NEELGYAN EXAM GUIDE
AFCAT Examination Guide
Air Force Common Admission Test
AFCAT 02/2026 examination cycle · Indian Air Force
Written and source-checked by NeelGyan Team · Last verified 2 August 2026
Checked against the official sources linked below
Current cycle
AFCAT 02/2026
Current stage
Admit card and exam upcoming
Next key date
4 August 2026
Exam date
8 August 2026
AFCAT Entry vacancies
353 tentative
Selection route
AFCAT → AFSB → Medical → Merit
AFCAT 02/2026 cycle tracker
- Applications open20 May 2026
- Applications close19 June
- Admit card4 AugustYou are here
- Online exam8 August
- Written result and AFSBDates awaited
- Course commencementJuly 2027
On This Page
Exam Resources
Conducting body
Indian Air Force
Student level
Graduate officer recruitment
About AFCAT
What is AFCAT?
The Air Force Common Admission Test is conducted by the Indian Air Force for notified Flying, Ground Duty (Technical) and Ground Duty (Non-Technical) branches.
AFCAT 01 and AFCAT 02, also searched as AFCAT 1 and AFCAT 2, are two application cycles of the same Air Force entry examination.
Eligibility is branch-specific: Flying, Ground Duty Technical and Ground Duty Non-Technical branches do not share one universal graduate-eligibility rule.
Latest AFCAT Updates
Verified updates, newest first
AFCAT Highlights
Key verified exam details
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Exam | Air Force Common Admission Test |
| Conducting body | Indian Air Force |
| Branches | Flying, Ground Duty Technical and Ground Duty Non-Technical |
| Written paper | 100 questions · 300 marks · 2 hours |
| Language | English only |
| Negative marking | 1 mark for each wrong answer |
| Application status | Closed |
| Exam status | Scheduled for 8 August 2026 |
AFCAT AFCAT 02/2026 Important Dates
Official notification and exam timeline
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| AFCAT 02/2026 admit-card download | Upcoming | |
| AFCAT 02/2026 application opening | Completed | |
| AFCAT 02/2026 application deadline | Closed | |
| AFCAT 02/2026 online examination | Upcoming |
AFCAT Application Process and Fees
Official application route and fee details
For AFCAT 02/2026, the official online application route is https://afcat.edcil.co.in.
The current notification states that Aadhaar is mandatory for online registration.
For AFCAT 02/2026, the non-refundable AFCAT Entry fee was Rs. 550 plus 18 percent GST; it did not apply to the notified NCC Special Entry or GATE Score Entry.
The AFCAT 02/2026 application window is closed. Its verified application route was afcat.edcil.co.in, not the older afcat.cdac.in address.
Application dates, fees and portal instructions can change with each AFCAT 01 or AFCAT 02 notice.
| Entry | Fee |
|---|---|
| AFCAT Entry | ₹550 + 18% GST |
| NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry | No AFCAT examination fee |
AFCAT Eligibility Criteria
Qualification, age and other requirements
Flying Branch age
20–24 years
- Measured on 1 July 2027; the upper limit is 26 for holders of a valid current DGCA Commercial Pilot Licence.
Ground Duty age
20–26 years
- Applies to Technical and Non-Technical branches for the AFCAT 02/2026 course.
Education
Branch-specific
- Flying, Technical and each Non-Technical branch use different subject and degree requirements.
Medical fitness
IAF standards
- Candidates must satisfy branch-specific physical and medical standards; CPSS applies to recommended Flying candidates.
AFCAT 02/2026 admit card
Verified current-cycle status
Current status: Download is scheduled to open on 4 August 2026 at 11:00 AM.
Use only the current official AFCAT portal and follow the cycle notice for login instructions.
AFCAT Exam Pattern and Selection Process
Stages, papers and qualifying rules
- Stage IAFCAT online written examination; 300 marks
- Stage IIAFSB screening through OIR and PPDT
- Stage IIIAFSB psychological tests, group tests and interview
- Final checksCPSS where applicable, medical examination and all-India merit
AFCAT 02/2026 written pattern
| Subjects | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Awareness, English, Numerical Ability, Reasoning and Military Aptitude | 100 | 300 |
- Duration: two hours; English only.
