AFCAT Exams

• For all entries other than NDA and CDSE and for all branches, candidates have to undergo the AFCAT.
• The test is conducted twice a year in February and August.
• Advertisements inviting applications for AFCAT are out in June and December. Candidates are to apply as per the advertisement.
• The test is conducted all across India by the Indian Air Force.
• Indian Airforce conducts AFCAT exam for Group A Gazetted Officers in Flying and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches.

Fee

Candidates (excepting Female/SC/ST Candidates who are exempted from payment of fee) are required to pay fee of Rs.2%0/- (Rupees Two Hundred only)

Benefits Of Joining Indian Air Force

Once you become a part of the Indian Air Force family, you enjoy many facilities and benefits. From housing facilities, from medical facilities to schools for your children, IAF takes care of all your needs. You continue to avail some of these benefits even after your retirement.

INSURANCE
All Air Force personnel, including Flight Cadets are provided life insurance cover under the Air Force Group Insurance Scheme (AFGIS). Monthly contribution rates are minimal and the insurance policy covers all contingencies. As an Air Force Officer, you are insured for an amount of Rs 75 lakhs with an additional insurance cover of Rs 10 lakhs for pilots.

LOANS
As a member of AFGIS, you can avail following loans: House Building Loan, Computer Loan, Conveyance Loan

MEDICAL
All Air Force officers, their families and dependents have free access to medical rooms and hospitals equipped with the best of facilities. Apart from being treated at the Armed Forces Hospitals, there are also tie ups with Civil Hospitals for treatment of specialised cases, if required. Patients are also given grants for purchase of necessary medical equipment and mechanical aid to help make them self-reliant. Scholarships and welfare schemes from AFWWA (Air Force wives welfare association).

Other Benefits

• Accommodation
• Leave- Annual leave for 60 days and casual leave of 20 days per year
• Leave travel concessions
• Institute and Messes membership
• School facilities
• Rail concessions
• Secured camp life
• CSD facilities
• Recreational and sports facilities

Educational Opportunities

• Once you join the Air Force, you realize that behind all the action and adventure is a lot of effort towards academic pursuits. from the moment you are selected, till the time you retire, you are continuously honing your skills with a large number of in-service courses and other educational avenues.
• The IAF also sponsors M. Tech. courses for officers of the Technical Branch, in institutes like IIT and BHU-IT.
• The IAF also has tie-ups with universities like IGNOU to facilitate long-distance learning for officers and airmen.
• Study Leave - They are also allowed study leave of up to 24 months extendible up to 28 months.

Post-Retirement Benefits

PENSION: After retirement from the service, An IAF Officer is entitled to a decent pension which takes care of the needs of the family.

INSURANCE: Post retirement insurance cover is provided to all Air Force pensioners who have rendered pensionable years of service on payment of minimal premium. The cover given by the Society is upto 72 years of age.

MEDICAL: The facilities of Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) such as after retirement at minimum one time contribution, cashless treatment for family for life at ECHS Polyclinics and empanelled premium super specialty group of hospitals like Fortis, Artemis, Apollo, Escorts to name few and many others at almost every city in India with facility of Private Wards. All the retired officers and their dependents have access to medical rooms and hospitals equipped with the best of the facilities. Apart from being entitled to the medical facilities, retired Air Force personnel is also authorized for the following benefits:

• Coverage under medical insurance for lifetime.
• Grant for Commercial Venture for personnel who have had to leave service due to medical reasons.

Placement Cell: Air Force Association

After leading a very active life in Air Force, majority of the retired Air Force personnel are faced with pressing need to keep themselves gainfully occupied in civil life. To help such ex- Air Force personnel find a suitable job post retirement, the Placement Cell of Air Force Association offers employment assistance to fulfill their needs. The Cell acts as a facilitator between the employer and the employee. The main function involves registration of retirees, matching their profile vis-à-vis qualitative requirements set out by the employer and arranging for their interview for final selection by the employer. Retired Air Force Personnel can register themselves for employment through the website: www.afa-india.org

• Nationality: Candidate must be a citizen of India as per Indian citizenship act, 1955.
• Age:
• Flying Branch through AFCAT and NCC Special Entry: 20 to 24 years
• Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical) Branch: 20 to 26 years
• Marital Status: Candidates below 25 years of age must be unmarried at the time of commencement of course. Widows/ Widowers and divorcees (with or without encumbrances) below 25 years of age are also not eligible.
• Educational Qualifications

Note: Only those candidates who have given 12th standard in 10+2 pattern of examination are eligible to apply for these courses.

The subjects, the time allowed, and the maximum marks allotted to each subject will be as follows:

Note: The Online examination will consist of objective type questions and will be in English only for both AFCAT and EKT.

