The Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) is a national-level competitive exam conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to select Class-I Gazetted Officers in Flying and Ground Duties (Technical and Non-Technical) branches. The exam is held twice a year, in February and August/September, respectively. The recruitment process of AFCAT contains the following stages:
- AFCAT Exam
- SSB Interview/Personality Test
- Clinical Examination
- Last Merit List
The AFCAT Exam is conducted online and comprises questions from General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability and Reasoning, and Military Aptitude Test. The duration of the test is two hours and carries 300 marks. The EKT exam, conducted for Ground Duty (Technical) branch candidates, comprises questions from Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science Engineering, and Electrical & Electronics Engineering. The duration of the test is 45 minutes and carries 150 marks.
Candidates must submit their applications by the deadline specified by the IAF. The eligibility criteria for AFCAT include a four-year degree qualification and having cleared Sections A and B examination of Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers (India) or. The recruitment process also includes a physical standard test, and there is negative marking for incorrect answers.
If a candidate successfully clears the AFCAT Exam, they will receive a call letter to report to any one of the Air Force Selection Boards located at Dehradun, Varanasi, Gandhinagar, and Mysuru. At the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB), candidates undergo various tests to ascertain their suitability and gauge their potential as an Officer in the Indian Air Force. If a candidate is recommended by the Selection Board, they will be sent for a medical examination either at Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), New Delhi, or Institute of Aviation Medicine, Bengaluru. Finally, an All India Merit List is compiled based on the outcome of the tests, and successful candidates are selected for the various branches of the Indian Air Force.
