Indian Air Force Exams

2 exams are conducted by Indian Air Force, the notable exams conducted by Indian Air Force includes Indian Airforce Airmen Exam and AFCAT Exam.

IAF Overview

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is a wing of the Indian Armed Forces. The primary role of IAF is to safeguard the Indian airspace and to participate in aerial warfare during any sort of conflicts or war-like situations. A job with the Indian Air Force is considered to be most lucrative as it offers job security, a handsome pay scale and a chance to serve the nation. A lot of candidates from across the country take part in the recruitment exam by IAF and after qualifying the exam, the candidates have to go through rigorous training in various fields to make them strong and sustain any challenges in the future.

Exams Conducted by IAF

• The IAF recruitment exam is called the AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test) to recruit candidates for the post of Class-1 Gazetted Officer Post for Technical and Non-technical roles for Flying and Ground duties. Candidates who have opted for employment in Technical Post also have to qualify the EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test).

• Candidates are then qualified to serve the IAF with Permanent Commission or Short Service Commission. Final recruitment of the candidates is one on the basis of AFCAT online exam and the interview conducted by AFSB (Air Force Selection Board).

IAF Exam Calendar

IAF released an official notification for the AFCAT exam. The exam is held in February and August and online application process for the exam is scheduled in December and June. The notification for 2020 AFCAT exam was released on 10th June 2020. Candidates are requested to keep checking the official portal to get the latest updates about the exam dates.

IAF Exam dates

The important dates about the IAF exam are as follows:

1. The registration for the AFCAT 1 exam was scheduled between 1st December 2019 to 30th December 2019.

2. The AFCAT 1 exam date was scheduled on 22nd and 23rd February 2020.

3. The registration for AFCAT 2 exam was scheduled between 15th June to 14th July 2020.

4. The AFACAT exam date for 2020 is scheduled between 3rd October to 5th October 2020.

5. The registration for AFCAT 1 exam for 2021 is scheduled between 1st December to 30th December 2020.

6. The AFCAT 1 exam is scheduled to be held between 20th and 21st February 2021.

7. The registration for AFCAT 2 exam for 2021 will begin from June 2021.

8. The exam date for AFCAT 2 exam for 2021 is scheduled in September/October 2021.

Vacancies for IAF Exam

Total number of vacancies are decided by the recruiting authority depending upon the number of posts required to be filled through the recruitment exam. For 2021 the number of vacancies for various technical and non-technical posts are as follows:

AFCAT 1 Exam:

1. Total vacancies for the flying branch are 69.

2. Total vacancies for ground duty (technical) are 96.

3. Total vacancies for ground duty (non-technical) are 70.

AFCAT 2 Exam:

1. Total vacancies for the flying branch are 74.

2. Total vacancies for ground duty (technical) are 105.

3. Total vacancies for ground duty (non-technical) are 55

IAF Exam Eligibility

Eligibility criteria are specified in the official notification released for the exam so that candidates can check for the norms and fill the application form.

1. Age: The minimum age of the candidate should be 20 years. The maximum age should be 24 years and 26 years, for flying branch and ground duty post, respectively.

2. Educational Qualification: 

1. Flying Branch: Candidates must have passed with a minimum of 60% in Maths and Physics at Class 12 and must have a graduation degree in Engineering with minimum 60% marks from any recognized university or institution.

2. Ground Duty: Candidate must have passed Class 10+2 with 60% marks each in Physics and Mathematics and four years degree Engineering/ Technology OR Cleared Sections of Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers (India) or Aeronautical Society of India or Graduate membership examination of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers with minimum 60% marks.

IAF Exam Pattern

The AFCAT exam comprises of the following stages:

1. Online exam and EKT (for technical posts)

2. Interview by AFSB

3. Medical Test

The AFCAT exam is an online exam of total 300 marks and the time allowed is 2 hours.

The EKT exam is of 150 marks and the time allowed is 45 minutes.

There is also a scheme if negative marking and one mark is deducted for each wrong answer attempted by the candidate.

Both AFCAT and EKT exams are conducted in English only.

IAF Exam Syllabus

The syllabus for AFCAT exam and EKT exam is as follows:

1. AFCAT Exam

• General awareness

• Verbal ability in English

• Numerical ability and reasoning

• Military and aptitude test

2. EKT Exam

• Mechanical computer

• Computer science

• Electrical and electronics

FAQ’s

Q1. Is AFCAT tough?

It is not tough to crack the AFCAT exam if the candidate does the preparation with proper planning and strategy.

Q2. What is the qualifying score for AFCAT?

Candidates are recommended to score 140 to 160 marks out of 300.

Q3. How many times can a candidate attempt the AFCAT exam?

There is no cap on the number of attempts to give the AFCAT exam.

Q4. What is the salary of a flying officer?

The salary of a flying officer is Rs 56,100 to 1,10700.

Q5. What is the minimum eligible height of the candidate?

The minimum height for male candidates in Ground Duty (Technical/Non-technical) Branch is 157.5 cms. The minimum acceptable height for men and women candidates in Flying Branch is 162.5 cms.