AFCAT 2020: Application Form, Exam Date, Pattern, Syllabus, Result, Counselling

You can enrol in the prestigious Indian Air Force by clearing the AFCAT exam. Serve the nation and become a hero. AFCAT (Indian Air Force exam) was conducted the second time this year on September 19, 2020. AFCAT exam 2020 was conducted to recruit for Technical, Non-Technical and Flying branches of Air Force.

Indian Air Force started as a tiny fleet with four Westland Wapiti army co-operative by-planes, six RAF trained officers and 19 Hawai Sepoys. Today, it is the fourth largest Air Force in the world with a highly technical and specialized fighting force that safeguards our skies against enemy invasions.

Latest Update:

• AFCAT II 2020 application window will close on July 14, 2020. Know more.
• The date and venue for AFSB for AFCAT 01/2020 could be selected between June 18 and June 22, 2020. Candidates who do not select their venues and dates before 23:59 HRS of June 22, 2020, will be allotted the same on random. The AFSB for AFCAT 01/2020 will be conducted from July 27, 2020, onwards.
• The application process for AFCAT-2 2020 has started and the application forms are being accepted by the authorities. Interested candidates can read more about the application process here
• AFCAT-2 2020 notification has been released. The exam is to be conducted in the online mode on September 19, 2020 and September 20, 2020. All the dates are mentioned in the important dates section. To view the official notification Click here
• The vacancies for AFCAT-2 2020 are also updated as per the official notification in the vacancies section.

Contents

• What is AFCAT?
• AFCAT 2020 Exam Date
• AFCAT 2020 Eligibility
• AFCAT 2020 Syllabus
• AFCAT 2020 Exam Pattern
• AFCAT 2020 Registration
• AFCAT Coaching Centres
• AFCAT 2020 Exam Centres
• AFCAT 2020 Admit Card
• AFCAT 2020 Results
• Selection Process
• Contact Details

What is AFCAT?

Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) is a National Level Entrance Examination conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) for admission into Flying Branch, Ground Duty (Technical Branch), Ground Duty (Non-Technical Branch). Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) is conducted by Indian Air Force (IAF) every year in two sessions.

AFCAT is conducted twice in a year in the months of February and August. AFCAT (II) 2020 exam took place on September 19, 2020 and September 20, 2020. AFCAT 2020 is conducted in the following stages:

Stage I Testing

Stage I Testing involves the following tests:

• Officers Intelligence Rating Test
• Picture Perception and Discussion Test

Stage-I is a screening test. Candidates qualifying this stage will move on to appear for Stage-II Testing. The candidates not qualifying will be routed back after the announcements of results.

Stage-II Testing

AFCAT Stage-II testing will be done for the next 4-5 days. Only for Flying Batch, there will be a CPSS (Computerized Pilot Selection System) Testing on the fifth day. Psychological Test, Group Test and Interviews will be conducted in this stage.

Psychological tests will be conducted on the applicant. These tests are conducted by a psychologist. Group Test will be consisting of interactive indoor and outdoor activities that will require mental and physical work. AFCAT interviews will be conducted by an Interviewing Officer. The CPSS testing will be done for the candidates which are recommended and who have applied for the flying branch.

Medical Examination

If a candidate gets recommended by the Selection Board, he/she will be sent for the medical examination either at Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), New Delhi or Institute of Aviation Medicine, Bengaluru.

Formation Merit List

All India Merit List will be prepared on the basis of your performance in the written test, AFSB Interview and the medical fitness. Based on the vacancies in the branches/sub-branches, you will be given the instructions for your joining.

AFCAT at a glance

Exam Full Name	Air Force Common Admission Test
Acronym	AFCAT
Administered by	Indian Air Force
Frequency	Twice a Year
AFCAT (II) Exam Date	September 19, 2020 and September 20, 2020
AFCAT Exam Centres	112 Cities in India
Mode	Online i.e. Computer-based Test
Question Type	Multiple Choice Question's (MCQ's)
No. of Question	100
Topics	General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning & Military Aptitude
Marks	+3 Marks for Correct Answers and -1 for Incorrect Answers
AFCAT Total Marks	300
Duration	2 Hours i.e. 120 Minutes
Language	English

AFCAT 2020 Exam Dates

The AFCAT 2020 Exam is conducted twice a year i.e AFCAT I and AFCAT II.

