The Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) is one of the most popular government exams after 12th Science. Conducted twice a year in the months of February and August, it aims to recruit candidates for Class-1 gazetted posts in Ground and Flying Duties (Technical and Non-Technical). The AFCAT opens the door to several opportunities for both the men and women aspirants who want to be a part of the coveted Indian Air Force services and serve the country. Through this blog, we will discuss the key details pertaining to the AFCAT Exam. 

Exans Highlights

AFCAT Exam: Types of Commission

Before understanding the AFCAT exam comprehensively, it is important to know about the types of commissions. The candidates who wish to be a part of the armed forces can join under two types of commissions, the details of which have been summarised below:

• Permanent Commission (for Men)

All the male candidates who join as PC officers will serve until they attain the age of retirement in their respective chosen branches.

• Short Service Commission (for Men and Women)

When it comes to the Flying Branch, SSC officers can serve up to 14 years from the date of commissioning. The term is not extendable under any circumstances. (trilogymedicalcenter) While for the Ground Duty (both Technical and Non-Technical), SSC officers would be engaged for a period of 10 years. A four-year extension is possible only in the cases of suitability, vacancies, service requirement, willingness and merit of the personnel. 

AFCAT Exam: Eligibility

To be able to apply for the AFCAT exam, the candidates need to fulfill certain parameters. Since the prerequisites differ from one branch and duty to another, it is important to go through the criteria in detail. Given below are the branch-wise eligibility criteria to join the services: 

Ground Duty (Technical Branch)

To appear for the AFCAT exam for this branch, the age of candidate should be between 20 to 26 years at the time of commencement. Further, the applicants who are below the age of 25 years should be unmarried. 

• Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) 

The candidate should have secured a minimum score of 60% in Mathematics and Physics in higher secondary school and must hold four-year graduation or an integrated post-graduation degree in Engineering/Technology from a recognized university to appear for the AFCAT exam

OR 

Must have cleared the sections A and B examination of Associate Membership of the Institution of Engineers (AMIE-India)

OR 

Cleared section A and B examination of Aeronautical Society of India or have cleared the graduate membership examination of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunications in the following disciplines:

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Note: The final year students, who have no backlogs and will be able to produce the original or provisional degree certificate from the university are eligible for the exam. 

• Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) 

With the same eligibility criteria as that of Aeronautical Engineering(Mechanical), the only difference lies in the disciplines of the graduate membership examination of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunications. The applicant must have secured a minimum of 60% in any of the following disciplines to appear for this branch of the AFCAT exam:

Flying Branch

To apply for this branch through the AFCAT exam, the age of the candidate must be between 20 to 24 years. Further, the candidate must have scored a minimum of 60% in Physics and Maths in class 12th and : 

Must have a minimum three-year graduation degree in any discipline from a recognized university with an aggregate score of minimum 60% or equivalent

OR

A four year BTech or BE degree from a recognized university with an aggregate score of 60% or equivalent. 

OR 

Must have cleared section A and B examination of Associate Membership of the Institution of Engineers (India) OR Aeronautical Society of India from a recognized university with an aggregate score of minimum 60% or equivalent.

Ground Duty (Non-Technical Branch)

The AFCAT exam for this branch requires that the candidate’s age should be between 20 to 26 years. Further, due to the many roles and duties, the educational qualification varies from one duty branch to another. Given below are the duty-wise qualifications: 

AFCAT Exam: Syllabus

To score well in the exam, the students need to be well-versed with the AFCAT Syllabus and the exam pattern. The test consists of 4 sections namely, Verbal Ability, Numerical Ability, General Awareness, and Military Aptitude. From reading comprehension and simplification questions to governance and seating arrangement questions, the exam tests the abilities of candidates in many areas. Tabulated below are the details regarding the mode and the number of questions asked in the AFCAT exam: 

Note: It is mandatory for the candidates who have applied for Ground Duty (Technical) branch to appear in both AFCAT and EKT. 

Selection Procedure

Be it a Technical or Non-Technical Branch, to be able to join the Indian Air Force, the candidates go through a rigorous selection process. Listed below are the details regarding the same: 

• Online Test: The candidates need to first appear for the online AFCAT exam. The students wanting to go to the Technical Branch need to appear for both AFCAT and EKT exams on the same day. 
• AFSB Interview: After clearing the online tests, the candidates have to appear at one of the AFSB(Air Force Selection Board) for an Interview. The process is conducted in three stages/tests namely, Officer Intelligence Rating Test, Psychological Test, Computerized Pilot Selection System (for Flying Branch). 

Note: For the AFSB interview, shortlisted candidates will be required to bring some documents along with them. You can visit the official website of the Indian Air Force to know more about it. 

AFCAT Result and Cut Off 2020

Since the AFCAT exam result for the year 2020 has been announced by the official authorities, here is an insight into the cut of lists for the past few years-

Documents Required for AFCAT Interview

For all the selected candidates who will be asked to appear in the final interview round, it is mandatory to carry a bunch of important documents. Here is a list of documents that you need to have before appearing for the AFCAT exam interview-

• Class 10th and 12th certificate and their photocopies
•  Passport size colour photograph
•  A valid and original commercial pilot licence that is issued by DGCA
•  NCC certificate
•  provisional graduation or post-graduation mark sheet
•  NOC from employees of state/central government or public sector
• AFCAT exam admit card 

FAQs

Hopefully, this blog has provided you an insight into the information regarding the AFCAT exam. If you are planning to pursue a graduate degree in courses BCom, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, etc so as to kickstart your career in the Air Force but are not sure about the admission process then the experts at Leverage Edu will lend you a helping hand. Using our revolutionary AI-tool, the counsellors will collate a list of universities and other relevant graduate courses that you can opt for.

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