The Air Force common admission test (AFCAT) is a defence exam conducted by the Indian Air force for the selection of Class-1 Gazetted Officers in Flying and Ground Duties (Technical and Non-Technical). The AFCAT exam is held twice a year, in February and August/September. Its applications are available in June and December. Candidates can apply for all three branches of the IAF through AFCAT, which are the Flying Branch, the Technical Branch, and the Ground Duty Branch. Although, different branches have different eligibility requirements.
The Indian Air Force holds the AFCAT exam to recruit qualified candidates for:
*Except for NDA and CDS candidates, all other recruitment in the Indian Air Force is done through the AFCAT exam.
| AFCAT Full Form | Air Force Common Admission Test |
| Managing Body | Indian Air Force |
| Exam Level | National level |
| Purpose | Recruitment of Group A Gazetted Officers in Flying Branch for short service commission only and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) for both Permanent and Short Service Commission |
| Frequency | Twice a year |
| Mode of Exam | Online |
| Exam Duration | AFCAT: Two hours EKT: 45 minutes |
| Language of Exam | English |
| Head Quarters | New Delhi |
| The current chief of IAF | Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari |
Indian Air Force (IAF) prepares the list of candidates who qualify in the online AFCAT exam by obtaining the minimum qualifying score and are called to one of the Air Force Selection Boards for the interview located at Dehradun, Varanasi, Gandhinagar, and Mysuru. This phase is followed by a medical test and then the final merit list is made.
In the AFCAT entrance exam, candidates will be tested on topics such as general awareness, verbal ability in English, numerical ability and reasoning, and military aptitude tests. However, when it comes to the difficulty level of the questions that will be asked in this exam, the questions of Numerical Ability will be of class 10th level, while the questions of other subjects will be of graduation level. The Detailed Notification contains everything such as vacancies, eligibility criteria, Type of Commission (Short service commission and Permanent Commission), Exam Pattern, Selection Process, and Application Process.
IAF has released the AFCAT 2 2022 exam date along with the notification on 01st June 2022. The first stage of the recruitment process will be held across India from 26th-28th August 2022, with the application process closing on 30th June 2022.
AFCAT 2022: Important Dates
| Events | Dates |
| AFCAT 2 Notification 2022 (Official) | 19th May 2022 |
| Start of AFCAT Online Application | 1st June 2022 |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 30th June 2022 |
| AFCAT Admit Card 2022 | 10th August 2022 |
| AFCAT 2022 Exam Date | 26th-28th August 2022 |
| AFCAT 2022 Cut off | To be notified |
| AFCAT 2022 Result | September 2022 (Tentative) |
AFCAT (first) was conducted in February 2021. While the AFCAT (2) notification was released on 19th May 2022, for the recruitment of 304 vacancies. Indian Air Force has announced the official notification to select the Indian citizens (both Male and Females) in the elite force as Gazetted Officers in Flying and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical).
The dates for AFCAT 1 and 2 in 2022 are listed in the table below.
| Events | AFCAT 1 Dates | AFCAT 2 Dates |
| Release of AFCAT | 01st December 2021 | 19th May 2022 |
| Online Registration Starts | 01st December 2021 | 01st June 2022 |
| Online Application Ends on | 30th December 2021 | 30th June 2022 |
| AFCAT 2022 Admit Card | 28th January 2022 | 10th August 2022 |
| AFCAT 2022 Exam Date | 12th February 2022 13th February 2022 14th February 2022 | 26th August 2022 27th August 2022 28th August 2022 |
| Declaration of Result | 09th March 2022 | September 2022 |
The deadline for applying for the exam was 30th June 2022 (5 pm). On 15th July 2022, the online correction window got opened. Candidates had to log in with their credentials and do the corrections in case of any mistakes. The AFCAT application fee is INR 250, which can be paid online.
AFCAT 02 2022: Important Dates
| Events | Dates |
| AFCAT Notification 2022 (Official) | 19th May 2022 |
| Commencement of Application Form | 01st June 2022 |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 30th June 2022 |
| AFCAT Admit Card 2022 | 10th August 2022 |
| AFCAT 2022 Exam Date | 26th-28th August 2022 |
| AFCAT 2022 Cut off | To be notified |
| AFCAT 2022 Result | September 2022 (Tentative) |
Candidates who fill out the application form for AFCAT 2022 have to pay the registration fee online through a Credit card/Debit card/Net banking after filling out the form. Fees/Intimation charges are not refundable and cannot be held in reserve for any other examination or selection. The Registration Fee to be paid is discussed below.
| Category | Application Fee |
| General/ST/SC/OBC/PWD | INR 250 |
*The fee is the same for all the categories
The candidate must hold the citizenship of India as per the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955.
