AFCAT Eligibility 2024: Age Limit, Qualification, Physical Requirements, and Nationality

AFCAT Eligibility 2024: The Air Force Common Admission Test, popularly known as AFCAT, is conducted twice annually to recruit candidates for ground and flying duties in the Indian Air Force. The exam is held for both technical and non-technical branches and eligible candidates can register for it on the official website. AFCAT 1 2024 registration will start on December 01, 2023. Eligible candidates can fill out the application form on afcat.cdac.in till December 30, 2023. AFCAT 1 2024 exam date will be released soon by the conducting body.

Interested applicants must understand the set eligibility to determine if they are qualified to attempt the exam. Students who do not meet these requirements, which have been dictated by the exam conducting body themselves, will not be able to complete AFCAT Application Process. The minimum educational requirement, nationality, marital status, AFCAT age limit, and physical and medical conditions for male and female candidates for various posts and branches are all included in the AFCAT eligibility. 

To be eligible, applicants must be between the ages of 20 and 26 and have a minimum of 60% in both math and physics in the class 12 examination. Candidates must check the detailed AFCAT eligibility in the article below.

AFCAT Eligibility 2024

As mentioned above, A candidate's application will be rejected if they are found to be ineligible at any point during the recruitment process. Hence, understanding the eligibility requirements is crucial. The eligibility criteria will be based on:

• Age Limit
• Physical Standards
• Nationality & Marital Status
• Educational Qualification

AFCAT Eligibility: Age Limit

Applicants interested in the Flying Branch who wish to apply through AFCAT and NCC Special entry must be between the ages of 20 and 24 as of July 1, 2024, which means they must have been born between 2 July 2001 to 1 July 2005. Candidates who currently hold a Commercial Pilot License issued by the DGCA (India) may have their upper age limit relaxed up to 26 years, or from 2 July 1999 to 1 July 2005.

Similarly, for the posts of AFCAT Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical), interested applicants must be between the ages of 20 to 26 years as of January 1, 2024. This simply means that they must be born between 2 July 1999 to 1 July 2005.

More details on the AFCAT Age Limit that students must be aware of while analyzing whether they are eligible for the exam or not include:

• The date of birth accepted by the Indian Air Force is the one listed on the matriculation or secondary school leaving certificate, on a document recognized by an Indian university as being equivalent to the matriculation which must be certified by the appropriate university authority, on a Higher Secondary or equivalent examination certificate. Other age-related documents cannot be accepted.
• Marital status of candidates: Married candidates are not permitted throughout training, and they must be unmarried when their training begins. A candidate who gets married while in training will be terminated.
• When entering the date of birth, candidates should take proper precautions and provide the correct and verified DOB only.

They shall be disqualified if their date of birth differs from the one on their Matriculation or equivalent examination certificate upon verification at any later stage. No claims in this regard will be considered.

AFCAT Eligibility: Nationality

According to the Indian Citizenship Act of 1955, the candidate must be an Indian. It is mandatory for candidates to be citizens of India in order to be eligible for AFCAT. Students who are not verified to be Indians will not be allowed to attempt the exam.

AFCAT Eligibility: Educational Qualification

Students who are not qualified and fail to have the asked subjects or scores in high school will be exempted from the AFCAT exam. Educational qualifications for the flying branch and the on-ground duty will be different. Applicants can check the tables below to understand the difference.

Educational Qualification for AFCAT Flying Branch

Educational Qualification for AFCAT On-Ground Duty

AFCAT Eligibility: Physical Standards

To perform the duties of the AFCAT position, officers must be in optimum physical condition, as well as medically fit and mentally tough. A candidate must therefore be physically and medically fit to serve as an officer in the Indian Air Force. 

AFCAT Physical Eligibility For Flying Branch:

Minimum 162.5 CM- Required Height 

Maximum 120 CM, Minimum 99 CM- Leg Length

Maximum 64 CM- Thigh Length

Maximum 96 CM, Minimum 81.5 CM- Sitting Height

AFCAT Eligibility (Tech and Non-tech) for Ground Duty

• Required Height for Males: 157.5 CM
• Required Height for Female: 152 CM

AFCAT Eligibility 2024: Highlights

• It is mandatory to complete 10+2 level education to be eligible for AFCAT
• In Ground Duty (NonTech) branches, one slot is designated for candidates who have a law degree; these candidates may be hired to perform legal duties for the IAF
• If the applicants were given grades or CGPA instead of marks, the method approved by the university where they received their degree would be used to convert the grades or CGPA to a percentage of marks.
• Applicants who are still in the final year or semester are also eligible to apply for the exam given that they do not have any backlogs and must have secured at least 60% marks up to the last semester. They will be asked to submit proof for the same by 30th November 2024
• Applicants who have previously failed the Computerized Pilot Selection System (CPSS) are ineligible to apply for the Flying Branch.
• Applicants who were admitted to a previous course at the National Defense Academy, Indian Military Academy, Air Force Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Officers' Training Academy, Chennai, and Officers' Training Academy Gaya but were expelled due to indiscipline are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants who have been convicted of a crime or who are engaged in a criminal investigation are ineligible to apply

Also Check: AFCAT Admit Card