How to apply for IAF AFCAT: Selection Process, Notification, Exam Pattern, & Exam Mode

All about IAF AFCAT

Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) is the most sought-after exam after the NDA and CDS. Why? Because you get the same rank and promotion as what you get in through the above two exams. This review is conducted on a semi-annual basis to recruit young officers for various wings of the Indian Air Force like Flying and Ground-duty (Technical and Non-technical). After successfully qualifying all the stages of IAF AFCAT, you will be appointed as Flying Officer in the fourth largest Airforce in the world. 

AFCAT attracts a huge number because of the nationalism factor associated with it. You get a direct opportunity to serve your motherland and earn a badge of a martyr for yourself. Usually, the AFCAT is conducted in February and August. Every year lakhs of young candidates participate in the examination, but only a few excel at it. If you want an opportunity to fly in the sky of India, then passing AFCAT will be the right choice. A detailed breakdown of the examination is given below:

AFCAT Eligibility 

For Flying Wing

  • A candidate applying for AFCAT must be between 20 to 24 years of age as of 01 January 2021.
  • Those who have a valid pilot license from DGCA, India, get the relaxation of 2 years. 
  • Unmarried should lie between 20 to 25 years of age; married, widowers, and divorcees should not exceed 25 years of age.
  • Married candidates are not allowed to live with family and will not be provided with family accommodation. 
  • Candidates are expected to have a minimum total of 60% in Physics and Mathematics in 12th or 60% minimum total in full-time courses of either B.Tech or B.E. 
  • They must be mentally and physically fit.
  • Their height ranges between 157 to 193 cm and their weight from 49 to 81 kgs. 

For Ground Duty (Technical)

  • A candidate applying for AFCAT must be between 20 to 24 years of age as of 01 January 2021.
  • Those who have a valid pilot license from DGCA, India, get the relaxation of 2 years. 
  • Unmarried should lie between 20 to 25 years of age; married, widowers, and divorcees should not exceed 25 years of age.
  • Married candidates are not allowed to live with family and will not be provided with family accommodation. 
  • Candidates are expected to have a minimum total of 60% in Physics and Mathematics in 12th or 60% minimum aggregate in full-time courses of either B.Tech or B.E. in Electronics and Mechanical engineering branch. 
  • They must be mentally and physically fit.
  • Their height ranges between 157 to 193 cm and their weight from 49 to 81 kgs. 

For Ground Duty (Non-Technical)

  • A candidate applying for AFCAT must be between 20 to 24 years of age as of 01 January 2021.
  • Those who have a valid pilot license from DGCA, India, get the relaxation of 2 years. 
  • Unmarried should lie between 20 to 25 years of age; married, widowers, and divorcees should not exceed 25 years of age.
  • Married candidates are not allowed to live with family and will not be provided with family accommodation. 
  • Candidates must graduate in any stream with a minimum of 60% marks if they apply for Administration and Logistics. For the Accounts section, they must obtain a degree of 3 years B.Com. Degree with minimum 60% aggregate. 
  • They must be mentally and physically fit.
  • Their height ranges between 157 to 193 cm and their weight from 49 to 81 kgs. 

Special Entry (NCC Flying Wing)

  • A candidate applying for AFCAT must be between 20 to 24 years of age as of 01 January 2021.
  • Those who have a valid pilot license from DGCA, India, get the relaxation of 2 years. 
  • Unmarried should lie between 20 to 25 years of age; married, widowers, and divorcees should not exceed 25 years of age.
  • Married candidates are not allowed to live with family and will not be provided with family accommodation. 
  • From 01 January 2017 onwards, candidates applying through NCC must have a minimum aggregate of 60% in Physics and Mathematics in 12th or 60% minimum aggregate in full-time courses of either B.Tech or B.E. 
  • ‘C’ certificate of NCC Air Wing Senior division is also required. 
  • They must be mentally and physically fit.
  • Their height ranges between 157 to 193 cm and their weight from 49 to 81 kgs.

Note: Gorkhas and Garwhals will get a relaxation of 5cm, and Men and women from Lakshadweep will get relaxation of 2 cm.

AFCAT 2021 Vacancies

For the 2021 AFCAT examination, the Indian Air Force released the vacancy of 575 (including exam I and exam II) for all the branches, including NCC. 10% of total vacancies are reserved for NCC ‘C’ certificate holders for special entry. Kindly check the official notification for any changes. 

AFCAT Selection Process

The selection process for AFCAT involves three stages, (i) Online Test, (ii) SSB or AFSB, (iii) Medical Test. The first stage is an online test which is divided into two sections. There are 150 questions that count to 450 marks. The brief pattern of Online Test is given below:

Stage – I

Sections  Topics No. of MCQ’s Allotted Marks  Allotted Time
AFCAT for both technical and non-technical Verbal Ability, Numerical Ability, General Awareness, Military Reasoning Aptitude Test 100 300 120 Minutes
EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test) for technical branch only  Computer Science, Mechanical engineering, and Electronics engineering  50 150 45 Minutes
Total 150 450 165 Minutes

 

There is a negative marking in the Air Force Common Admission Test examination where you get 3 marks for each correct answer on one side, and on the other side, 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer. 

