The Indian Air force is one of the very important components of Indian armed forces. It was founded 87 years back, on 8th October 1932. The headquarters of the Indian air force is situated in Delhi. Air force common admission test abbreviated as AFCAT is conducted for candidates seeking future in the field of armed forces. The exam is held twice a year. It is a national level exam.

The motto of the Indian air force is to- “touch the sky with glory”. Working in the Indian air force makes a person strong enough to face all the difficult challenges in life bravely with a smile. The exam is conducted in an online mode and the pattern of questions is objective. The medium of questions and answers in English.

• The exam is held twice in February and August.
• Both male and female candidates who wish to be a part of the air force can apply.
• The candidates are selected on the basis of their performance in exams and interviews conducted by the authorities.
• The candidates applying must also fill their choice preferences.
• The candidate shall mention if he/she was an NCC cadet.

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AFCAT 2020

AFCAT 2020 part 1 has already been conducted on 22-23 February 2020. AFCAT 2 application form will be released in the month of June 2020. The candidates wishing to join the air force must check the eligibility criteria before applying for the examination. The candidates must also verify all the information updated in the form.

An application fee also needs to be paid while applying for the exam. The fees need to be paid online only, no cash cheque or other forms of payment will be accepted. The candidate must only fill and submit one form, multiple filling of forms will not be entertained and the amount will also not be refunded.

• The amount to be paid is Rs. 250/- while filling the application form.
• Candidates who are below 25 years of age must be unmarried during the time of starting of the course.
• The candidates who qualify the online exam are then selected for the interview.
• The candidate must also be physically and mentally fit.
• The candidate must follow all the terms and conditions as well as the rules strictly otherwise he/she will be liable for any action as per the regulations of government.

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AFCAT apply online

The AFCAT 1 forms were available from 1st December 2019 to 30th December 2019. The candidates who want to apply for the exam must possess an adhaar card mandatorily. The candidates who have been registered were issued admit cards for AFCAT 1. The first notification for the exam was issued on 23rd November 2019. The admit cards were released on 3rd February 2020.

How to apply online-

• Visit the official website- AFCAT.cdac.in
• The candidates should keep all the documents such as adhaar card, credit/debit card, mark sheets, scanned photographs, signatures, and left thumb impression.
• The candidates can them register by entering all the detailed information and personal information such as father’s name, mobile number, email id, etc.
• After successful registration, the candidate will receive a password for login on their registered mobile and email.
• Then the candidate must log in using the registered email and password.
• The candidate then can start filling the form by entering all the information and uploading the desired documents.
• The candidate then must select the center of examination according to preference.
• The candidate then must fill the examination fees using any online mode of payment and complete the process of application.

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AFCAT Syllabus

The AFCAT paper has four sections- general awareness, verbal ability, numerical ability, and reasoning, and military aptitude test. Candidates selecting the technical branch will have an additional test of EKT (engineering knowledge test). The candidates who are able to clear the exam will be further than called for personal interview round.

• General awareness– History, sports, geography, environment civics, basic science, defense, art, culture, current affairs, politics, etc.
• Verbal ability– comprehension, error detection, sentence completion, synonyms, antonyms, and testing of vocabulary.
• Numerical ability– decimal fraction, simplification, average, profit and loss, percentage, ratio and proportion, and simple interest.
• Reasoning and Military Aptitude test– verbal skills and spatial ability.

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AFCAT Admit Card

The admit cards for AFCAT 1 has already been released on 3rd February 2020. The candidates can always download their admit cards from the official website until the date of the exam. In case of any mistakes in the admit card issued and corrections the candidate must immediately contact the authorities otherwise he/she could not appear in the exams. In case the candidate has successfully registered himself/herself but has not received or is not able to download then he/she must immediately contact the query cell of the department.

How to download admit card-

1. visit the official website- AFCAT.cdac.in
2. log in using the username and password.
3. the admit card is now displayed on the screen.
4. check all the details carefully and download the admit card.

AFCAT Result

AFCAT has declared the result for AFCAT 1 on 17th March 2020. After the declaration of results, IAF prepares a list of candidates who have received marks above the cut off scores. They are now further called for interviews at the air force selection board centers (AFSB) situated four different places- Varanasi, Dehradun, Mysore, and Gandhinagar.

How to check result-

1. visit the official website- AFCAT.cdac.in
2. click on the result link.
3. enter the email id and password.
4. the result is displayed on the screen
5. take the print out of the result.

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AFCAT Result 2020

The AFCAT result for AFCAT 1 has already been declared. The first notification for AFCAT 2 is yet to be released, but due to the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus, it is yet to be confirmed. The tentative dates were in the month of June 2020 regarding all the information concerning AFCAT 2. The result is available on the official website of the Indian air force.

Link of result- afcat.cdac.in (the candidates can visit the following link and then log in using the id and password and entering the captcha code)

AFCAT Eligibility

The eligibility criteria are different for different departments and posts such as its different for the technical branch from the flying branch and so on. Marital status also plays an important factor in the selection of candidates. There is a certain set of rules which need to be followed. The basic necessary criteria are that the candidate must be a citizen of India and must possess an adhaar card which is also necessary during the time of registration that is filling up of online application form.

