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AFCAT Exam Pattern 2026 - Subject Wise Pattern, Marking Scheme, Syllabus
Indian Air Force has specified the AFCAT 1 exam pattern 2026 in the official notification. The AFCAT 2026 exam pattern is available online on the official website - afcat.edcil.co.in. Candidates can know the important information pertaining to the exam such as subject-wise sections and the marking scheme through the AFCAT exam pattern 2026.
This Story also Contains
- AFCAT Exam Pattern 2026: Highlights
- AFCAT Syllabus 2026
- AFCAT Syllabus: EKT Syllabus
- AFCAT Question Papers 2026
- AFCAT Preparation Tips 2026
- AFCAT Books 2026
- AFCAT Mock Test 2026
Additionally, information such as total marks, section-wise marks and negative marking schemes can also be known through the AFCAT exam pattern. Before beginning the preparation for the AFCAT exam, candidates are advised to go through the details mentioned in the AFCAT exam pattern 2026. The AFCAT 1 2026 exam pattern consists of a written exam, Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT) which candidates appearing for technical posts must attempt. Afterwards, the candidates who cleared these exams have to appear for the ASFB interview and a medical test. Candidates are encouraged to go through the material below for more information regarding the AFCAT exam pattern 2026.
AFCAT Exam Pattern 2026: Highlights
Exam | AFCAT 2026 Exam Pattern | EKT (only for technical) |
Mode of Exam | Online | Online |
No. of Questions | 100 | 50 |
Maximum Marks | 300 | 150 |
Duration of Exam | 2 hours (120 minutes) | 45 minutes |
Sections in Paper | General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability and Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test | Mechanical, Computer Science and Electrical & Electronics |
Negative Marking | 1 mark | 1 mark |
Also Read:
AFCAT 2026 Exam Stages
Online written test.
AFSB (Air Force Selection Board) Interview.
Medical Test.
AFCAT Question/Sample papers
Candidates can download AFCAT question papers along with answers from here.
Free DownloadOnline Written Test - The online test is the first stage of the AFCAT recruitment process. Aspirants with the AFCAT admit card areeligible to appear in the AFCAT written test. The AFCAT online test is conducted for subjects such as English, Numerical ability, Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test and EKT Syllabus for candidates opting for engineering knowledge test.
AFSB (Air Force Selection Board) - The AFSB is conducted after the online test which is a 5-day event, conducted in various Air Force centres such as - Varanasi, Dehradun, Gandhinagar and Mysore. In AFSB, the aspirants are judged based on various parameters like screening, picture perception and discussion test, personal information questionnaire, physical training like monkey crawl, jumping across the screen, parallel beam or balancing etc.
Medical Test - In the medical test, a thorough health checkup is conducted for the candidates. If the candidate is found to be having any kind of medical issue, they will be given some time to recover.
AFCAT Syllabus 2026
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has prescribed the AFCAT 2026 syllabus in the official notification. Candidates preparing the AFCAT syllabus must learn all the subjects, topics and sub-topics from which the question paper will be based. As per the AFCAT 1 syllabus 2026, there are four sections - English, General Awareness, Numerical Ability & Reasoning, and Military Aptitude Test. From the following tables, candidates can check the subject-wise topics of the syllabus of AFCAT 2026.
AFCAT Syllabus: 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.
AFCAT Syllabus: 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. Transformation of Sentence (Complex to Simple), Homonyms.
AFCAT Syllabus: 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, Square & Square root/Cube & Cube roots, HCF & LCM, Elementary Mensuration, Heights and Distance, Statistics (Mean, Median and Mode), Exponents and powers.
AFCAT Syllabus: Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test
Verbal and NonVerbal Reasoning
Also Read:
AFCAT Syllabus: EKT Syllabus
Candidates planning to apply for the ground duty (Technical) branch have to take an additional online test - Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT).
AFCAT Syllabus Topics
Syllabus | Topics |
AFCAT EKT Fundamental Engineering Syllabus | Engineering Physics, Engineering Mathematics, and Engineering Drawing |
AFCAT EKT Mechanical Engineering Syllabus | Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics/Hydraulic Machines, Engineering Mechanics, Materials Science, Thermodynamics, Manufacturing Science, and Machine Drawing |
AFCAT EKT Electrical & Electronics Engineering Syllabus | Microwave Engineering, Analog, and Digital Electronics, Electronic Devices, Telecommunication Systems, Microwave Engineering, Control Engineering, and Electrical Engineering |
AFCAT EKT Computer Science Engineering Syllabus | Information Technology, Network Theory Design, Analog, and Digital Electronics, Computer Networks, Switching Theory, and Electronic Devices |
AFCAT EKT Allied Engineering Topics Syllabus | Control Engineering, Telecommunication Systems, Electrical Engineering, Radar Theory, Instrumentation, Antenna, and Wave Propagation, and Microwave Engineering |
Also check:
AFCAT Question Papers 2026
Some leading coaching institutes provide the question papers of AFCAT 2026 in online mode. Candidates can refer to IAF AFCAT question paper 2026 while preparing for the exam. The AFCAT 2026 question papers consist of questions from subjects such as quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning, general knowledge, and English language. By solving past years' AFCAT question papers during preparation, aspirants will be familiar with the topics asked in the exam, the exam pattern, the difficulty level of questions, etc.
AFCAT Preparation Tips 2026
Candidates preparing for the AFCAT exam must prepare in such a way that they can beat the cut throat competition and qualify successfully. From the following points, candidates can check the preparation tips of AFCAT 2026.
