Defence exams
AFCAT 2027: Exam Pattern, Syllabus & Eligibility
Air Force Common Admission Test · conducted by Indian Air Force
AFCAT is the Indian Air Force’s online exam for officer entry into the Flying Branch and the Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches. It is held twice a year as a 2-hour computer-based test of 100 questions for 300 marks (+3 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong one), covering General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning & Military Aptitude. Ground Duty (Technical) candidates also take an Engineering Knowledge Test.
When is AFCAT?
AFCAT is held twice a year, usually in February and August.
AFCAT at a glance
- Conducted by
- Indian Air Force
- Frequency
- Twice a year
- Mode
- Computer-based test
- Questions
- 100
- Total marks
- 300
- Duration
- 2 hours
- Marking
- +3 correct, −1 wrong
- Next stage
- Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) testing
AFCAT exam pattern
| Test | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFCAT (all branches) | 100 | 300 | 2 hours |
| Engineering Knowledge Test (Ground Duty Technical only) | 50 | 150 | 45 minutes |
- AFCAT sections: General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning & Military Aptitude.
AFCAT syllabus
General Awareness
- History, geography and civics
- Current affairs
- Environment and basic science
- Defence
- Art, culture and sports
Verbal Ability in English
- Comprehension
- Error detection
- Sentence completion
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Idioms and phrases
Numerical Ability
- Decimal fractions
- Time and work
- Averages
- Profit and loss
- Percentage
- Ratio and proportion
- Simple interest
- Time and distance
Reasoning & Military Aptitude
- Verbal reasoning
- Spatial ability and non-verbal reasoning
AFCAT eligibility
- Flying branch: Physics and Mathematics in Class 12, plus a graduate degree (or B.E./B.Tech) with the minimum marks in the notification.
- Ground Duty branches: a relevant degree as specified for each branch.
- Age is roughly 20–24 years for the Flying branch and 20–26 for Ground Duty; exact limits are in each notification.
- Open to men and women.
How to prepare for AFCAT
- 1Reasoning & Military Aptitude includes spatial questions — practise figure rotation and patterns.
- 2With −1 per wrong answer on a +3 scale, educated guesses help but blind guesses do not.
- 3Start preparing for the AFSB early — the Officer Intelligence Rating test, psychological tests and, for the Flying branch, the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS).
AFCAT FAQs
Is there negative marking in AFCAT?
Yes. Each correct answer gets +3 and each wrong answer −1.
How many times a year is AFCAT held?
Twice a year, usually in February and August.
What is the EKT in AFCAT?
The Engineering Knowledge Test is an extra 50-question, 150-mark, 45-minute paper for Ground Duty (Technical) candidates.
Can women apply for AFCAT?
Yes. AFCAT is open to both men and women, including the Flying branch.
Practise AFCAT on GyanBook
Timed quizzes and mock tests that follow the real marking scheme, instant scores with step-by-step solutions, and progress tracking for every subject. Free to start.
Related exams
GyanBook India is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with the body that conducts AFCAT. These details were checked against official sources on 13 October 2026. Exam dates, eligibility rules and patterns can change — always confirm them on the official website (afcat.cdac.in) before you apply.