How to Prepare for AFCAT Exam


Name of the exam: AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test)

Age limit: 19 to 23 years (as on 1st January)

Nationality: Indian

Educational qualification: Graduation from a recognised university, with minimum 60% marks

Numbers of attempts: As many as desired (within the age limit)

Departments of allocation: Ground duty branch, Technical branch, and Flying branch of the Indian Air Force

Time of examination: Twice a year (February and September)

Pattern of examination: There is a written paper of 300 marks. After clearing it, the candidate advances to the next rounds of personal interview and screening.

Written Test

There are total 100 questions in the written entrance paper and each question carries three marks. The questions are in multiple-choice format. The subjects covered include General Awareness, Numerical Ability, Verbal Ability in English, and Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test. The time allotted for completion of this paper is 2 hours. There is also negative marking of 1 mark for every wrong answer.

Preparing for the written test
  • Knowing the syllabus well is the most important thing.
  • Do not ignore any part of the syllabus as questions can come from any part of the syllabus.
  • Start practicing from the last few years' AFCAT question papers, as they will give you an idea of the exam pattern.
  • Maintain the time limit while solving questions, as speed is the very foundation of the exam.
  • Prepare notes on topics that seem difficult and revise them regularly.
  • For General Awareness, it is important to follow current events and news in magazines and newspapers.
  • Read more to increase your English verbal ability and vocabulary.
  • In the exam hall, attempt the known questions first as this will boost your confidence. After completing all the known questions, try the unknown and tougher ones.

Interview and Screening Test

On clearing the written examination, the candidate has to appear in the next phase of interviews and aptitude tests. This is the most important part of the AFCAT exam.
  • Attending AFSB (Air Force Selection Board) interview: There are various segments in the AFSB interview and the whole process takes about 6 days to complete. Various traits of candidates are checked to see if they are fit for the posts they have applied for.

  • Screening test: There are two tests in this group - Rating test, which includes Picture Perception and Description Test (PPDT), and Officer's Intelligence Test.

  • Psychological tests: Various kinds of tests are carried out to check the amount of pressure a candidate can take successfully.

  • Group tasks: Various kinds of tasks are assigned to different groups. This test spans for two days.

  • Interview with the President of the Board or a senior member

  • Conference - the final result

Preparing for the various AFCAT tests
  • Be strong mentally. If you don't lose your confidence throughout the process, you're halfway there.
  • Practice writing on anything that you see. This will help you in the screening and psychological test where you will need to write on a picture shown for just 30 seconds.
  • Pay great attention to your body language in story narration and group tasks. This will also be helpful in the interview and conference part.
  • Concentrate on overall personality development as it is the main key to success in the AFCAT exam.

Recommended Books for AFCAT
  • How to Prepare For AFCAT by Chandresh Agrawal
  • A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Agarwal,S. Chand Publishers
  • AFCAT Air Force Common Admission Test for Flying and Technical Branch by Arihant Experts
  • AFCAT Air Force Common Admission Test Exam for Flying and Technical Branch Guide by RPH Editorial Board, Ramesh Publishing House
  • AFCAT Vayu Sena Sanyukt Pravesh Pariksha: Flying, Technical Va Ground Duty Branch Ke Liye (Model Paper) by Arihant Experts



Last Updated on : February 10, 2016