AFCAT 1 Exam 2026: The Indian Air Force (IAF), exam conducting body of Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) has officially released the AFCAT 1 result 2026 today, March 11, 2026, on the official website. Applicants who appeared for the exam conducted on January 31, 2026, can now download their results via afcat.cdac.in. The AFCAT 1 result 2026 is released in the form of a scorecard that can be accessed by entering the User ID and password in the login window. Candidates who have qualified in the AFCAT 1 exam 2026 will move to the next stage of the recruitment process. IAF released the AFCAT 1 answer key along with the question paper and candidate's response sheet on February 1, 2026.
Along with the AFCAT 1 result 2026, the AFCAT 1 Cut-off 2026 has also been released. Aspirants must note that the cut-off for all candidates remains the same. Last year, AFCAT 1 Cutoff was announced on March 17, 2025. The total cut-off out of 300 marks is 121. This cut-off is common for all the categories. Candidates who qualified for the exam, securing the cut-off marks, were selected for the AFSB interview. The AFCAT 1 admit card 2026 was released on January 22, 2026, on its official website. Those candidates who have registered for the AFCAT 1 exam 2026 can now check and download their admit card from the official website - afcat.cdac.in. To access the admit card, candidates must enter their user ID and password.
The AFCAT test has various rounds that applicants will need to attempt and excel in to be recruited as an IAF officer. The first round is the written exam, followed by screening tests and interviews, which are administered by the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) The final round is the medical test, after which shortlisted candidates will be required to complete the AFCAT training. For the flying and technical branches, training will last 74 weeks; for the non-tech branches, it will be 52 weeks. However, the time frame may vary depending on the operational requirements of IAF.
The AFCAT 1 application window 2026 opened on November 17, 2025, and the last date to apply for the AFCAT 1 exam was December 19, 2025. The exam will be conducted online, featuring objective questions in General Awareness, English, Numerical Ability, Reasoning, and Military Aptitude.
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AFCAT Exam 2026
Applicants must check the tables below to understand the significant details of the exam.
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Particulars
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Exam Details
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Exam Name
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AFCAT
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AFCAT Full Form
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Air Force Common Admission Test
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Exam Purpose
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To Recruit Officers in the IAF
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Exam Conducting Body
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Indian Air Force
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Official Website
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afcat.cdac.in
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Level of Exam
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National
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Job Posts
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Flying Branch, Ground Duties (non-technical and technical)
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Exam Frequency
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Twice a Year: AFCAT 1 & AFCAT 2
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AFCAT Exam Date 2026
The tables below include the important dates for both AFCAT 1 and AFCAT 2
AFCAT 1 Exam Date 2026
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Details
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Exam Dates (Tentative)
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AFCAT 1 Notification Released
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November 3, 2025
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AFCAT 1 Registration (Start and End Dates)
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November 17, 2025 to December 19, 2025
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AFCAT 1 Admit Card Released
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January 22, 2026
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AFCAT 1 Exam Date
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January 31, 2026
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AFCAT 1 Exam Result Announced
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March 11, 2026 |
AFCAT 2 Exam Date 2026
AFCAT 2 2026 notification has not yet been released by the officials. However, candidates can get a rough idea of it by checking the tentative dates. Refer below to check the dates for the AFCAT 2 exam 2026-
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Details
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Exam Dates
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AFCAT 2 Notification
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June 2026 (Tentative)
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AFCAT 2 Registration
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June 2026 to July 2026 (Tentative)
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AFCAT 2 Admit Card
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To be notified
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AFCAT 2 Exam Date
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To be notified
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AFCAT 2 Result
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To be notified
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AFCAT Eligibility 2026
To determine whether candidates are qualified to take the AFCAT exam or not, they must first comprehend the AFCAT Eligibility. Students will not be allowed to take the exam if they do not meet these requirements, which have been set forth by the exam authorities themselves. Both male and female candidates are eligible to attempt the exam for various posts and branches given that they meet the minimal educational requirements, nationality, marital status, AFCAT age limit, physical and medical conditions.