• English: 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.
• General Awareness: 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.
• Numerical Ability: 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, Clocks.
• Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test: Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning

Standard Of Examination

The standard of Numerical Ability Questions will be of Matriculation level. The standard of questions in other subjects will be of graduation level (Indian University).

If you have successfully cleared written examination, i.e., the step 1 you 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), you undergo following tests in order to ascertain your suitability and gauge your potential as an Officer in the Indian Air Force.

Training Period

• Even before you are Commissioned as an Air Force Officer you start earning a monthly stipend of Rs. 56,100/- during last one year of your training period at any of the Air Force Training Institutions.
• The duration of training will be 74 weeks for the flying and technical branch and 52 weeks in
• The case of non-Tech branches. The accommodation will be provided by the training authorities during the training period.

Commissioned Period

• On the successful completion of the training period, the salary of AFA officers will be paid in the first cell of Level 10.
• The salary will vary for every branch of the Indian Air Force. The Annual Package for each department, as per the 7th pay commission is enlisted below.
  

  Branch	Salary Per Month (In Hand)	Salary Package
  Flying Branch	Rs. 1,08,792/-	Rs. 14 -15 Lakhs
  Ground Duty (Tech)	Rs. 95,262/-	Rs. 12-13 Lakhs
  Ground Duty (Non-Tech)	Rs. 85,262/-	Rs. 11-12 Lakhs

• Military Service Pay: Rs 15,500 Per Month
• Other allowances such as Transport allowance, Children Education Allowance, HRA etc. are also admissible to Officers.

Q.1 What is the full form of AFCAT?

ANS: The full form of AFCAT is Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT). It is a national-level competitive exam conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to select officers for all of its branches except the medical and dental branches. This exam is held twice a year to select the best among the best. It is usually held in February and again in August. Candidates must prepare thoroughly for the AFCAT exam by reviewing the exam pattern, syllabus, previous year’s question papers, and mock tests.

Q.2 Can girls apply for AFCAT 2022 exam?

ANS: Yes, girls can also apply for the AFCAT exam. The IAF’s AFCAT eligibility criteria include educational requirements, age limits, physical standards, and so on. It should be noted that AFCAT eligibility differs for men and women. Unmarried candidates between the ages of 20 and 24 are eligible to apply.

Q.3 How many times I can appear for the AFCAT exam?

ANS: The AFCAT exam allows for an unlimited number of attempts. Candidates who meet the prescribed age limit are eligible to take the exam. According to previous year’s trends, a score of 150-180 is sufficient to be considered for an interview.

Q.4 How many times AFCAT is conducted in a year?

ANS: The examination is held twice a year, in February and August. AFCAT application notices are published in June and December. Candidates must apply in accordance with the advertisement. A candidate can apply for the Indian Air Force through one of two commissions: the Permanent Commission or the Short Service Commission (SSC).

Q.5 What is the eligibility for the AFCAT exam?

ANS: To be eligible for the exam, candidates must have a three-year graduation degree in any discipline from a recognized university, whereas, for the non-technical branch, a three-year graduation degree with a minimum of 60 percent marks is required. Candidates with a 10th Pass can apply for the Indian Air Force Group C Civilian Recruitment. Candidates must be Indian citizens as defined by the Indian Citizenship Act of 1955.

Q.6 How to register for AFCAT 2022?

ANS: The registration for AFCAT 2022 can be done by the following steps:

1. Go to the Indian Air Force’s official website.
2. Go to the ‘Career’ tab now and select the ‘Candidates Login’ section.
3. On the screen, a new web page will appear. Fill out the registration form, including your e-mail address and phone number.
4. Click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom.

Q.7 What is the age limit for AFCAT exam?

ANS: Candidates must be between the ages of 20 and 24. Candidates must have been born between 02nd January 1999 and 01st January 2003. Candidates with a valid and current commercial pilot license issued by the DGCA have an upper age limit of 26 years, i.e., they must have been born between 02nd January 1997 and 01st January 2003. Candidates for the Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical) Branch must be between the ages of 20 and 26 on 01st January 2023. Candidates must have been born between the 2nd January 1997 and the 1st January 2003.

Q.8 Can a candidate submit the AFCAT application form via offline procedure?

ANS: No, The AFCAT 2 application forms are to be submitted in online mode only. No printouts or hard copies will be accepted in any case.

Q.9 Is there any need for sending the hard copy of the AFCAT application form?

ANS: Candidates don’t need to send a hard copy of the AFCAT application form. However, they must save the confirmation page of the AFCAT application form for future references.

Q.10 Is there any size restriction for the photograph that needs to be uploaded?

ANS: Candidates should upload the photograph between 10 to 50 KB while filling AFCAT application form.