As you are aware AFCAT notification for 2021 is released few days back. Let us now find out the exam pattern and syllabus for the same.

For entry in to the prestigious Indian Air Force grade A officer though AFCAT, candidates need to clear 3 stages.

Stage I – The online Exam of AFCAT/EKT

Scheme of Online Examination. All applicants whose applications are submitted by due date will be called for AFCAT at one of the examination centres on either 20 Feb 21 (Saturday) or 21 Feb 21 (Sunday). It is mandatory for the candidates opting for Ground Duty (Technical) branch to appear in both AFCAT as well as Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT).

Exam Schedule:

The AFCAT (and EKT) will be conducted in two days as per the following schedule:-

Candidates will not be permitted to enter the exam centre, under any circumstance, after the pre-exam verification process has commenced at 08:00 hrs for shift-I and 12:30 hrs for shift-II.

Stage II – Air Force Selection Board (AFSB)

• For AFCAT entry, IAF shall prepare a list of candidates who obtain the minimum qualifying marks in the Online AFCAT as fixed by the IAF in their discretion. Candidates who are declared successful in the Online AFCAT will be called at one of the Air Force Selection Boards.

Candidates who have applied for NCC Special Entry/Meteorology will be directly called for AFSB testing at one of the AFSB centres. The AFSB centres are at Dehradun (1 AFSB), Mysuru (2 AFSB), Gandhinagar (3 AFSB) and Varanasi (4 AFSB).

Candidates who opt for flying branch can only opt for Dehradun, Mysore and Varanasi. Candidates who have qualified in the written exam are required to choose AFSB date and venue by themselves on the website https://careerindianairforce.cdac.in or https://afcat.cdac.in in order to generate call- up letter for AFSB interview.

Change of AFSB centre is not permitted.

• Physical Fitness. Candidates are advised to be physically fit when you report for SSB in order to be able to undergo various tests at AFSB. You should aim to achieve an ability to run 01 mile (1.6 kms) in 10 minutes, 10 pushups and 3 chin ups.
• Tattoos. Permanent body tattoos are only permitted on inner face of forearm (from inside of elbow to the wrist) and on the reverse side of palm/ back (dorsal) side of hand. Permanent body tattoos on any other part of the body are not acceptable. Tribes with tattoo marks on the face or body as per their existing customs and traditions will be permitted on a case to case basis.
• Narcotics. Use/possession of narcotics is banned. Candidate may be tested for presence of drugs in the body during Medicals and subsequently during training/ service career as an officer. If candidate is found to be using/ in possession of narcotics during any time of training/service career, candidate would be debarred from joining the Indian Air Force or be removed from service if already joined.

The testing at AFSB(interview) would consist of three stages as given below:-

• Stage-I. Officer Intelligence Rating Test along with Picture Perception and discussion test will be conducted on the first day. Stage-I test is a screening test and only those who qualify would undergo subsequent testing. All Stage-I qualified candidates would be subjected to document check to ascertain their eligibility for the branches applied for. Candidates who either do not qualify in Stage-I or do not meet the required eligibility criteria would be sent back on the first day itself.
• Stage-II. Psychological test will be conducted on Day 1(Afternoon) and the Group Tests and Interview would commence after document check for the next five days.
• For Flying Branch. Computerized Pilot Selection System (CPSS) would be administered to recommended candidates only.

This is once in a lifetime test. Candidates who have failed the CPSS/ PABT in an earlier attempt or a Flight Cadet suspended from flying training at Air Force Academy will not be eligible

Stage III – The medical Examination(hyperlink for next article)

After clearing medical examination, The Final merit list of eligible candidates are published. It is based on the scores of candidates in the online exam and AFSB interview score.

The form and manner of communication of the result of the examination to individual candidates shall be decided by the IAF in their discretion.N.B: 10% of the vacancies are reserved for NCC Air Wing Senior Division ‘C’ certificate holders in Ground Duty (Technical and Nontechnical) Branches. Allotment of PC/ SSC in Ground Duty (Technical and Non-technical) Branches would be based on number of vacancies, performance in the selection process and the choice given by the candidates.