 

Stage – II

After selecting deserving candidates from the online test, now there is time for stage II is the most prolonged evaluation process that lasts for around five days. This stage is further divided into two levels. Level one is a screening test, and those who qualify the level-I will be called for level II. These stages are designed to evaluate the overall personality of the potential officers. 

Level – I

This stage has two different tests:

  • Officer Intelligence Rating Test 
  • Picture Perception and Discussion Test

Level – II

Here you have the foremost hurdle to pass as the tough tests are reserved for this stage only. Tests like:

  • A written psychological test prepared by an Air Force psychologist will be conducted first.
  • Another task is the Group Tests which involves various outdoor and indoor activities to test your mental and physical endurance. 
  • Now comes the interview part. Candidates who qualify for the above two tests will go through the Personal Interview with the recruitment panel. That panel consists of 4 to 5 high-ranking Air Force officials who will evaluate you on your different parameters. 
  • If you apply for the Flying Wing, you must pass the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS) Test. But this test will be conducted after the recommendation from the recruitment board. 

 

Stage – III

The final stage is the Medical Examinations; when you successfully clear the above two stages, you will be sent to any of the allotted centers for medical examination, i.e., Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), New Delhi, or Institute of Aviation Medicine, Bangalore. There, you will have to go through the medical tests set by the Indian Air Force. If you didn’t make it to any of the tests and have any serious medical condition, you would be rejected. But if you have any medical condition that can be cured by treatment, you will get a Temporary Rejection (TR) of 2 months (3 months in case of minor surgery). 

A merit list then will be prepared with the joining guidelines if you clear all the stages and are medically fit. You will get the instruction to join the training centers.  

 

Types of Commission after IAF AFCAT

Similar to the Indian Army, the Air Force also offers two types of commissions after clearing the AFCAT. 

(i) Permanent Commission (PC)

(ii) Short Service Commission (SSC)

Those who get selected in PC will serve the Air Force until the age of their retirement, and if you get selected for SSC, you will work for 14 years in Flying Branch and 10 years in Ground Duty. The tenure of Ground Duty officers can be further extended by 4 years after considering various factors like their willingness, merit, and availability. AFCAT exam day guidelines

The Air Force has set some guidelines for the applicants to keep in mind on the day of examination. 

  • Carry your admit card and ID proof (Voter ID Card, AADHAR Card, Driving Licence, or Passport).
  • Reach on time (if your get late more than 30 minutes, then you will not be allowed to give examination under any circumstance)
  • Do not carry any prohibited or expensive item in the examination hall (Any electronic, digital, or Bluetooth device, calculator, translator, recorder, headphone, earphone, radio, walkman, geometry-box, pencil box, clipboard, wristwatch, bracelet, chips, chocolate, drinks, etc.)
  • Black or Blue ballpoint can be used in the examination. 
  • Do not staple your photograph on the Admit Card and use glue to paste it. 

 

FAQ’s

Question – When will the IAF AFCAT 2022 notification be released?

Answer   – The tentative date for AFCAT 2022 is December 1, and the exam will be held on January 10. 

Question – How many attempts do I get for the AFCAT exam?

Answer   –  Air Force doesn’t restrict candidates on the basis of attempts; instead, they set the maximum age limit of 24 years. So on an average basis, you easily get 5 to 6 attempts before reaching the age limit. 

Question – What academic qualification is required for AFCAT?

Answer   –  Candidates must graduate with a full-time degree of B.tech and B.E. for Flying and Technical Wing with a minimum 60% overall aggregate. For Non-technical Wings, they must graduate in any stream with a minimum 60% overall aggregate.

Question – What is the salary of a Flying Officer selected through AFCAT?

Answer   –  Flying officers’ salary varies on different factors like the area of posting and additional requirements, but on an average basis, they are entitled to get a remuneration of 80,000 pm (approx).

Question – How is the merit list for AFSB Interview prepared?

Answer   –  IAF allotted different minimum marks for Online Test and AFSB selection process. The merit list is drawn up in accordance with the total marks obtained in both stages. 

Question – Can I apply for AFCAT after Class 12?

Answer   –  No, you cannot apply for AFCAT immediately after the 12th class. You should be graduated in either engineering (for the technical branch), commerce, or any stream (for accounts and non-technical) with a minimum 60% overall aggregate. 

Question – What is the minimum acceptable height in the AFCAT exam?

Answer   –  Minimum acceptable height for AFCAT is 157 cm for men and 152 for women. (Gorkhas and Garwhals get a relaxation of 5 cm and men and women of Lakshadweep get 2 cm relaxation)

 

Also read – IAF AFCAT Preparation Tips

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