AFCAT 01/2026 Notification: Apply for Flying and Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical) Branches in Indian Air Force

Table of Contents

AFCAT 01/2026 Notification: Description

AFCAT 01/2026 Notification:

The Indian Air Force (IAF) invites applications from Indian citizens (Men and Women) for the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT-01/2026). This recruitment drive is for Group ‘A’ Gazetted Officers in the Flying Branch and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) Branches, including NCC Special Entry, for courses commencing in January 2027.

AFCAT 01/2026 Notification: Important Dates (Page 1)

Event Date
Online Application Start Date

17 November 2025 (1100 Hr)  
Online Application End Date

14 December 2025 (2330 Hr) 
Online AFCAT Examination Date

31 January 2026 (Saturday)  
Course Commencement

January 2027 

AFCAT 01/2026 Notification: Examination Details (Page 18-19)

Particulars Details Page No.
Exam Name

Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT-01/2026) 

 1
Exam Type

Online, Objective Type Questions  

 18
Medium

English only 

 18
Subjects

General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test 9

 18
Duration

02 Hours 

 18
Total Questions

100 

 18
Maximum Marks

300 

 18
Marking Scheme

+3 Marks for every correct answer13. -1 Mark for every incorrect answer14. No Marks for un-attempted questions1

 18

AFCAT 01/2026 Notification: Vacancy and Branch Details (Page 1-2)

The vacancies listed below are tentative and subject to service requirements

EntryBranchMen (PC)Women (PC)Men (SSC)Women (SSC)Page No.
AFCATFlying––34041
NCC Special EntryFlying––10% seats out of AFCAT vacancies for SSC*10% seats out of AFCAT vacancies for SSC*1
NCC Special EntryGround Duty (Technical)AE(L): 03, AE(M): 09AE(L): 03, AE(M): 03AE(L): 100, AE(M): 38AE(L): 23, AE(M): 091
NCC Special EntryGround Duty (Non-Technical)––WS Branch: 21, Admin: 48, Lgs: 09, Accts: 08, Edn: 02, Met: 01WS Branch: 05, Admin: 12, Lgs: 02, Accts: 02, Edn: 02, Met: 021

*10% seats out of CDSE vacancies for PC and 10% seats out of AFCAT vacancies for SSC are reserved for NCC Air Wing Senior Division ‘C’ certificate holders.

AFCAT 01/2026 Notification: Type of Commission (Page 2)

  • Permanent Commission (PC): Available for Men & Women in Ground Duty (Technical) Branch. PC officers serve till the age of superannuation.

  • Short Service Commission (SSC): Available for Men & Women.

    • Flying Branch: 14 years from the date of Commissioning.

    • Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical): Initial tenure of ten years, extendable by four years subject to service requirements.

    • Note: SSC officers are not entitled to a pension. 

AFCAT Syllabus (Page 19-20)

1. English (Page 19)

  • Comprehension.

  • Detect Error in Sentence

  • Sentence Completion/ Filling in of correct word.

  • Synonym/ Antonym

  • Cloze Test or Fill in the Gaps in a paragraph.

  • Idioms and Phrases.

  • Analogy

  • Sentence Rearranging.

  • Substitution in a Sentence/ One Word Substitution.

  • Transformation of Sentence (Complex to Simple).

  • Homonyms.

2. General Awareness (Page 19)

  • History.

  • Geography.

  • Sports. 

  • National & International Organisations.

  • Art & Culture, Personalities, Environment & Ecology.

  • Indian Polity, Economy.

  • Basic Science Based Knowledge, Science & Technology.

  • Current Affairs (National & International), Defence 

3. Numerical Ability (Page 19-20)

  • Decimal Fraction, Time and Work 

  • Average/ Percentage, Profit & Loss.

  • Ratio & Proportion, Simple and Compound Interest.

  • Time & Distance and Races (Trains/ Boats & Streams).

  • Area and Perimeter, Probability.

  • Number System & Number Series, Mixture & Allegation Rules.

  • Square & Square root/Cube & Cube roots, HCF/LCM.

  • Logarithms, Trigonometry, Mensuration.

4. Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test (Page 20)

  • Verbal Skills and Spatial Ability.

AFCAT 01/2026 Notification: Application Fee (Page 12)

Entry Fee (Non-refundable) Page No.
AFCAT Entry

₹550/- + GST 

 12
NCC Special Entry

Exempted (Not Applicable) 

 12

The fee must be paid online using credit/debit cards or net banking

     

AFCAT 01/2026 Notification: How to Apply (Page 8-9)

  • Visit the Official Website: Aspirants must apply online by using the link https://afcat.edcil.co.in.

  • Mandatory Requirement: An Aadhaar Card is mandatory for online registration.

  • Step-I: Sign-up/Registration: Register with personal and contact details, and verify using OTP sent to the Mobile No. and E-mail ID. 

  • Step-II: Complete Application: Fill in Personal, Communication, Qualification Details, Declaration, Upload relevant documents (photo/signature), and submit the Application Fee online.

  • Caution: Candidates will not be able to edit previously entered details after the “Submit” or “Make Payment” options. If an amendment is required after payment, the only option is to re-register with a new email ID and fill the form anew (fee paid will not be refundable).

AFCAT 01/2026 Notification: Important Links and Contacts (Page 1, 11, 27)

CategoryContact InformationPage No.

Online Application Link

 

Notification Link      AFCAT

https://afcat.edcil.co.in 

 

            Click Here

1
AFCAT Help Desk (Technical Queries)

Phone: +91 9513252077 (0900 Hrs to 1800 Hrs) 

11, 27
AFCAT Help Desk (Technical Queries)

Email: afcathelpdesk@edcil.co.in 

11, 27
Queries on Eligibility, AFSB, Merit List

Phone: 011-23010231 Extn 7245 or 7610 or Toll free number 1800-11-2448

27

Important Tips & Tricks for AFCAT Preparation

The official notification does not contain specific ‘tips and tricks’ for preparation. However, based on the exam scheme and syllabus provided:

  • Master the Syllabus: Focus your study strictly on the detailed syllabus provided for English, General Awareness, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning.

  • Focus on General Awareness: Given the wide-ranging topics, pay special attention to Current Affairs (National & International) and Defence-related knowledge, as these are common focus areas.

  • Practice with Negative Marking in Mind: The exam has a strict negative marking scheme (+3 for correct, -1 for incorrect). Practice judiciously and avoid random guessing to maximize your net score.

  • Time Management: With 100 questions to be answered in 2 hours (120 minutes), speed and accuracy are crucial. Practice mock tests to improve your pace and time allocation per section.

Other Essential Information for AFCAT(Page 26-27)

  • Training Commencement: Training is scheduled to begin in the first week of January 2027.

  • Training Duration: 

    • Flying and Ground Duty (Technical) Branches: Approximately 62 weeks. 

    • Ground Duty (Non-technical) Branches: Approximately 50 weeks.

  • Insurance: IAF officers are provided a ₹1.25 crore Insurance Cover (on contribution) from the Air Force Group Insurance Society (AFGIS).

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