- +3 for correct, −1 for wrong and 0 for unattempted.
AFCAT 02/2026 tentative vacancies
| Entry | Vacancies | Note |
|---|---|---|
| AFCAT Entry | 353 | Flying 35 · Technical 211 · Non-Technical 107 |
| GATE Score Entry | 26 | Separate Technical entry |
| NCC Special Entry | Percentage-based | 10% of notified CDSE/AFCAT seats |
- All counts are tentative and organisational requirements may change them.
AFCAT Syllabus Overview
Subjects and stages in the official syllabus
- English: comprehension, sentence and word usage, synonyms and antonyms, cloze or gap filling, idioms, analogy, rearrangement, substitution, sentence transformation and homonyms.
- General Awareness: history, geography, sports, organisations, art and culture, personalities, environment and ecology, polity, economy, basic science, science and technology, current affairs and defence.
- Numerical Ability: arithmetic topics including fractions, time and work, averages and percentages, profit and loss, ratio, interest, time and distance, mensuration, probability, number systems, statistics and related elementary mathematics.
- Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test: verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
- The AFCAT 02/2026 notice states that Numerical Ability is matriculation level and the other subjects are graduation level.
General Awareness
History, geography, polity, economy, science, environment, current affairs and defence.
English
Comprehension, vocabulary, usage, idioms, rearrangement and sentence transformation.
Numerical Ability
Elementary arithmetic, algebraic reasoning, mensuration, probability and statistics at matriculation level.
Reasoning and Military Aptitude
Verbal and non-verbal reasoning at the standard stated in the notification.
AFCAT 02/2026 answer key
Verified current-cycle status
Current status: No cycle answer key was available before the 8 August examination.
The Indian Air Force separately provides official model papers and answer keys for practice.
AFCAT 02/2026 result
Verified current-cycle status
Current status: The written result is not released because the examination is scheduled for 8 August 2026.
Qualified candidates proceed to AFSB selection.
AFCAT 02/2026 cut-off
Verified current-cycle status
Current status: No official current-cycle cut-off was available by 2 August 2026.
Do not use an unofficial predicted cut-off as an application or preparation threshold.
AFCAT Previous Question Papers
Official question-paper resources
The Indian Air Force provides official AFCAT model papers and answer keys for format-level practice.
AFCAT Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current status of AFCAT 02/2026?
Applications are closed. The specific notice says admit-card download starts 4 August at 11:00 AM and the exam is on 8 August 2026.
How many AFCAT 02/2026 vacancies are there?
353 tentative AFCAT Entry vacancies. The notice separately lists 26 GATE Score Entry vacancies and percentage-based NCC Special Entry seats.
What is the AFCAT age limit?
Flying: 20–24 on 1 July 2027, relaxed to 26 for a valid current DGCA CPL. Ground Duty: 20–26 on that date.
Does AFCAT 02/2026 require 60% graduation marks?
The specific AFCAT 02/2026 notice does not state the older percentage thresholds shown on the generic 2022 career page. Use the cycle notice for this recruitment.
What was the AFCAT fee?
₹550 plus 18% GST for AFCAT Entry; no fee for NCC Special Entry or GATE Score Entry.
What is the AFCAT written pattern?
100 English-only objective questions for 300 marks in two hours; +3 correct, −1 wrong, 0 unattempted.
What happens after the AFCAT written test?
Qualified candidates attend AFSB Stage I and Stage II; Flying candidates may take CPSS, followed by medical examination and final merit.
How many times can CPSS be taken?
Once in a lifetime. A prior CPSS failure makes a candidate ineligible for Flying Branch.
What is AFCAT officer pay?
Flying Officer Level 10 basic pay is ₹56,100–1,77,500 plus ₹15,500 MSP; cadets receive ₹56,100 monthly during one year of training.
Official Information and Sources
Primary notice and authority links
Related Exams and Student Routes
More options in Defence & Paramilitary
Verify Before You Apply
Eligibility, dates, fees, vacancies, pattern and status can change. Read the latest notice on the official authority’s website before applying. NeelGyan does not collect application fees or guarantee admission or selection.