Age Limit differs according to the branch:
It is mandatory to opt for Maths and Physics in 12th Std. and obtain a minimum of 50% marks each in both of them and Graduation with a minimum three years degree in any discipline with a minimum of 60% marks or a 4-year BE/B.Tech with minimum 60% marks from a recognized university or the Candidates who have passed Sections A & B examination of Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers (India) or Aeronautical Society of India with minimum 60% marks from a recognized university.
Administration and Logistics: Passed in 12th STD and have completed graduation with a minimum 3 years degree course in any discipline from a recognized university and have attained a minimum of 60% marks.
Education Department: Completed MBA/MCA or MA/MSc in English/Physics/Mathematics/Chemistry/Statistics/International Relations/International Studies/Psychology/Defence Studies/IT/Management/Journalism/Computer Science/Mass Communication with a minimum 50% marks in their degree.
Accounts: B.Com Graduate with minimum 60% marks.
*The candidates need to be physically and mentally fit.
Indian Air Force has announced a total of 304 vacancies for AFCAT (ll) 2022 along with the notification. There are 248 vacancies for men and 56 vacancies for women candidates. And there is no intake of women in Ground Duty (Non-Technical Branch).
Also, 10% of seats out of the Combined Defense Service Exam (CDSE) are reserved for Permanent Commission (PC) and 10% of seats out of AFCAT vacancies for Short Service Commission (SSC) are reserved for the NCC Special Entry Flying Branch. Candidates can check below AFCAT 2 2022 vacancy break-up given below:
| Entry | Branch | Vacancies | |
| Men | Women | ||
| Flying | SSC-02 | SSC-10 | |
| Ground Duty (Technical) | AE(L): PC-23,SSC-80 | AE(L): SSC-11 | |
| AFCAT Entry | AE (M): PC-07,SSC-26 | AE (M): SSC-04 | NA |
| Ground Duty (Non-Technical) | Admin: PC-11, SSC-43 LGS: PC-05, SSC-16 Accts: PC-03, SSC-11 Edn: PC-02, SSC-08 | Admin: SSC-02 LGS: SSC-02 Accts: SSC-02 Edn: SSC-02 | |
| Meteorology Entry | Meteorology | Met: PC-03, SSC-08 | Met: SSC-02 |
| NCC Special Entry | Flying | 10% seats out of CDSE vacancies for PC and 10% seats out of AFCAT vacancies for SSC | NA |
During the period of training, candidates will be given a stipend of Rs. 56,100 with a training tenure of 1 year. After the successful completion of training the payment will be according to the following method:
Salary fixed in level 10 pay matrix: 7th Pay Commission- 56,100-1,77,500
| Rank | Level | Salary (in Rs.) |
| 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 |
In addition to the above Military Service Pay of Rs.15, 500 per month is also included. The officers also receive other allowances such as TA, DA, Children Education Allowance, etc.
Along with the salary and allowances, there are other additional benefits given to IAF officers.
The AFCAT exam includes four sections, and the EKT (for ground duty technical branch only) includes mechanical, computer science, and electrical and electronics.
There will be questions from comprehension, cloze test, synonym and antonym, idioms and phrases, and error spotting. This section is consist of at least 20 questions.
There will be questions from history, geography, biology, chemistry, political science, current affairs, defense-related questions, general science, and others.
This subject will comprise questions from Series, Venn Diagrams, Verbal and Non-verbal reasoning, spatial ability, Syllogism, Blood Relations, etc.
This subject can ask questions about Time and Work, Profit and Loss, Average, Percentage, Ratio and Proportion, Speed Distance and Time, Simple Interest and Compound Interest, HCF and LCM, etc.
It is for the candidates applying for the Ground duty Technical Branch, there will be questions from Fundamental, Specialized, and Allied Engineering Topics in all three sections of the Exam.