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Particulars
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Eligibility Details
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Marital Status
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Unmarried
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Nationality
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Indian
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Eligible Gender
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Both Male and Female
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Age Limit
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AFCAT Flying Branch: 20 to 24 years
Technical and non-technical Ground Duty: 20 to 26 years
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Physical Requirements
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AFCAT Flying Branch-
Required Height: Minimum 162.5 CM
Leg Length: Minimum 99 CM, Maximum 120 CM
Thigh Length: Maximum 64 CM
Sitting Height: Minimum 81.5 CM, Maximum 96 CM
Ground Duty:
Required Height for Males: 157.5 CM
Required Height for Female: 152 CM
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Educational Qualification (Flying Branch)
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completion of a minimum three-year degree program at an accredited university with a grade point average of at least 60%
OR
A minimum of 60% in Sections A and B of the Associate Membership of the Institute of Engineers (India) or the Aeronautical Society of India from an accredited college
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Educational Qualification (On Ground)
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A minimum of four years of graduate-level engineering or technology education from an authorized university and a minimum of 50% in both maths and physics at the 10+2 level.
OR
a minimum score of 60% on Sections A and B of the Associate Membership Examination of the Institution of Engineers (India) or the Aeronautical Society of India.
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AFCAT Registration 2026
AFCAT 1 registration process 2026 closed on December 19, 2025.
The following steps will be required to be followed in order to apply online for the AFCAT 1 2026 exam-
- Visit the IAF official website
- The next step would be to visit the tab “Career” tab
- Candidates will be required to fill in their registration details to fill up the application form
- After the form is submitted, the AFCAT password and registration ID would be sent to the registered Email address
- The final step would be to pay the AFCAT registration fee
AFCAT Fee 2026
After submitting the online application, select the "Make Payment" option to pay the non-refundable examination fee of Rs. 250 for AFCAT admission (not applicable for NCC special entry). Credit cards, debit cards, and net banking can all be used to pay the exam fee. Cash, cheques, or demand draughts (DD) are not acceptable methods of payment for test fees. Moreover, the fee structure will be the same for every applicant and would not be altered on the grounds of gender.
AFCAT Admit Card 2026
AFCAT 1 admit card is an important document that needs to be carried to the exam centre on the day of the exam. Without a valid AFCAT admit card, students will not be able to enter the test centre. The AFCAT 1 admit card is expected to release in February 2026. The following steps could be used to successfully download the admit card -
- Applicants must visit the official website
- They will need to complete the AFCAT login using their credentials
- After logging in, they will see the admit card link which will be available on the homepage
- Candidates must proceed to download the admit card and are advised to take a printout for the same
- A confirmation Email or SMS will be sent to the candidate.
- Students will receive the admit card (which includes the hall ticket number) at their registered email address
Check More Details: AFCAT Admit Card
AFCAT Pattern 2026
The following table highlights the AFCAT exam pattern for the reference of students. It is important that candidates understand the exam format in order to perform well on the day of the exam.
