AFCAT Examination: Eligibility, Examination Pattern, Syllabus & Strategy

Nov 10, 2022, 16:45 IST

The Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) is one of the defence entrance exams to get into the Indian Air Force. Only Indian citizens can give this examination. The Indian Air Force(IAF) conducts this exam to recruit candidates for various posts in the Air Force.

This examination is conducted twice a year in June and December. It is for Class-1 Gazetted Officers.

The syllabus for the examination is vast and covers a wide range of topics. This examination tests the candidate's analytical abilities and problem-solving skills. They should have a good understanding of all the concepts to score well on the test.

In this blog post, we will explore everything you need to know about the exams. We will examine eligibility, syllabus, examination pattern, strategy, and many more.

Table of Content
AFCAT Eligibility Criteria AFCAT Examination Pattern AFCAT Syllabus AFCAT Strategy Conclusion Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

AFCAT Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must ensure that they fulfil the following eligibility criteria:-

Nationality

They must be a citizen of India.

Marital Status

Any married person over the age of 25 is eligible to apply. but accommodation will not be provided to them.

Number of Attempts

They can give 16 attempts. They can attempt the exam if they fulfil the eligibility conditions.

Age Limit

Below are the age limits required to apply for the flying branch and Ground Duty.

Flying Branch

The age should be between 20 and 24 years. They must have been born between January 2, 1999, to January 1, 2003.

Ground Duty (Technical/Non-Technical Branches)

The age should be between 20 and 26 years. They must have been born between January 2, 1997, to January 1, 2003.

Educational Qualifications

Below are the educational qualifications required for the Flying Branch and Ground Duty examinations.

Branch	Educational Qualification
Flying Branch	They should have a minimum of 50% marks each in Maths and Physics at 10+2 level and Graduation with a minimum of three years degree course in any discipline from a recognised university with a minimum of 60% marks. Or, Cleared sections A and B exams of Associate Membership of the Institution of Engineers (India) or Aeronautical Society of India with 60% Marks.
Ground Duty (Technical)	Aeronautical Engineering: Electronics: Candidates should have a minimum of 50% marks each in Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level and a minimum of four years of degree graduation/integrated post-graduation from a recognised university OR, Cleared Sections A and B examination of Associate Membership of the Institution of Engineers or Aeronautical Society of India or Graduate membership examination of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers by actual studies with a minimum of 60% marks in the following disciplines:- Applied Electronics & Instrumentation. Communication Engineering. Computer Engineering & Applications Computer Engineering and Technology Computer Science and Engineering/Technology. Electrical Engineering. Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Electrical and computer engineering. Engineering Physics. Electronics Electric Power and Machinery Engineering. Electronics and Computer Science. Electronics Engineering/ Technology. Electronic Science and Engineering. Electronics and computer engineering. Electronics and Communication Engineering Electronics Instrumentation and Control Electronics and/or Telecommunication Engineering Electronics and/or Telecommunication Engineering (Microwave). Electronics, Instruments & Control Engineering Electronics, Communication, and Instrumentation Engineering. Instrumentation and control engineering. Information Technology Infotech Engineering Spacecraft Technology Cyber Security.
Ground Duty (Technical)	Aeronautical Engineer (Mechanical) AE (M): Candidates with a minimum of 50% marks in Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level and a minimum of four years of degree graduation/integrated post-graduation qualification in Engineering/Technology from a recognised university OR, Cleared Sections A & B examination of Associate Membership of the Institution of Engineers or Aeronautical Society of India by actual studies with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent in the following disciplines:- Aerospace and Applied Mechanics. Aeronautical Engineering. Automotive Engineering. Aerospace Engineering. Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. Mechanical Engineering. Mechanical Engineering and Automation. Mechanical Engineering (Repair and Maintenance). Mechatronics. Mechanical Engineering (Production). Manufacturing Engineering. Industrial Engineering. Production and Industrial Engineering. Materials Science and Engineering. Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. Rubber Technology and Rubber Engineering. Robotics Nanotechnology
Ground Duty (Non-Technical)	Administration Branch: passed 10+2 and a Graduate Degree (minimum three-year degree course) in any discipline with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent from a recognised university Cleared section A & B examinations for Associate Membership of the Institution of Engineers or Aeronautical Society of India from a recognised university with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent. Accounts Branch: B.Com degree (3-year degree course) from a recognised university or equivalent with a minimum of 60% marks.
	Logistic Branch: Graduate Degree (3 years degree course) in any discipline with 60% marks from a recognized university or equivalent, OR Cleared section A & B examination of Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers or Aeronautical Society of India from a recognized university with a minimum of 60% marks.
	Education Branch: passed 10+2 and Post-Graduation with 50% marks in any discipline, including integrated courses offering PG (Single degree without permission to exit and lateral entry) and with 60% marks in Graduation in any discipline.
	Meteorology Branch: Passed 10+2 and Post Graduate Degree in any Science stream/ Mathematics/ Statistics/ Geography/ Computer Applications/ Environmental Science/ Applied Physics/ Oceanography/ Meteorology/ Agricultural Meteorology/ Ecology & Environment/ Geo-physics/ Environmental Biology with a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate of all papers put together (Provided Maths and Physics were studied at Graduation Level with a minimum of 55% marks in each).