Aspirants must refer to the exam pattern and syllabus mentioned in the official AFCAT notification.
Download the previous years' question papers of AFCAT in order to successfully practise for the exam.
They can go through the e-books, current affairs published monthly while preparing for the general awareness section.
Give mock tests on a regular basis to increase speed, accuracy, and time management skills.
Refer to the past year's trends of AFCAT 2026 cut off to know the difficulty level of the AFCAT exam.
Aspirants must do a self-analysis to know about their strong and weak sections.
Aspirants must also know about the defense equipment used by the Indian defense forces as the questions related to it can be asked in the interview rounds.
Also Read:
AFCAT Books 2026
To prepare for any exam and not just AFCAT, the best part is to refer to the study materials which can add on to the preparation strategy. From the following table, aspirants can check the best books related to the AFCAT exam preparations.
AFCAT Books 2026
Subjects | Publication |
AFCAT Books on General Awareness | Lucent’s General Knowledge The Malayala Manorama English Yearbook From Plinth to Paramount by Neetu Singh - KD Publication Verbal Ability |
AFCAT Books on Verbal Ability | Objective General English by Dr. RS. Aggarwal Verbal Reasoning by Bhupendra Kumar Singh Numerical Ability |
AFCAT Books on Numerical Ability | Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by RS Aggarwal/ S.Chand Publishing Objective Arithmetic- S Chand Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation-Disha Publication |
AFCAT Books on Aptitude Test | Quantitative Aptitude- S.Chand Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams-McGraw Hill Education |
Check Other Competitive Exam Patterns
AFCAT Mock Test 2026
IAF provides the AFCAT mock test in online mode on the official website. The AFCAT 2026 mock test will help the students understand the exam pressure and the AFCAT exam pattern 2026 in a better way. Candidates need to login through the dummy login credentials already mentioned on the page and start their AFCAT mock test 2026. Using the AFCAT mock test, candidates will be able to understand their preparation level too.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How many papers are in AFCAT?
A:
There is one paper in AFCAT. For candidates who want to appear in the ground duty (Technical) branch, they will have to appear in EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test) as well.
Q: What is the pattern of AFCAT exam?
A:
The exam pattern of the AFCAT exam consists of the stages, marking scheme, topics, subjects and time duration.
Q: Is AFCAT exam 2026 tough?
A:
Yes, it is a bit tough as a lot of candidates apply for it.
Q: Who is eligible for AFCAT exam?
A:
As per the academic qualification, candidates must graduate, as far as the age limit and physical requirements are considered, aspirants are advised to click here - AFCAT eligibility criteria 2026.
Q: What are the topics covered in AFCAT 2026 Syllabus?
A:
The topics covered in AFCAT Syllabus are General Awareness, English, Reasoning, Numerical Ability and Military Aptitude Test. In EKT, there will be topics from Mechanical, Computer Science and Electrical and Electronics.
Q: What are the important topics covered in English of the AFCAT examination?
A:
The important topics covered in the English subject of the AFCAT examination are Comprehension, Error Detection, Sentence Completion, Synonyms and Antonyms, Filling in of correct word, vocabulary test, Idioms and Phrases.
Q: How many times AFCAT exam is conducted in a year?
A:
AFCAT is conducted twice a year.
Q: Is there any AFCAT mock test available?
A:
Yes, IAF provides the AFCAT mock test on the official website.
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Questions related to AFCAT
On Question asked by student community
Have a question related to AFCAT ?
Hello aspirant,
The eligibility requirements for AFCAT included age, educational attainment, nationality, and health standards. Candidates must meet these requirements in order to apply for the exam; otherwise, their applications will be denied. The AFCAT eligibility criteria state that candidates must be between the ages of 20 and 24 and
A minimum of 50% marks each in Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level and a minimum of three years of graduation degree (or appearing for the final semester exam) with 60% marks from a recognized university.
Since you have completed your B.Sc. with Botany, Zoology, and Environmental Science, and
Hello,
Yes, you are eligible to sit for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) and Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) exams provided you meet certain criteria. For CDS, you need a degree from a recognized university for Indian Military Academy (IMA) and Officers' Training Academy (OTA), and for the Air
To apply for technical and non-technical jobs in the Indian Air Force, you can take the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT).
Exams:
-
AFCAT : For both technical and non-technical officer roles.
-
Entry Options : Flying, Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical).
How to Prepare:
-
Understand the syllabus : Includes General
Dear aspirant !
Hope you are doing good !
Candidates between 19 to 25 years of age are eligible to apply for CDS recruitment 2024. Before filling up the application form, aspirants must check UPSC CDS eligibility criteria carefully. CDS exam 2024 for both sessions will be conducted on April
Applications for Admissions are open.
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AFCAT Notifications
AFCAT 1 result 2026 announced at afcat.cdac.in; 385 qualify, selection process
Sundararajan
Mar 11, 2026
AFCAT 1 2026 answer key, response sheet out at afcat.edcil.co.in
Sundararajan
Feb 01, 2026
AFCAT 1 2026 city intimation slip out at afcat.edcil.co.in; exam on January 31
Sundararajan
Jan 11, 2026
AFCAT 1 registration 2026 deadline extended to December 19; exam on January 31
Sundararajan
Dec 13, 2025
AFCAT 1 registration 2026 begins today; apply by December 14
Vaishnavi Shukla
Nov 17, 2025
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