Defence · Government Exams

AFCAT Exam Pattern

Every figure here is from the AFCAT 02/2026 notification.

AFCAT · checked 19 September 2026

The dates, vacancies and rules below are read on the conducting body’s own site and rewritten as each notice appears. The guide beneath carries the full pattern, syllabus, cut-offs and free mock tests.

Free AFCAT mock test AFCAT syllabus Today’s current affairs

19September 2026

Checked 19 September 2026

AFCAT: the facts that matter now

01
AFCAT 01/2026: registration 17 November – 14 December 2025, examination 31 January 2026, AFSB calls issued. AFCAT 02/2026: registration 20 May –…
2026 cycles
02
Indian Air Force through the AFCAT portal (afcat.edcil.co.in) twice a year — Cycle 01 in the first half and Cycle 02 in the second — for the…
Conducted by
03
AFCAT 02/2026: about 353 through AFCAT — Flying 35, Ground Duty (Technical) 211, Ground Duty (Non-Technical) 107 — plus 26 through GATE score…
Vacancies
04
Graduates: Flying 20–24 on 1 July 2027 with physics and mathematics at 10+2; Ground Duty 20–26; unmarried; men and women
Eligibility

Pattern

AFCAT — AFCAT exam pattern 2026: the online test, negative marking, AFSB and merit

AFCAT has one online test for every branch and entry, an Air Force Selection Board of two stages, a medical examination and a branch-wise merit list. The Engineering Knowledge Test of earlier cycles is not part of the 2026 notifications.

AFCAT online test. Objective; English only; conducted in shifts and normalised.
Item	Detail
Questions and marks	100 questions, 300 marks
Time	2 hours (10 a.m. to 12 noon; gate closes 9:30 a.m.)
Marking	+3 correct, −1 wrong, 0 unattempted
Sections	General Awareness; Verbal Ability in English; Numerical Ability; Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test
Qualifying marks	Fixed by the IAF, in any or all sections

AFSB testing.
Stage	Detail
Stage I	Officer Intelligence Rating test and Picture Perception and Discussion test on day one; document check; non-qualifiers sent back
Stage II	Psychological tests on day one evening; Group Tests and Interview over the next five days
CPSS	Computerised Pilot Selection System for recommended Flying-branch candidates; once in a lifetime
Centres	Dehradun, Mysuru, Gandhinagar, Varanasi, Guwahati

After the AFSB

Medical — At AFCME or IAM; branch vision standards apply.
Merit — Branch-wise from recommended and fit candidates; the number called to the Academy equals the vacancies.
Training and pay — Flight cadets receive ₹56,100 a month; on commissioning, Flying Officer pay is Level 10 with ₹15,500 military service pay plus branch allowances.

AFCAT syllabus for the four sections Free AFCAT mock tests, 100 questions in two hours AFCAT previous year papers

Exam resources