Educational qualifications-

• For flying duty– the candidates must have scored a minimum of 60% marks each in mathematics and physics in 12th standard including 60% in graduation from a recognized university.
• For ground duty– the candidates must have scored a minimum of 60% marks each in mathematics and physics in 12th standard including a four years degree in engineering technology or related field from a recognized university.

Physical fitness-

• The candidates must be physically fit and should do routine medical checkups.
• The candidates applying must not be physically disabled and free of disease.
• The eligibility criteria for height and weight are different for both men and women; it is based on the age range.  

Martial Status

• Candidates below 25 years of age must be unmarried before the starting of the course.
• Divorcees and widows are considered not eligible for the exam that is below 25 years of age.
• A candidate cannot marry during the period of training.
• Married candidates above 25 years are eligible for the exams but if selected they are not allowed to live with their families during the period of training and no accommodation for families will be provided by the authorities.

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AFCAT Age Limit

The age limit is different for different categories. The AFCAT exam is purely based on merit. There are no chances of relaxation on any basis. Candidates from any discipline can apply for the on-ground duty branch as compared to the other technical or flying branch; the syllabus is also not comparatively hard as compared to the other competitive examinations. Also, for the age limit, the date of birth present on the SSC certificate is considered to calculate the age till now as in the time of filling the application form.

• For candidates applying for flying branch, the Candidates must be between 20 to 24 years of age
• The upper age limit for candidates is 26 years who are holding a commercial pilot license.
• For candidates applying for technical and non-technical branches, the Candidates must be 20-26 years of age.

Also Read: AFCAT Admit Card

AFCAT Exam Pattern

The exam is conducted in online mode and the questions asked are of objective type. The EKT test (engineering knowledge test) is also conducted separately for the candidates of the technical branch. The exam is conducted in English medium only. The total marks for AFCAT main exam are 300 and the total marks for engineering knowledge tests conducted for technical branch candidates are 150.

• Mechanical computer science and electrical and electronics portion is asked broadly in the EKT test.
• The total number of questions asked in the engineering knowledge test is 50.
• The total number of questions asked in the AFCAT main exam is 100.
• Each question is of three marks both in the AFCAT main exam and the EKT exam.
• There is a negative marking of -1 for every incorrect response.

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AFCAT Full Form

The full form of AFCAT is Air Force Common Admission Test. A lot of young individuals who wish to pursue their career in armed forces and wish to serve the country take this exam. It is a job of honor and privilege. Apart from the salary paid, the officers working in the air force are given several other benefits such as transport allowance, grade pay, military service pay, and many more.

AFCAT Last Date

AFCAT 1 has already been conducted; the last day to fill the form was 31st December 2019. Details of AFCAT 2 were to be released in the month of June 2020, but due to the ongoing issues due to coronavirus, it has been delayed. Moreover, the results of AFCAT 1 have also been declared but further procedures like an interview, physical tests, etc are held postponed due to the same reason of COVOID-19. The notifications for the same dates are yet to be released.

AFCAT Selection Process

The selection is of deserving candidates is done through three different stages- online examination, interview, and medical examination. The duration of the AFCAT main exam is two hours and the duration of the EKT Test is 45 minutes. The candidates must also be fully versed with exercises such as push-ups, chin-ups, sprints, etc.

• Once after the declaration of results for the online examination conducted, the merit list is prepared and the candidates are then called for an interview.
• The interview is held at four centers of the Indian air force, and the air force selection board does various physical and mental tests of the candidates.
• The interview is conducted in three stages- intelligence rating test is done followed by picture perception then the qualified candidates undergo psychological tests followed by group tests.
• Finally, for the flying branch candidates are tested through the computerized pilot selection system.
• Permanent body tattoos are only permitted on the inner side of the forearm and the use of narcotics is strictly prohibited.
• The candidates are then selected finally for the medical examination and they are advised to do regular running, swimming, and other exercises.

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AFCAT Study Material

The syllabus for AFCAT is very vast; the questions asked are of graduation level. Candidates must select the study material accordingly. Mock tests are really important for any examination. Aptitude section is also important regarding the AFCAT point of view so any aspirant firstly, must take a good look at the syllabus and then only go for the study materials. A Lot of materials are also now available in the market but one must always look for authentic sources. Ebooks and e-resources are also now available on various websites for free and the candidates can always look for these options.

AFCAT Preparation Books

There are plenty of books available in markets for different competitive examinations but selecting the best book is always a difficult task. However, only one book is sometimes not enough for preparation and it cannot provide all the information, therefore a candidate must always refer to multiple books but then at the same time he/she should also not confuse herself by having multiple options and must choose wisely.

• AFCAT solved papers and practice tests by Arihant experts
• SSB interview: the complete guide by Dr. NK Natarajan
• Quantitative aptitude for competitive examinations by RS Agarwal.
• Let’s crack AFCAT by SSBcrack
• AFCAT self-study guide cum practice workbook by Kiran Prakashan
• Manorama yearbook by Philip Mathew
• AFCAT by Arihant experts
• AFCAT for flying, technical and ground duty branch with solved papers by Arihant
• AFCAT exam guide by R Gupta
• SSB interview study material

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