Application Form for AFCAT I 2020 was available on the official website i.e. afcat.cdac.in from December 1, 2019 to December 30, 2019. AFCAT I 2020 Admit Card was released online for candidates on February 4, 2020.

AFCAT I 2020 was conducted via online mode i.e. Computer-based Test and AFCAT I 2020 Exam date was on February 22 to February 23, 2020. AFCAT I exam result was declared on the official website for all the candidates on March 16, 2020. Candidates who had cleared AFCAT I exam 2020 were called for further rounds of the selection process.

The AFCAT II 2020 Exam dates have been announced and are given on the table below:

Events/ Schedule	Exam Dates
AFCAT II Notification	June 10, 2020
AFCAT II Online Application Form Start Date	June 15, 2020
Last Date to Submit the AFCAT II Application Form	July 14, 2020
AFCAT II Admit Card Download Date	September 4, 2020
AFCAT II Examination Date	September 19, 2020 and September 20, 2020
AFCAT II Announcement of Result	October 10, 2020 (Tentative)

AFCAT 2020 Eligibility

AFCAT eligibility criteria need to be satisfied by the applicants to be fit to appear for this exam. Criteria of AFCAT 2020 eligibility vary for different posts which are as follows:

AFCAT 2020 Flying Branch

Age Limit

Candidates applying for the Flying Branch would be taken through AFCAT and NCC Special Entry:

Candidate's age should be from 20 to 24 years as on July 1, 2020, i.e. he/she should be born between July 2, 1996, to July 1, 2001, with both dates inclusive. The upper age limit for candidates which hold a valid and currently active Commercial Pilot License issued by DGCA (India) is relaxable up to 26 years i.e. candidate should have been born in between July 2, 1995 and July 1, 2001 with both dates inclusive.

Education Qualification

To be eligible for AFCAT 2020, candidates should have qualified 10+2 with a minimum of 60% marks each in Maths and Physics. Along with that, he/she should also have a Graduation Degree done for a period of minimum of three years in any discipline with a minimum of 60% marks from a recognized University in India or equivalent. OR

Candidate should possess B.E./B.Tech degree (4-years course) with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent from a recognized University in India. OR

Also, the candidates qualifying the Section A & B of the exam conducted by Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers, India or Aeronautical Society of India from a recognized University in India with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent.

AFCAT 2020 Ground Duty (Technical Branch)

Age Limit

For Technical branches in Ground Duty, a candidate's age should lie in between 20 to 26 years as completed on Jul 1, 2020 i.e. he/she should have been born in between July 2, 1995 to July 1, 2001 with both dates standing inclusive.

Educational Qualification

For Aeronautical Engineer (Electronics) [AE (L)]

To sit for AFCAT 2020, a candidate should have qualified 10+2 with a minimum of 60% aggregate each in Physics and Mathematics. Also along with that, he/she should possess a Graduation or Integrated Post Graduation degree done for a period of a minimum of four years in Engineering/Technology from recognized University in India. OR

He/she should have cleared Sections A and B of the examination conducted by Aeronautical Society of India or Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers, India. OR

A candidate should have cleared the Graduate membership examination with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent which is conducted by Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers by actual studies in the following disciplines:

Communication Engineering, Computer Engineering/Technology, Computer Engineering & Application, Computer Science and Engineering/Technology, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering/ Technology, Electronics Science and Engineering, Electronics, Electronics, and Communication Engineering, Electronics and Computer Science, Electronics and/or Telecommunication Engineering, Electronics and/or Telecommunication Engineering (Microwave), Electronics and Computer Engineering, Electronics Communication and Instrumentation Engineering, Electronics Instrument & Control, Electronics Instrument & Control Engineering, Instrumentation & Control Engineering, Instrument & Control Engineering, Information Technology.

For Aeronautical Engineer (Mechanical) [AE (M)]

A candidate who has qualified 10+2 with a minimum of 60% marks each in Physics and Mathematics. Also along with it, he/she should possess a Graduation or a Post Graduation Degree pursued for a minimum four years Engineering/Technology from recognized University in India. OR

A candidate who has cleared Sections A & B exam of Aeronautical Society of India or Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers (India) by actual studies obtaining a minimum of 60% aggregate or equivalent in the following disciplines:

Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Mechanical Engineering (Production), Mechanical Engineering (Repair and Maintenance), Mechatronics, Industrial Engineering.

