Indian Air Force AFCAT 02/2026 Online Form 2026

Indian Air Force has released the latest AFCAT 02/2026 notification for recruitment of Men and Women as Group ‘A’ Gazetted Officers in the Flying Branch and Ground Duty (Technical and Non‑Technical) branches for courses commencing in July 2027. Online applications Extended from 20 May 2026 (1100 hrs) to 21 June 2026 (2330 hrs) through the official AFCAT website https://afcat.edcil.co.in, and the online AFCAT exam will be conducted on 08 August 2026 (Saturday). Interested and eligible candidates must ensure that they fulfill all eligibility conditions before applying. Indian Air Force AFCAT 02/2026 Notification PDF Advertisement Indian Air Force has published the detailed notification titled “AIR FORCE COMMON ADMISSION TEST (AFCAT‑02/2026) FOR FLYING BRANCH AND GROUND DUTY (TECHNICAL AND NON‑TECHNICAL) BRANCHES / NCC SPECIAL ENTRY / GATE SCORE ENTRY FOR COURSES COMMENCING IN JULY 2027”. The notification includes complete information on branches, course numbers, vacancies, eligibility, age limits, educational qualifications, selection process, exam pattern, medical standards, training, and how to apply. Candidates must read the full notification carefully before submitting the online application form. Download AFCAT 02/2026 Official Notification PDF Extended Closing Date for Online Applications Link Indian Air Force AFCAT 02/2026 Overview Organization Name Indian Air Force (IAF) Exam Name Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT‑02/2026) Course Commencement July 2027 (at Air Force Training Establishments) Branches Flying Branch, Ground Duty (Technical), Ground Duty (Non‑Technical) Entry Types AFCAT Entry, NCC Special Entry (Flying), GATE Score Entry (Ground Duty Technical) Application Mode Online only via AFCAT website (https://afcat.edcil.co.in) Exam Mode Online Computer Based Test (CBT) - AFCAT Course Type Group ‘A’ Gazetted Officer training leading to Permanent/Short Service Commission. Commission Types Permanent Commission (PC) and Short Service Commission (SSC) for Men and Women (as applicable). Online Examination Date 08 August 2026 (Saturday) Official AFCAT Website https://afcat.edcil.co.in Indian Air Force AFCAT 02/2026 Important Dates Event Date Opening Date for Online Applications 20 May 2026 (1100 hrs) Closing Date for Online Applications 19 June 2026 (2330 hrs) Extended Closing Date for Online Applications 21 June 2026 AFCAT Online Examination Date 08 August 2026 (Saturday) AFCAT Admit Card Download From 04 August 2026 (1100 hrs) onwards (tentative) Course Commencement July 2027 Indian Air Force AFCAT 02/2026 - Entry, Branch & Vacancies AFCAT 02/2026 notification gives branch‑wise and entry‑wise vacancies, which are tentative and subject to change as per organisational requirements. Two seats in Ground Duty (Non‑Technical) are reserved for Law‑qualified candidates. Entry Branch Vacancies - Men (PC) Vacancies - Women (PC) Vacancies - Men (SSC) Vacancies - Women (SSC) AFCAT Entry Flying - - 30 5 AFCAT Entry Ground Duty (Technical) Aeronautical Engineer (Electronics) [AE(L)] & Aeronautical Engineer (Mechanical) [AE(M)] AE(L): 2 AE(M): 8 AE(L): 2 AE(M): 2 - - - - AE(L): 107 AE(M): 52 AE(L): 25 AE(M): 13 AFCAT Entry Ground Duty (Non‑Technical) Weapon Systems (WS), Administration, Logistics, Accounts, Education, Meteorology - - WS: 21, Adm: 50, Lgs: 4, Accts: 5, Edn: 1, Met: 1 WS: 5, Adm: 12, Lgs: 2, Accts: 2, Edn: 2, Met: 2 NCC Special Entry Flying 10% seats out of CDSE vacancies for PC and 10% seats out of AFCAT vacancies for SSC reserved for NCC Air Wing ‘C’ Certificate holders. GATE Score Entry Ground Duty (Technical) AE(L) & AE(M) AE(L): 1 AE(M): 1 AE(L): 1 AE(M): 1 AE(L): 12 AE(M): 6 AE(L): 3 AE(M): 1 *Vacancies are indicative and may change without notice depending on training slots and organisational requirements. Indian Air Force AFCAT 02/2026 - Eligibility Criteria Candidates must ensure that they satisfy all eligibility conditions of nationality, age, marital status, educational qualification and medical standards as on the prescribed dates. Their admission at all stages is purely provisional and will be cancelled if any ineligibility is detected at any stage. Criteria Details Nationality Candidate must be a citizen of India as per Indian Citizenship Act, 1955. Age - Flying Branch (AFCAT & NCC Special Entry) 20 to 24 years as on 01 July 2027 i.e. born between 02 July 2003 and 01 July 2007 (both dates inclusive). Upper age limit relaxable up to 26 years (born between 02 July 2001 and 01 July 2007) for candidates holding valid and current Commercial Pilot License issued by DGCA (India). Age - Ground Duty (Technical & Non‑Technical) 20 to 26 years as on 01 July 2027 i.e. born between 02 July 2001 and 01 July 2007 (both dates inclusive). Marital Status Candidates must be unmarried at the time of commencement of course; marriage is not permitted during training. Candidates marrying during training will be discharged and liable to refund the training cost. Educational Qualification - Flying Branch Must