AFCAT is the Indian Air Force’s online test for graduate entry as a commissioned officer, followed by the AFSB interview. It is a fast, four-section paper in English only, and success turns on pace across the sections and disciplined accuracy under its marking scheme.
The structure, from the official pattern
100 questions, 300 marks, 2 hours, online, English only.
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | 25 | 75 |
| Verbal Ability in English | 25 | 75 |
| Numerical Ability | 25 | 75 |
| Reasoning and Military Aptitude | 25 | 75 |
Each correct answer earns 3 marks and each wrong answer loses 1 mark. The section split above is indicative — the Air Force does not publish a fixed count — and marks are normalised across shifts.
Prepare for pace and accuracy
The paper is not especially hard; it rewards moving quickly and not getting stuck.
- Numerical Ability is Class 10 arithmetic — percentage, ratio, average, time-and-work and speed. Drill it for quick, error-free solving with percentage, profit and averages and time, speed, distance and work.
- Reasoning and Military Aptitude covers verbal and non-verbal reasoning, coding-decoding, analogies and spatial patterns — build it with coding-decoding and series and analogy, classification and operations.
- Verbal Ability is comprehension, error detection, vocabulary and idioms — practise with error spotting and sentence correction and reading comprehension.
- General Awareness leans on defence, current affairs and static GK — keep a running note of Air Force facts, aircraft, exercises and awards alongside a daily current-affairs habit.
Let the marking scheme guide your attempts
The +3 / −1 ratio makes accuracy pay. A confident set of sixty attempts can beat a reckless ninety, so learn which questions to skip rather than guessing blind — the arithmetic is in negative marking strategy. Because the four sections are mixed and the clock is tight, rehearse moving on from a stubborn question rather than sinking minutes into it.
Then the AFSB
Shortlisted candidates attend a multi-day Air Force Selection Board, with the Flying branch also taking the CPSS, which is attempted only once in a lifetime. Start fitness and SSB/AFSB-oriented preparation early, and technical aspirants should keep a valid GATE score ready, since it now replaces the EKT.
A workable plan
- Drill all four sections for speed, and rehearse the skip-and-move-on habit.
- Keep General Awareness and current affairs ticking daily — see how to prepare current affairs.
- Take timed, English-only online mocks so the interface and two-hour clock feel routine.
- Structure the weeks with how to build a study plan.
Practice that transfers
Rehearse under real conditions. Take the AFCAT mock tests and full details on the exam page, keep General Awareness current with the daily quiz, and drill each section through its linked practice set so the four-section, two-hour paper is familiar before you sit it.
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Frequently asked questions
How does AFCAT negative marking work?
Each correct answer earns 3 marks and each wrong answer loses 1 mark, which is one third of the marks for the question. Unattempted questions carry no penalty. This plus-three, minus-one ratio makes accuracy valuable — a confident sixty attempts can outscore a reckless ninety, so learning which questions to skip is part of the preparation.
Has the EKT been removed from AFCAT?
Yes. From 2026 the Engineering Knowledge Test has been discontinued. Ground Duty (Technical) branch candidates are now shortlisted through a valid GATE score instead of the EKT, so technical aspirants should ensure they have a valid GATE scorecard in the required discipline.
In which language is AFCAT conducted?
AFCAT is conducted online in English only, unlike some other defence exams that are bilingual. Because the whole test including the verbal ability section is in English, comfort with reading and answering in English quickly is worth building through timed, English-only mock tests before the exam.
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