuracy and speed.
• Reasoning: Standard logical reasoning — coding, direction, blood relation, odd-one-out, series.

IAF does not officially declare cut-offs. Based on historical trends:

• AFCAT written cut-off: approximately 130–160 out of 300 (varies per cycle).
• Aim for 180+ marks to be in a comfortable position for AFSB shortlisting.

The written exam only shortlists candidates for AFSB — the final merit is based on Written + AFSB marks combined.

1. AFCAT Written Exam (Online) — conducted at exam centres across India
2. AFSB Interview (5–6 days) — at IAF Selection Board centres in Dehradun, Mysuru, Varanasi, Gandhinagar, or Guwahati
3. Medical Examination — at IAF Medical Establishments (3–5 days)
4. Document Verification
5. All-India Merit List — final selection based on Written + AFSB scores

AFSB centres: candidates select their preferred centre during the online seat selection process after shortlisting.

AFSB (Air Force Selection Board) follows the same two-stage structure as Army SSB but with IAF-specific assessments:

• Stage I (Day 1–2): OIR (Officer Intelligence Rating) + PPDT (Picture Perception & Discussion Test). Stage I failures are screened out on Day 2.
• Stage II (Day 2–5): Psychological Tests: TAT, WAT, SRT, SDT; GTO (Group Testing Officer) Tasks: Group discussions, outdoor tasks, command task, lecturette; Personal Interview: in-depth one-on-one with an interviewing officer.
• Day 5: Final Conference — all assessors review performance. Recommended / Not Recommended.

CPSS (Computerised Pilot Selection System), formerly PABT (Pilot Aptitude Battery Test), is a computerised psychomotor test administered on Day 1 of AFSB for Flying Branch candidates. It tests:

• Hand-eye coordination, instrument reading, multi-tasking ability
• Spatial reasoning and response under simulated flight conditions

If you fail CPSS, you are permanently disqualified from the Flying Branch across all defence entries (NDA/CDS/AFCAT). It can only be attempted once in a lifetime. Candidates who fail CPSS but pass Stage I can still continue for Ground Duty branches if they applied for those too.

Branch	Training Location	Duration	Commission
Flying Branch	Air Force Academy, Dundigal, Hyderabad	74 weeks (~18 months)	Flying Officer
Ground Duty (Technical)	Air Force Technical College, Jalahalli, Bengaluru	~2 years (AE course)	Flying Officer
Ground Duty (Non-Tech)	Air Force Administrative College, Coimbatore	~6 months	Flying Officer

All commissioned officers in IAF start at the rank of Flying Officer regardless of branch.

• Training stipend: ₹56,100 per month during AFA training
• Flying Officer (on commissioning): Basic pay ₹56,100 (Pay Level 10)
• In-hand (approx.): ₹80,000–₹1,10,000+ with allowances
• Flying Branch additional: Flying Allowance (substantial), Risk & Hardship Allowance
• Technical Branch additional: Technical Allowance

Benefits include free furnished accommodation, medical cover for family, canteen (CSD), subsidised loans, 60 days annual leave + 20 days casual leave, insurance up to ₹1.25 crore.

• AFCAT Entry: ₹550 + 18% GST = approximately ₹649 total
• NCC Special Entry (Flying Branch): Exempt from fee

Payment is made online through the official AFCAT portal. Once paid, the fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.

Standards are stricter than Army entries, especially for Flying Branch:

• Height (minimum): 162.5 cm (male); 152 cm (female)
• Vision (Flying Branch): 6/6 in both eyes without correction. No spectacles or contact lenses. This is one of the most common disqualifiers — get your eyes checked early.
• Vision (Ground Duty): Corrected vision acceptable within prescribed limits (details in official notification).
• Overall: Must be medically fit as per IAF standards — no significant history of major illness, psychiatric conditions, or significant surgeries.

There is no official limit on the number of attempts — you can apply as long as you remain within the eligible age window. Since AFCAT is held twice a year, Flying Branch candidates (age 20–24) typically get around 8–10 attempts, and Ground Duty candidates (20–26) get more.

Exception: CPSS/PABT (for Flying Branch) can only be attempted once in a lifetime across all defence entries. Plan accordingly.