AFCAT 2020 Ground Duty (Non-Technical Branch)

Age Limit

For Technical branches in Ground Duty, a candidate's age should lie in between 20 to 26 years as completed on July 1, 2020, i.e. he/she should have been born between July 2, 1995, to July 1, 2001, with both dates standing inclusive.

Educational Qualification

For Administration

Candidate should possess a Graduate Degree with a minimum of 60% marks in any discipline from a recognized university or equivalent or cleared section A & B examination of Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers (India) or Aeronautical Society of India from a recognized university with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent.

For Education

A candidate should possess an MBA/MCA or MA/M.Sc degree in English/Physics/Mathematics/Chemistry/Statistics/International Studies/Management/International Relations/Defence Studies/Psychology/Computer Science/IT/Mass Communication/Journalism/Public Relation with a minimum of 50% aggregate in of all papers put together in Post-Graduation (Minimum two years programme) and 60% marks in graduation (both recognized by UGC/ Competent Accreditation Authority in India).

For integrated courses (single degree without permission to exit and lateral entry), minimum duration to pursue must be as per existing UGC guidelines with a minimum of 50% aggregate in all papers put together.

NCC Special Entry (Flying Branch)

A candidate should have earned NCC Air Wing Senior Division ‘C’ certificate on or after Jun 2, 2017. Applying candidates should have qualified 10+2 with a minimum of 60% marks each in Maths and Physics. A candidate should possess a Graduation Degree completed with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent with a minimum of three years duration in any discipline from a recognized University in India. OR

A candidate should have completed B.E./B.Tech degree (4-year course) with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent from a recognized University of India. OR

A candidate who has cleared Section A & B exam of Aeronautical Society of India or Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers, India with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent from a recognized University in India.

Meteorology

A candidate should have a PG 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 minimum of 50% aggregate in all papers put together given Physics and Maths were studied in Graduation with a minimum of 55% aggregate in each).

Note: AFCAT II 2020 has announced a total number of 256 vacancies. Out of the CDSE vacancies a 10% seats are for PC and out of the vacancies for SSC a 10% will be for the NCC Special Entry Flying Branch.

AFCAT 2020 Syllabus

Syllabus for AFCAT 2020 has been released by the Indian Air Force (IAF) for Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) in Flying Branch, Ground Duty (Technical Branch), Ground Duty (Non-Technical Branch). Go through AFCAT 2020 syllabus to plan your preparation well. It covers the following sections:

• General Awareness - History, Sports, Geography, Environment, Civics, Basic Science, Defence, Art, Culture, Current Affairs, Politics, etc.
• Verbal Ability in English - Comprehension, Error Detection, Sentence Completion, Synonyms, Antonyms, and Testing of Vocabulary.
• Numerical Ability - Decimal Fraction, Simplification, Average, Profit & loss, Percentage, Ratio & Proportion, and Simple Interest.
• Reasoning & Military Aptitude - Verbal Skills and Spatial Ability.

The EKT Syllabus or the syllabus for candidates who opt for Ground Duty (Technical) Branch must prepare from all three sections namely Computer science engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical & Electronics Engineering. The following are the topics for each of the sections-

• Computer Science Engineering - Information Technology, Network Theory Design, Switching Theory, Electronic Devices, Control Engineering, Radar Theory, Telecommunication Systems, etc.
• Mechanical Engineering - Thermodynamics, Materials Science, Machine Drawing, Aerodynamics, Power Plant Engineering, Aircraft Structures, Industrial Engineering, Automotive Engineering, etc.
• Electrical and Electronics Engineering - Microwave Engineering, Computer networks, Analog and Digital Electronics, Control Engineering, Instrumentation, Information Technology, etc.

AFCAT 2020 Exam Pattern

AFCAT 2020 will be conducted through Online mode i.e. Computer-based Test (CBT). The question paper will be comprising of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). There will be a total of 4 sections which include General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning & Military Aptitude. The exam pattern of AFCAT is discussed in detail below:

The time allotted to complete the examination will be 2 hours i.e. 120 minutes. 3 marks will be awarded for every correct answer and 1 mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer. It will consist of 100 questions in all.

EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test) is taken for the candidates who have applied for any branches in Technical Field. It will be conducted for a duration of 45 minutes. A candidate will be tested in the domains of Engineering Sciences of Mechanical, Computer Science, Electrical & Electronics. The number of questions asked will be 50 which will be of 150 marks in total. The examination will be conducted in English medium.

AFCAT 2020 Registration

AFCAT 2020 Application Form was available on the official website i.e. afcat.cdac.in or https://careerindianairforce.cdac.in from June 15, 2020 and the last date to submit the application form for AFCAT was on July 14, 2020.

The registration process for AFCAT 2020 includes 5 different steps:

• Registration
• Filling AFCAT 2020 Application Form with Graduation Information and Personal Details
• Course Opted & Choice of Exam Centre
• Upload of Documents [Photograph, Signature, Thumb Impression (For Male: Left, For Female: Right)]
• Registration Fee Payment.

Candidates have to pay the Registration Fee of INR 250/- for General/OBC/SC/ST/PWD category candidates through online mode of Credit Card/Debit Card/Net Banking or Challan Payment. No relaxation is provided to the candidates to the reserved category in terms of the exam fee.

AFCAT 2020 Application Form

AFCAT 2020 Coaching

You can refer to the below-mentioned centres for getting coaching for AFCAT exam.

• Coaching Centre: Bangalore/ Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, and New Delhi are the major coaching centre for AFCAT 2020 in India.
• Bangalore/ Bengaluru - Allen Career Institute/ No. 41, 6th Block, 17th Main, 100 Feet Road, Near Malabar Gold, Koramangala
• Chennai - Defence Academy Chennai/ No. 51, Cee Dee Yes Raceview Apartments, 600042, Five Furlong Rd, Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• Mumbai - Tara Institute (Andheri Centre)/ No. 407/B, 4th Floor, Vertex Vikas, Near Railway Station, Behind Police Station, Andheri-East
• New Delhi - Cadets Academy/ No. M-3, Mukherjee Tower, Dr Mukherjee Nagar Near Batra Tower, Delhi.

AFCAT 2020 Exam Centres

AFCAT 2020 was conducted in 112 cities across India on the AFCAT Exam date. An applicant can choose the exam cities while filling the Application Form. They can choose a specified number of options for the AFCAT 2020 exam centres. But, they will be allotted only one exam centre.

Note: No request for change of centre would be considered under any circumstances.

AFCAT 2020 Admit Card

AFCAT Admit Card was available online for candidates and was issued by the Indian Air Force on September 4, 2020. Admit Card for AFCAT contains details such as Name of the candidate, Roll Number, Exam Centre, Exam Date, Venue details, Photograph, Signature, and more.

The AFCAT 2020 Admit card will not be issued offline and no candidate will get the admit card posted to him or her. Therefore, candidates must download their AFCAT 2020 Admit cards from the official website by logging in with their login credentials and keep a print out of the same as it is a very important document. The admit card must be carried to the examination hall along with other essential documents.

Note: Candidates will not be allowed to appear for the AFCAT 2020 Entrance Examination unless he/ she produces the hall ticket from the Indian Air Force website at the exam centres along with ID proof in original & a photocopy of the same.

AFCAT 2020 Exam Analysis

The Airforce Common Admission Test is a national level entrance test that is conducted twice a year by the Indian Air Force. The AFCAT 2020 phase 1 was conducted on 22 and 23 February 2020 in two shifts each day. The first shift is a common paper conducted for all branches and the second shift is an EKT paper conducted for technical branches only. 

The AFCAT 2020 exam is conducted in an online mode across the country. There are a total of 100 questions worth 300 marks in the paper to be attempted in 2 hours. The negative marking is -1 for every incorrect response. 

The medium in which the exam will be conducted is in English.

