AFCAT 2026 Exam Date, Notification & Application: Complete Guide

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AFCAT 2026 (Air Force Common Admission Test) is conducted by the Indian Air Force twice a year to recruit officers for Flying, Technical, and Ground Duty branches. This complete guide covers AFCAT 2026 exam dates, notification, application process, eligibility, and exam pattern.

AFCAT 2026 Important Dates

Event	AFCAT 1 2026	AFCAT 2 2026
Notification Release	December 2025	June 2026
Application Start	December 2025	June 2026
Application Last Date	January 2026	July 2026
Admit Card	February 2026	August 2026
AFCAT Written Exam	February–March 2026	August–September 2026
Result Declaration	March–April 2026	September–October 2026
AFSB Interview	April–June 2026	October–December 2026

Note: Check careerindianairforce.cdac.in for official confirmed dates.

AFCAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Branch	Age Limit	Educational Qualification
Flying Branch	20–24 years	Graduation (60%+) with Physics & Maths in Class 12, OR BE/B.Tech (60%+)
Technical Branch (Aeronautical)	20–26 years	BE/B.Tech in Mechanical/Electronics/Computer Science (60%+)
Ground Duty — Admin & Logistics	20–26 years	Graduation in any discipline (60%+)
Ground Duty — Accounts	20–26 years	CA/ICWA/B.Com (60%+)
Ground Duty — Education	20–26 years	Post-Graduation (50%+) in relevant subject
Ground Duty — Meteorology	20–26 years	Post-Graduation in Physics/Maths/Statistics/IT (50%+)

AFCAT 2026 Exam Pattern

Section	Questions	Marks
Verbal Ability in English	30	90
Numerical Ability	15	45
Reasoning & Military Aptitude	35	105
General Awareness	20	60
Total	100	300

Exam Duration: 2 hours | Negative Marking: –1 mark per wrong answer | Mode: Online (CBT)

EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test) for Technical Branch

Candidates applying for the Technical Branch must also appear for EKT — a 45-minute test with 50 questions:

EKT Stream	For Branch	Key Topics
Mechanical	Aeronautical (Mechanical)	Thermodynamics, Strength of Materials, Fluid Mechanics
Computer Science	Aeronautical (Electronics)	Programming, Data Structures, Computer Networks
Electrical & Electronics	Aeronautical (Electronics)	Circuits, Digital Electronics, Signals & Systems

AFCAT 2026 Selection Process

1. Stage 1 — Written Exam: AFCAT online test (+ EKT for technical candidates). Shortlisted candidates called for AFSB.
2. Stage 2 — AFSB Interview: Air Force Selection Board 5-day process — Screening (OIR + PPDT), Psychology tests, GTO tasks, Personal Interview, and Conference.
3. Stage 3 — Medical: Recommended candidates appear for medical at Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), New Delhi or Institute of Aviation Medicine (IAM), Bengaluru.
4. Merit List: Final merit list based on AFCAT score + AFSB recommendation + medical fitness.

AFCAT 2026 Syllabus — Key Topics

• Verbal Ability: Comprehension, error detection, synonyms, antonyms, sentence completion, cloze test
• Numerical Ability: Decimal fractions, time & work, average, ratio & proportion, simple interest, profit & loss
• Reasoning: Verbal skills, spatial ability, figure pattern, distance & direction test, blood relations, syllogism
• General Awareness: History, sports, defence, current events, geography, civics, basic science, environment

Preparing for AFCAT 2026? Join AFCAT coaching in Chandigarh at NCA Academy — with over 59 years of defence coaching experience, we provide comprehensive AFCAT + AFSB preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions — AFCAT 2026

Q: When is AFCAT 1 2026 exam date?

AFCAT 1 2026 is expected in February–March 2026. Notification typically releases in December. Check careerindianairforce.cdac.in for confirmed dates.

Q: What is the age limit for AFCAT 2026?

Flying Branch: 20–24 years. Technical and Ground Duty branches: 20–26 years.

Q: What is AFCAT exam pattern 2026?

100 questions, 300 marks, 2 hours. Sections: Verbal Ability (30 Qs), Numerical Ability (15 Qs), Reasoning (35 Qs), General Awareness (20 Qs). Negative marking: –1 per wrong answer.

Q: What is the educational qualification for AFCAT?

Flying and Ground Duty: Graduation with 60%+. Technical Branch: Engineering degree with 60%+ in relevant discipline.

Q: What is EKT in AFCAT?

Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT) is a 45-minute, 50-question exam for Technical Branch candidates covering Mechanical, Computer Science, or Electrical/Electronics topics.

Q: What is the AFCAT selection process?

Three stages: (1) Online AFCAT written exam, (2) AFSB 5-day interview, (3) Medical examination. Final merit based on all three stages.

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For the latest official updates, notifications, and exam schedules, refer to the official AFCAT portal.

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