have passed with Mathematics and Physics at 10+2 level and one of the following: - Graduation (minimum 3‑year degree) in any discipline from a recognised University; or - BE/B.Tech (4‑year degree) from a recognised University; or - Section A & B examination of AMIE (India) or Aeronautical Society of India. Educational Qualification - Ground Duty (Technical) AE(L) Candidates must have passed Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 and have a minimum 4‑year degree in Engineering/Technology in specified Electronics/Computer/Electrical/IT disciplines or equivalent as listed in para 5.3.2.1 of the notification. Educational Qualification - Ground Duty (Technical) AE(M) Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 with a minimum 4‑year degree in specified Mechanical/Aeronautical/Production/Industrial/Automobile/Mechatronics/Metallurgy disciplines as listed in para 5.3.2.2. Educational Qualification - Ground Duty (Non‑Technical) - Weapon Systems (WS): Maths & Physics at 10+2 and Graduation (3‑year degree) or BE/B.Tech. - Administration & Logistics: 10+2 and Graduation in any discipline or AMIE/ASI. - Accounts: 10+2 and B.Com/BBA(BFS‑Finance)/BMS(BFS‑Finance)/BBS(BFS‑Finance)/CA/CMA/CS/CFA/B.Sc (Finance). - Education: 10+2 and Post‑Graduation in any discipline (with Graduation in any discipline). - Meteorology: 10+2 and B.Sc with Physics & Mathematics or 4‑year Engineering/Technology degree in specified streams. Final Year Candidates Candidates in final year/semester may apply if they have no present backlog at application time and can submit proof of passing by 30 May 2027. NCC Special Entry Mandatory NCC Air Wing Senior Division ‘C’ Certificate acquired within two years from AFCAT registration date (backward calculation). Written exam is exempted; candidates are called directly for AFSB. GATE Score Entry Candidates with BE/B.Tech in eligible branches and valid GATE score (last 3 years from course start) in notified subjects can apply; AFCAT exam is exempted; shortlisted candidates go directly to AFSB. Disqualifications Candidates debarred by MoD from any Defence commission, those with criminal convictions or ongoing criminal cases, and those removed from NDA/IMA/AFA/INA/OTAs for indiscipline are ineligible. Indian Air Force AFCAT 02/2026 - Type of Commission Type of commission offered varies by branch and gender. Permanent Commission (PC) Available for Men & Women; PC officers serve till superannuation in their respective branches. Short Service Commission (SSC) - Flying Branch Engagement period of 14 years from the date of commissioning for Men and Women. Short Service Commission (SSC) - Ground Duty (Technical & Non‑Technical) Initial tenure of 10 years with possible 4‑year extension based on service requirements, vacancies, willingness, suitability and merit. Pension SSC officers are not entitled for pension; PC officers get pension as per rules. Indian Air Force AFCAT 02/2026 - Application Fee A non‑refundable examination fee is applicable for AFCAT entry; there is no fee for NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry. Entry Examination Fee AFCAT Entry (All Branches incl. Tech) Rs. 550/- plus 18% GST (non‑refundable). NCC Special Entry / GATE Score Entry No AFCAT examination fee. Indian Air Force AFCAT 02/2026 - Selection Process The selection process comprises an online AFCAT exam, followed by Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) testing, medical examination and final merit list. Stage 1 - AFCAT Online Examination Exam Subject Duration No. of Questions Maximum Marks AFCAT General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, Reasoning & Military Aptitude Test. 2 Hours (120 Minutes) 100 300 Each correct answer carries 3 marks, each wrong answer attracts a penalty of 1 mark, and no marks are awarded for unattempted questions. The paper is in English only, and normalisation of marks is applied when multiple shifts are conducted. Stage 2 - Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) Testing Stage‑I: Officer Intelligence Rating Test and Picture Perception & Discussion Test on Day 1; this is a screening stage. Stage‑II: Psychological tests, Group Tests and Personal Interview over the next days for Stage‑I qualified candidates. CPSS: Computerised Pilot Selection System for Flying Branch candidates (once‑in‑a‑lifetime test; CPSS/PABT failures are ineligible for Flying Branch). Stage 3 - Medical Examination & Final Merit Candidates recommended by AFSB and found medically fit by the appropriate medical board are considered for training strictly in order of merit and branch‑wise vacancies. The final merit list is based on combined marks of AFCAT (where applicable) and AFSB. Indian Air Force AFCAT 02/2026 - Exam Pattern & Syllabus The AFCAT paper is of graduation‑level standard (except Numerical Ability, which is matriculation level) and tests a mix of aptitude and knowledge. English: Comprehension, error detection, sentence completion, synonyms/antonyms, cloze test, idioms & phrases, analogy, sentence rearrangemen