AFCAT 01/2020 Feb 22, 2020

Shift 1 (10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon)

• This paper was reviewed to be of a moderate level of difficulty by the candidates who attempted the paper. 
• The paper contained 4 sections i.e; English Language, Numerical Ability, Reasoning Ability, and General Knowledge. 
• The English language paper was reported to be of easy to moderate level of difficulty. The section consisted of topics such as Error detection, Idioms & Phrases, Sentence Completion, Synonym/Antonym, etc. 
• The General Knowledge section was reviewed to be of a moderate level of difficulty. This section consisted of topics of general national importance and current affairs. 
• The Numerical Ability section was of moderately difficult as reviewed by the candidates. The section consisted of topics such as Ratio/Percentage, Algebra, Simplification, etc. Most of the questions asked could be solved by direct substitution of the formulae and were of a basic level of mathematics. However, some questions were very calculative and time-consuming. 
• The Reasoning and Military Aptitude section had questions that were of a moderate level of difficulty. The section consisted of general aptitude questions that test the reasoning skills of the candidate. If the candidate is well prepared for this section, a full score can be expected.

Shift 2 (45 Mins)

• The second shift is conducted for candidates applying to the technical branches only, such as the ground staff - technical team.
• The second shift paper is known as EKT or Engineering Knowledge Test. This paper tests the candidates understanding of the engineering topics that he/she had studied in the bachelor’s or master’s programs.
• The paper consists of 50 questions to be attempted in 45 mins. Each question carries 3 marks and has a negative marking of -1 for each incorrect response. 
• There are three different sections for the three different branches of engineering such as mechanical, computer science, and electrical & electronics branches.
• The paper was reviewed to be of a moderate to a difficult level of difficulty.

AFCAT 01/2020 Analysis Feb 23

Shift 1

Exam Analysis for English

There were 25 questions in the English section. The questions asked were 6 from Antonyms & Synonyms, 3 from Cloze test, 4 from Fillers, 5 from Error Finding, 2 from Idioms & Phrases, and 5 from Unseen passage.

However, there has been a small change in the pattern of choices available in the questions. The questions in this years’ paper had a new option called “No error” to choose from. The difficulty level of the English section was very high. A lot of phrases and words used in the section were hard to comprehend.

Exam Analysis of Reasoning and Military Aptitude

Among the existing 40 questions, there were 6 questions included in the Venn diagrams section. The rest of the questions asked were as of the same pattern of the previous year. Hence, it could be said that the candidates who solved previous year question paper, could have solved this years’ reasoning ability questions.

Questions on Venn diagrams were moderately high in the terms of difficulty while questions from jumbled words and analogy were relatively easier.

Exam Analysis of General Awareness

This AFCAT 2020 section has not changed in terms of the number of questions and patterns. Knowledge about the capital cities was tested in this year’s General Awareness. The capitals of African countries were focused upon more.

Questions asked were from the Geographical lines. For Instance, Countries passing from different Geographical Lines. Knowledge of Headquarters of Organization of International importance was tested too. Events related to sports were also asked

The overall level of difficulty was moderate to mild difficulty due to the new terms asked in the paper.

Exam Analysis of Numerical Ability

There were 20 questions in all with 1 question from Averages and 2 questions from Work & Time. Questions were asked in AFCAT from Speed, Time & Distance, Boats & Streams, and Trains. The above topics comprised 16.67% of the total questions asked.

The questions asked were tricky and involved multiple calculations in one single numerical.

AFCAT 2020 Results

AFCAT 2020 Results will be released on October 10, 2020 on the official website of the Indian Air Force (IAF). AFCAT 2020 results will be published in the form of PDF where the students have to look for their registration number and name for the result. A separate merit list will be prepared based on the score secured by the candidates for the next selection process.

The candidates who clear the AFCAT 2020 will be called for the next step of the selection process.

AFCAT 2020 Selection Process

The AFCAT 2020 selection process will begin after the declaration of the result. After candidates are able to qualify the AFCAT 2020 exam, they will be called for the Testing (Stage I and Stage II). Afterward, they will be having a medical round and then a final merit list will be prepared.

After the candidates are deemed fit to join the Indian Air Force and they have received the directions from the officials, they will have to do to the respective branches for the joining.

Contact Details

Phone Number: 020-25503105 or 020-25503106

E-Mail: [email protected]

Timings: Monday to Friday - 09:00 AM - 01:00 PM & 02:00 PM - 05:00 PM

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