AFCAT Examination Pattern

This defence entrance exam is conducted in three phases.

AFCAT Exam, which is for all the candidates.
Engineer knowledge test (EKT) (for technical candidates) only.
Interview
A Medical Examination

AFCAT Exam

It has objective-type questions with multiple options.
It is an online test that is conducted in two shifts.
Questions will be in English only.
The exam is two hours long.
A total of 100 questions will be asked in the paper carrying 300 marks.
Three marks will be given for every correct answer.
One mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer.

Interview

They are called for an interview round if they obtain the minimum qualifying marks.

Medical Examination

Candidates will be called for medical exams if they qualify for online tests and interviews.

There are only two medical examination centres: the Institute of Aviation Medicine in Bengaluru and the Air Force Central Medical Establishment in Delhi.

AFCAT Syllabus

According to the latest exam pattern, the subjects included in the exam are General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability and Reasoning, and the Military Aptitude Test. Those who are applying for technical posts also have to appear for EKT after the exam.

Section	Questions	Marks	Time
General Awareness	20	60	2 hours
Verbal Ability in English	30	90
Numerical Ability	15	45
Reasoning and Military Aptitude Tes	35	105

English Syllabus

There will be 30 questions that will test the English proficiency. Here are the list of topics to ace English.

Basic Grammar
Synonyms and antonyms
Comprehension
Fill in the blanks
Tenses
Error Detection
Sentence Completion
Vocabulary

General Awareness Syllabus

It consists of topics that test the knowledge of candidates about current events around the world, important facts, and information about History, Geography, general science, etc.

Generally, about 20 questions are asked in this section. The topics for this section are given below:

Basic Science
International Current Affairs
Civics
History
Sports
Geography
Environment
Culture
Defence
Art and Culture
Politics

Reasoning Syllabus

This section is the most important because it contains the maximum number of questions. The candidate's mental skills, problem-solving and reasoning skills are being tested.

The difficulty level is moderate, and 35 questions are being asked in this section. The topics for this section are given below:

Verbal and spatial abilities
Completion of Patterns
The odd one out
Analogy
Venn Diagram
Data interpretation
Blood Relation
Missing Figures
Coding and decoding
Spotting the Embedded Figure

Maths Syllabus

This section will evaluate students' basic mathematical skills. The difficulty will be that of the matriculation level. From this area, up to 15 questions will be asked.

It is a scoring section, even though the difficulty is moderate to high.

Simplification
Simple interest
Average
Decimal Fraction
Proportion and Ratio
Percentage
Profit and loss statements

AFCAT Strategy

With the right books, strategy, and determination, anyone can pass the examination. Here are some subject-wise strategies.

Strategy for English

To improve vocabulary, spend at least 1–2 hours on learning and revision on weekdays, and 15 minutes on weekends. Start with any new words and practise them by understanding their meaning.
Make a habit of reading newspapers daily. It will not only help you improve your vocabulary but will also keep you up-to-date on current events and general awareness.
Go through the previous year's paper for topics like synonyms, antonyms, idiom phrases, and one-word substitutions that shouldn't be ignored at any cost.

Strategy for General Awareness

Newspapers is great sources of regional, national, and worldly news, along with politics, sports, and a diversity of other interests.
The Internet nowadays has become a great source for preparation. You can find current news, strategy, and mock tests on the internet.
Put more focus on the most asked topics like sports, defence, first in India, world, awards, etc.

Strategy for Mathematics

To recall the formulas, write on sticky notes and paste them in the room or on the study table so you can look at them every time you go.
Practice and revise the most important topics like profit & loss, time & work, simple and compound interest, series completion, odd figure out, etc.
Once you are clear with your basics go for giving mocks. Giving mocks would help you more than solving any book.

Strategy for Reasoning

The Internet is loaded with free practice materials. Solve them to check your accuracy. They are easily available for free on the internet.
Solve the previous year’s paper as much as possible.
Focus more on topics that have heavy weightage in the exam.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the AFCAT is a great opportunity for those looking to join the Air Force. The defence exam is straightforward and can be easily cleared with some proper guidance and preparation. The syllabus covers a wide range of topics, so make sure you brush up on all of them before sitting for the exam. With a little bit of effort, you should be able to clear the exam with flying colours.