Read in-depth information about AFCAT Syllabus
AFCAT Previous Year Papers – PDF Download
| Specifications | AFCAT | EKT(For Technical) |
| Exam Mode | Online | Online |
| Exam Language | English | English |
| Exam Time | 2 Hours | 45 minutes |
| Total Questions | 100 | 50 |
| Total Marks | 300 | 150 |
| Marking Scheme | +3 will be rewarded for each correct answer -1 will be deducted for every wrong answer No marks are allotted to the un-attempted question | +3 will be rewarded for each correct answer -1 will be deducted for every wrong answer No marks are allotted to the un-attempted question |
| Number of Sections | Verbal Ability Numerical Ability General Awareness Reasoning and Military Aptitude | Mechanical Computer Science Electronics |
Candidates qualifying in the online exam of AFCAT will be called AFSB Interview which is organized in the following stages:
Stage-1
Officer Intelligence Test along with Picture Perception and Discussion Test. All the candidates qualifying in this stage have to subsequently go for the documentation check to ensure that they are eligible for the branch they have applied for.
Stage-2
After the monitoring of documents, there will be Psychological tests along with Group Tests and Interviews.
Stage-3
There will be a computerized pilot selection system CPSS for the recommended candidates in the Flying Branch only.
The admit card for AFCAT 2 2022 will be available in August. To access the AFCAT admit card, registered candidates must log in using their email address, password, and captcha code. The admit card in hard copy is not mailed to candidates. The following steps need to be followed for downloading the admit card:
For the academic session 2022, the result date has yet not been announced. The AFCAT 2 result 2022 is expected in September. Candidates must log in to their accounts by entering their email address, password, and captcha code. The outcome shows the qualifying status, section-by-section marks, overall marks, and cut-off marks.
AFCAT (2nd) Application Form Correction window was opened from 15th to 18th July 2022 at the official website of the Indian Air Force. The Registration was started on June 01 and the last date was 30th June 2022. The following steps need to be followed for filling out the online application form.
Check out other Defence Exams –
Ans. The full form of AFCAT is Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT). It is a national-level competitive exam conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to select officers for all of its branches except the medical and dental branches. This exam is held twice a year to select the best among the best. It is usually held in February and again in August. Candidates must prepare thoroughly for the AFCAT exam by reviewing the exam pattern, syllabus, previous year’s question papers, and mock tests.
Ans. Yes, girls can also apply for the AFCAT exam. The IAF’s AFCAT eligibility criteria include educational requirements, age limits, physical standards, and so on. It should be noted that AFCAT eligibility differs for men and women. Unmarried candidates between the ages of 20 and 24 are eligible to apply.
Ans. The AFCAT exam allows for an unlimited number of attempts. Candidates who meet the prescribed age limit are eligible to take the exam. According to previous year’s trends, a score of 150-180 is sufficient to be considered for an interview. The test is conducted twice a year in February and August.
The examination is held twice a year, in February and August. AFCAT application notices are published in June and December. Candidates must apply in accordance with the advertisement. A candidate can apply for the Indian Air Force through one of two commissions: the Permanent Commission or the Short Service Commission (SSC).
To be eligible for the exam, candidates must have a three-year graduation degree in any discipline from a recognized university, whereas, for the non-technical branch, a three-year graduation degree with a minimum of 60 percent marks is required. Candidates with a 10th Pass can apply for the Indian Air Force Group C Civilian Recruitment 2022. Candidates must be Indian citizens as defined by the Indian Citizenship Act of 1955.
The AFCAT 2022 exam, according to the official notice, will be held for courses beginning in July 2023. The AFCAT 2022 exam will be administered online from 26th to 28th August 2022. The deadline for applying for the exam was 30th June 2022 (5 pm). On 15th July 2022, the online correction window will open.
The registration for AFCAT 2022 can be done by the following steps:
Candidates must be between the ages of 20 and 24. Candidates must have been born between 02nd January 1999 and 01st January 2003. Candidates with a valid and current commercial pilot license issued by the DGCA have an upper age limit of 26 years, i.e., they must have been born between 02nd January 1997 and 01st January 2003. Candidates for the Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical) Branch must be between the ages of 20 and 26 on 01st January 2023. Candidates must have been born between the 2nd January 1997 and the 1st January 2003.
The AFCAT exam is given in two shifts. The first shift exam is held from 9.45 a.m. to 11.45 a.m. The exam for the second shift is held from 2.15 to 4.15 p.m. The exam is administered via an online computer-based test, and the language of instruction is English only. The time duration is of 2hrs.
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