AFCAT Full Form- What is the Full Form of AFCAT?

AFCAT full form is Air Force Common Admission Test. It is a type of common admission test which is conducted by the Indian Air Force twice a year the main motive of the examination is to shortlist candidates for their technical (Flying Branch) and Non-technical (Ground Duty) posts.

What Is The Full Form of AFCAT?

As mentioned above, the full form of AFCAT is the Air Force Admission Test which is a common entrance test for candidates interested in joining the Indian Air Force (IAF). To crack and join IAF every candidate has to give an exam and qualify it. Post exam all the qualified students have to appear for an Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) interview and the final stage includes the medical examination. The examination is held during February and August.

Overview of AFCAT

 History of AFCAT

The AFCAT is a common entrance exam which is conducted by the Indian Air Force for selecting candidates in IAF branches which include the flying branch, technical branch, non-technical branch, ground duty, etc. The AFCAT was introduced in the year 2011.

Branches of IAF

Mainly AFCAT examinations are conducted to select candidates for the following branches of IAF

• FlyingBranch: Any graduate or engineer can apply for the post of flying branch. After qualifying, candidates will be trained as fighter pilots, helicopter pilots, transport pilots which plays a crucial role in time of war and natural disaster situation
• Ground Duty or Non Tech: The hired candidates work for ground duty work in the logistics, accounts, and education branches.
• Technical Branch: They are hired as part of the mechanical and electrical branch which manages smooth flow in IAF by maintaining aircrafts and are involved in much more technical work.

Types of Commission in the AFCAT examination

There are two types of commission in the AFCAT examination which are mentioned below:

·   PermanentCommission (PC): Candidates selected as PC officers will work till the age of retirement according to respective branch as per rank allocated to them

·   ShortServiceCommission (SSC): SSC officers in the flying branch can only work for 14 years from the joining date. However, SSC officers hired for ground duty can work for 10 years. They might get 4 years of extension which depends on requirements, vacancies and merit

AFCAT Selection Process

The candidates willing to appear for AFCAT Exam must know about the selection process to have a clear understanding. Mentioned below are the stages of the AFCAT selection process:

·   AFCAT written exam

·   Interview

·   Medical examination

·   Final Merit List

AFCAT Exam Pattern

·   Total time duration – 2 hours

·   No. of questions – 100

·   Correct answer- 3 marks for each answer

·   Wrong answer- deduction of 1 mark for each incorrect answer

·   Unanswered – No marking for unattempted questions

·   Language of Paper- English

AFCAT Syllabus

Below mentioned is the AFCAT syllabus categorized on the basis of subjects. The candidates must be aware of the syllabus before preparing and appearing for the exam.

• English: Questions will be based on Comprehension skills, error detection, synonyms, antonyms, sentence completion, idioms and phrases.
• GeneralAwareness: Questions will be asked on the basis of geography, politics, current affairs, history, science, culture, etc.
• NumericalAbility: Questions will be covering topics like decimals, fractions, time and work, profit and loss, simple interest, time and distance
• ReasoningandMilitaryAptitudeTest: In this section, the Questions will be based on spatial ability and verbal skills.

Eligibility Criteria for AFCAT Exam

All the candidates applying for the AFCAT examination should check all the eligibility criteria before registering for the AFCAT exam which helps in reducing chances of disqualifications and reduces any confusion. The basic eligibility criteria are:   

·   Both males and females can give the exam

·   The candidate must be a citizen of India

Age Eligibility Criteria

• ForFlyingBranch: The age limit is 20 to 24 years. The highest age limit is 26 years which is for the candidates holding a legitimate and DGCA commercial license for piloting
• ForGroundDuty: The age limit is 20 to 26 years

Education Eligibility criteria:

• Forflying: The candidate has to secure a minimum of 60% in graduation and a minimum of 60% in subjects like mathematics and Physics in 12th class
• TechnicalBranch:  Should have a passing degree of a 4-year course or qualifying degree with a minimum 60% in Section A and B examination conducted by an Associate of the Indian Institute of Engineers or Aeronautical Society.
• ForGroundDuty: Should have passed B.com with a minimum of 60%. For the training official designation/post, the candidate should secure a minimum of 50% in MBA/MCA or MA/M.sc degree.

Marital eligibility criteria

·       Candidates below 25 should be unmarried

·       Candidates above 25 can be married

Special entry for NCC candidates

Air Wing Senior division NCC ‘C’ certificate holders can directly apply for flying branch in IAF

 Salary offered after qualifying AFCAT

Salary after qualifying the AFCAT exam in different branches and training period is different based on the position occupied by the candidate. The detailed salary structure after qualifying AFCAT exam is given below:

·   During the 1st year of the training period, monthly salary of INR 52,600 is given to the students by IAF

·   Pay for all Branches- INR 56,100 per month

·   Level 10 – INR 56,100 to 1,10,700 per month

·   For flying branch- INR 15,500 per month

·   For technical branch (officer)- INR 2,500 per month

Allowances offered after AFCAT Exam

Below is the list of allowances given to candidates after qualifying AFCAT Examination:

·   Children Education

·   Transportation Cost

 Tips for cracking the AFCAT examination

Candidates appearing for AFCAT can follow below mentioned points for securing good marks in examination. The tips are:

·       Understand the exam pattern and syllabus properly

·       Develop a study plan

·       Work on time management skills

·       Read newspapers and watch news channels to enrich your current affairs

·       Solve the previous year’s question paper

·       Solve reasoning and numerical question

Tips for Qualifying AFCAT Medical Examination

After qualifying the written exam and interview, the candidates have to qualify the AFCAT medical examination. Below mentioned are the tips which candidates have to strictly follow in order to clear medical examinations:

·   Skipping

·   Sit-ups

·   Push-ups

·   Chin-ups

·   Running for 4 km in duration of 15 minutes

·   Rope climbing up to 4 meters

·   Swimming for 25m

Growth and benefits in Indian Air Force (IAF)

A career in IAF comes with huge opportunities as it contains specialized and non-specialized branches. After qualifying the examination, the candidates become flying officers and in the course of time they can become Air Marshal which is the highest rank in IAF.  The candidates are trained to face any type of challenge. IAF also provides scholarships on a large scale. All air force officers including their families can access hospital and medical rooms free of cost.

Career options in IAF

Below are the following career options which is offered in Indian Air Force:

·   Fighter jet pilots

·   Helicopter pilots

·   Transport plane pilots

·   Administration

·   Logistics

·   Accounting

·   Financing

·   Trainer

·   Teacher