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Particulars
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AFCAT Exam Pattern
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AFCAT Sections
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Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability and Reasoning, Military Aptitude Test, General Awareness
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Duration of Exam
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Two Hours
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Mode of Exam
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Online
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Type of Exam
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Objective
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Language of Exam
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English
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Total Questions in AFCAT
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100
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Maximum Marks in AFCAT
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300
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AFCAT Marking Scheme
Candidates will be marked for the exam in the following manner-
- Plus 3 marks will be awarded for every right answer
- A Minus 1 mark will be deducted for every wrong answer
- Unattempted answers will not be marked
AFCAT Syllabus 2026
General Knowledge, Mathematics, Reasoning & Military Aptitude, and English make up the AFCAT syllabus. The level of the questions in the numerical ability section will be matriculation level. Other subjects will be at the graduation level. The following is a list of each subject's specific syllabus:
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AFCAT Subject
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Syllabus Topics
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English
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Detect Errors in Sentences
Synonym
Cloze Test
Fill in the Gaps in a paragraph
Idioms
Phrases
Sentence Rearranging
Analogy
Substitution in a Sentence/ One Word Substitution
Basic Grammar
Antonym
Sentence Completion/ Filling in of correct word
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General Knowledge
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Geography
History
Art and Culture
Sports
Personalities
Environment and Ecology
Science and Technology
National and International organizations
Indian Polity
Economy and Defence
Basic Science-Based Knowledge
Current Affairs
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Reasoning and Military Aptitude
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Figure Classification
Coding Decoding
Odd one out
Spotting errors
Data Interpretation
Completion of Patterns
Arrangements
Venn Diagram
Dot Situation Analysis
Missing Figures
Blood Relations
Analogy
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Numerical Ability
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Decimal
Time and Work
Profit & Loss
Average/ Percentage
Fraction
Simple and Compound Interest
Time & Distance
Ratio
Mixture & Allegation Rules
Number System &
Area and Perimeter
Races (Trains/ Boats & Streams)
Probability
Clocks
Number Series
Proportion
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AFCAT Cut Off 2026
Aspirants should be informed of the cut-off to determine the target score and obtain a better idea of the exam's difficulty. The AFCAT cut off 2026 will be announced along with the result.
The AFACT 1 cutoff 2025 was 121 out of 300.
Factors that affect the cutoff include-
- The total number of vacancies
- Minimum and maximum scores of candidates
- The difficulty level of the test
- The total number of candidates
Check Details: AFCAT Cut-Off
AFCAT Vacancies 2026
The exam conducting body releases the AFCAT Vacancies along with the official notification. The Indian Air Force advertises a number of vacancies each year for various flying branch and ground-duty positions. Both technical and non-technical roles, such as pilots, engineers, accountants, etc., are covered by these job openings. For both papers 1 and AFCAT 2, the vacancies are announced separately.
AFCAT 1 2025 Vacancies are yet to be announced. Meanwhile, candidates can check AFCAT 1 2025 Vacancies in the tables below-
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Entry
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Branch
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Course Number
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Men (SSC)
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Women
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AFCAT Entry
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Flying
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219/26F/SSC/M & W
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21
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9
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Ground Duty (Technical)
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218/26T/SSC/ 108AEC/ M & W
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AE(L): 95
AE(M): 53
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AE(L): 27
AE(M): 14
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Ground Duty (Non-Technical)
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218/26G/SSC/M & W
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Weapon System (WS) Branch: 14
Admin: 42
Accts: 13
Lgs: 11
Edn: 7
Met: 7
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Weapon System (WS) Branch: 3
Admin: 11
Accts: 2
Lgs: 3
Edn: 2
Met: 2
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Vacancy for AFCAT 1 NCC Special Entry
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AFCAT Branch
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Details
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Flying
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10% seats out of CDSE vacancies for PC and 10% seats out of AFCAT vacancies for SSC.
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Check AFCAT 2 Vacancies Below
AFCAT Preparation 2026
Some general AFCAT preparation tips that must be followed by applicants in order to maximize the result include-
- Use adequate AFCAT books and study material
- Practice every day without distractions
- Keep revising what one has already studied
- Stay updated with current affairs
- Eat healthy food and exercise daily
- Align preparation with the AFCAT pattern and syllabus
- Understand the exam pattern
- Solve as many AFCAT mock tests as possible
- Practice with previous year's question papers
- Build a study routine and follow it consistently
AFCAT Books 2026
The AFCAT books, which are written in an understandable manner, should be purchased by applicants. Also, candidates must look for books that provide learning materials, practice exams, and study guides. If a candidate picks a suitable study material, their preparation will be substantially enhanced. The following factors must be considered by students before buying any books:
- Easy-to-grasp content
- Inclusion of practice questions and mock tests
- Content of every AFCAT section
- Tips on how to ace the exam
- Includes answer keys which are detailed
