Indian Air Force AFCAT 01/2027 Recruitment 2026 Apply Online for 379 Posts

This post was cross-checked against the official notification before publishing. Last verified: 10/11/2026, 17:54 IST. Found an error? Report it here — corrections are published openly.

AFCAT 01/2027 Recruitment 2026

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has released the notification for the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) 01/2027 for courses commencing in January 2028. Applications are invited from eligible unmarried men and women for 379 Commissioned Officer posts (as reported) in the Flying Branch and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches, along with NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry. The online application window opens on 12 November 2026 and closes on 11 December 2026. Read the notification for eligibility, selection process, pay scale and all other information.

Note on vacancies: the figure of 379 posts is reported by the news coverage of the notification; the short notice itself does not print a branch-wise vacancy split. The detailed notification, due on 12 November 2026, will confirm the branch-wise vacancies.

The fee is payable online through credit card, debit card, net banking or UPI. Candidates applying only through NCC Special Entry or GATE Score Entry do not have to pay any examination fee.

The short notice does not publish the branch-wise vacancy break-up; the detailed notification on 12 November 2026 will carry the final distribution. The courses are 223/28F/SSC/M & W (Flying), 222/28T/PC & SSC/112AEC/M & W (Ground Duty Technical) and 222/28G/SSC/M & W (Ground Duty Non-Technical).

Flying Branch: Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree of at least three years in any discipline with a minimum of 60 per cent marks, or a BE/BTech qualification, and must have secured at least 50 per cent marks each in Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level.

Ground Duty (Technical): Candidates must hold the specified engineering qualification (Aeronautical Engineering — Electronics or Mechanical) as prescribed in the notification.

Ground Duty (Non-Technical): Candidates must hold the relevant graduate or postgraduate qualification for the branch applied for (Administration, Logistics, Accounts, Education or Meteorology), as prescribed in the notification.

NCC Special Entry: Candidates must hold the NCC Air Wing Senior Division ‘C’ certificate. GATE Score Entry: Candidates must hold a valid GATE score as prescribed in the notification. Candidates must remain unmarried at the commencement of the course. Candidates should refer to the official notification for the complete qualification criteria.

Age relaxation is given as per the rules in the official notification. Candidates should confirm the cut-off date for age calculation in the official notification.

Selected candidates will be commissioned as Flying Officers in Pay Level 10: Rs. 56,100 – Rs. 1,77,500 per month, plus Military Service Pay of Rs. 15,500 per month, as applicable. Officers also receive Dearness Allowance, flying allowance (for the Flying Branch) and other admissible allowances. Training will be held at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, Hyderabad.

  1. AFCAT Online Examination (with Engineering Knowledge Test for Ground Duty Technical candidates)
  2. Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) Testing
  3. Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS) — Flying Branch only
  4. Medical Examination
  5. Final Merit List and joining at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, in January 2028

Marking scheme: 3 marks for every correct answer and 1 mark deducted for every incorrect answer. No marks are awarded or deducted for unanswered questions.

  1. Read the official notification carefully before filling the form.
  2. Visit the official AFCAT website, afcat.edcil.co.in, from 12 November 2026 (11:00 AM).
  3. Complete the registration with a valid email ID and mobile number.
  4. Fill in personal details, educational qualifications and branch preferences.
  5. Upload the photograph, signature and documents in the prescribed format.
  6. Pay the examination fee of Rs. 550 + GST online (AFCAT Entry only).
  7. Review the form carefully on the preview page and submit it.
  8. Save and print the submitted application for future reference. Submit before the last date, 11 December 2026 (11:30 PM).

Interested candidates can read the full notification before applying.

The detailed notification link is not independently confirmed for this post; the links above go to the official portal. If a link here is wrong, report it — corrections are published openly.

Q. How many vacancies are there in AFCAT 01/2027?
A. A total of 379 posts are reported across the Flying and Ground Duty branches. The branch-wise split will be confirmed in the detailed notification on 12 November 2026.

Q. When does the AFCAT 01/2027 application start?
A. Online registration opens on 12 November 2026 at 11:00 AM and closes on 11 December 2026 at 11:30 PM.

Q. What is the age limit for AFCAT 01/2027?
A. Flying Branch: 20 to 24 years; Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical): 20 to 26 years, as on 1 January 2028.

Q. What is the application fee for AFCAT 01/2027?
A. Rs. 550 + GST for AFCAT Entry. NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry candidates pay no fee.

Q. What is the salary of an AFCAT officer?
A. Flying Officers start in Pay Level 10 (Rs. 56,100 – Rs. 1,77,500) plus Military Service Pay of Rs. 15,500 per month.

Q. When will the AFCAT 01/2027 exam be held?
A. The exam date will be announced in the detailed notification. The courses commence in January 2028 at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal.

Q. What is the AFCAT exam pattern?
A. 100 multiple-choice questions for 300 marks in 2 hours, with +3 for a correct answer and -1 for a wrong answer. Ground Duty (Technical) candidates also take the 50-question EKT.

You may also like: UPSC CDS 1 Final Result 2026 Out: 243 Qualified for IMA, INA, AFA.

Sources: News18; Testbook; Himexam; GovernmentDailyJobs; GovtJobsAlert; official portal afcat.edcil.co.in.

We wish all candidates the best for their application.