Candidates planning to prepare for the IAF AFCAT exam must review the detailed syllabus to plan their strategy. Check the marking scheme, negative marking, time duration, and other details for the AFCAT exam from here.
AFCAT Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Recruitment Body | Indian Air Force (IAF) |
| Exam Name | Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT 2026) |
| Exam Level | National |
| Mode of Exam | Online |
| Time Duration | 2 hours for AFCAT |
| Marking Scheme | 3 marks for each right answer |
| Negative Marking Scheme | 1 mark for each wrong answer |
| Selection Process | Written test- AFSB Test- Medical Examination |
| Official Website | https://afcat.edcil.co.in/ |
AFCAT 2 Answer Key 2026 Out- Click to Download
AFCAT Exam Selection Process 2026
The AFCAT Written Exam is the only criterion for clearing the first stage for the Non-Technical candidates, while the AFCAT+ EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test) is for the Technical candidates
- AFCAT/ AFCAT
- Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) Interview
- Medical Test
AFCAT Exam Pattern 2026
The AFCAT exam consists of General Aptitude, General Awareness (GK), Verbal Ability, Reasoning and Military Aptitude. Candidates can check the exam pattern of the AFCAT in the table below.
| Exam | AFCAT | EKT (only for technical) |
| Mode of Exam | Online | Online |
| No. of Questions | 100 | 50 |
| Maximum Marks | 300 | 150 |
| Marking Scheme | +3 for each correct answer | |
| 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 |
For all the candidates of the AFCAT, it is mandatory to appear in the written test. Also, the candidates who have applied for the technical posts. To be accepted for the posts offered by the Indian Air Force through the AFCAT 2 2026 exam, one must score minimum qualifying marks both in the written test and the AFSB test as prescribed by the IAF.
AFCAT Exam Syllabus 2026
Here we are discussing the AFCAT syllabus for all subjects: General Awareness, English, Numerical Ability and Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test.
General Awareness
This section tests the general knowledge of the candidates. The questions are designed on the basis of ongoing, current events in various fields around the world. About 20 questions are asked in this section.
The major topics covered in this section are given below:
- History
- Sports
- Geography
- Art and Culture
- Current Affairs
- Politics
- Civics
- Environment
- Defense
- Basic Science
English Language
This section tests the proficiency of students in English. The knowledge of language through comprehension is also a part of this section. Total number of questions asked from this section will be about 30.
The important topics for this section are:
- Comprehension
- Basic Grammar
- Fill in the blanks by choosing the appropriate word
- Tenses
- Error Detection
- Sentence Completion
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- Testing of Vocabulary
- One Word Substitution
Numerical Ability
This section is to check the knowledge, speed and accuracy of the student in solving numerical problems. Basic Mathematical concepts are covered. The important topics of this section are as follows:
- Decimal and Fraction
- Simple Interest & Compound Interest
- Time & Distance (Trains/Boats & Streams)
- Percentage
- Ratio and Proportion
- Time and Work
- Average
- Profit and Loss
Reasoning and Mental Aptitude Test
Practice with questions from the topics mentioned below to improve your Reasoning & Aptitude sections
- Odd One Out
- Analogy
- Venn Diagram
- Pattern Completion
- Dot Situation Analysis
- Blood Relation
- Missing Figures
- Figure Classification
- Coding and Decoding
- Spotting the Embedded Figures
- Sequencing
Download AFCAT Previous Year Question Paper PDFs
AFCAT Previous Year Cut-Off Marks- Click to Check
