EducationPath.in
Defence & Armed Forces

AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test)

Air Force Common Admission Test — Conducted by the Indian Air Force to recruit Class-1 Gazetted Officers in Flying and Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical) branches. Shortlisted candidates attend the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) interview and Computerized Pilot Selection System (CPSS).

Conducting Body
Indian Air Force (IAF)
Frequency
Conducted Twice a Year (AFCAT 1 in February, AFCAT 2 in August)
Mode & Duration
Computer Based (CBT) (2 Hours (120 Minutes))
Exam Month
February (AFCAT 1) & August (AFCAT 2)
AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test) (Air Force Common Admission Test) Examination Guide
Defence & Armed Forces

Official Guide & Assessment Pattern for AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test)

Exam Significance & Admission Purpose

Conducted by the Indian Air Force to recruit Class-1 Gazetted Officers in Flying and Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical) branches. Shortlisted candidates attend the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) interview and Computerized Pilot Selection System (CPSS).

Detailed Eligibility Criteria

Graduate with min 60% aggregate. For Flying Branch: Min 50% in Math & Physics in 10+2 + Graduation/B.Tech with 60%. Age 20-24 (Flying) / 20-26 (Ground Duty).

Exam Pattern & Test Structure

SectionQuestionsMarksDuration
General AwarenessHistory, Sports, Geography, Environment, Defense, Art & Culture (20 Qs)60 MarksIntegrated 120 Mins
Verbal Ability in EnglishComprehension, Error Detection, Sentence Completion, Idioms (30 Qs)90 MarksIntegrated 120 Mins
Numerical AbilityDecimals, Fractions, Profit & Loss, Ratio, Speed-Distance-Time (20 Qs)60 MarksIntegrated 120 Mins
Reasoning & Military AptitudeSpatial Ability, Embedded Figures, Venn Diagrams, Analogy (30 Qs)90 MarksIntegrated 120 Mins
Marking Scheme:+3 for Correct Answer, -1 for Incorrect Answer, 0 for Unattempted. Total 100 Questions (300 Marks).

Recommended Preparation Timeline & Strategy

Master military reasoning and spatial pattern recognition (carries 90 marks).
Practice mental arithmetic and percentage/ratio shortcuts for the 20 numerical ability questions.
Read defense current affairs and aircraft nomenclature for the General Awareness section.

Cutoff Trends & Score Analysis

The written AFCAT cutoff typically fluctuates between 140 and 155 marks out of 300 depending on paper difficulty.

Premier Colleges & Universities Accepting Scores

Air Force Academy (AFA Dundigal, Hyderabad)
Air Force Technical College (AFTC Bengaluru)
Recommended Exploration

Related Entrance Examinations

Explore other national and state-level entrance tests in this discipline.

Explore All 250+ Guides
Defence & Armed ForcesUnion Public Service Commission (UPSC)

NDA & NA Examination (UPSC)

The premier tri-service military academy entrance in India. Selected cadet officers undergo a 3-year joint training curriculum in Pune followed by specialized finishing academy training, commissioned as Lieutenants, Sub-Lieutenants, or Flying Officers.

View Full Guide
Defence & Armed ForcesUnion Public Service Commission (UPSC)

CDS Examination (Combined Defence Services - UPSC)

UPSC CDS is the premier competitive entrance exam for graduates seeking commissioned officer ranks in the Indian Armed Forces through the Indian Military Academy (IMA Dehradun), Indian Naval Academy (INA Ezhimala), Air Force Academy (AFA Dundigal), and Officers Training Academy (OTA Chennai).

View Full Guide