If your heart skips a beat every time a Sukhoi roars across the sky…

If you look up at aircraft with a silent promise, “Someday, that will be me,”

then AFCAT 01/2026 is your runway.

This is not just an exam.

It is the doorway to the Indian Air Force — a life of courage, discipline, adventure, responsibility and honour.

This blog gives you an engaging, easy-to-read, complete guide — everything an aspirant should know, understand, absorb, and feel before taking the leap.

⭐AFCAT 01/2026 — Important Dates You Must Lock-In

Think of these as the mission checkpoints of your journey:

• Notification Date: 9 November 2025
• Application Window: 17 November – 14 December 2025
• Admit Card Release: 22 January 2026
• Exam Date: 31 January 2026
• Results: February 2026
• Training Begins: December 2026 / January 2027

Every date matters.

Every deadline is a stepping stone.

Mark them. Respect them. Plan around them.

🎯Total Vacancies — Your Chance to Serve in Blue

The Indian Air Force is offering around 340 vacancies across:

Flying Branch

For those who want to touch the sky and command the cockpit.

Ground Duty (Technical)

For the brains behind the machines — engineers who make aviation possible.

Ground Duty (Non-Technical)

For leaders who support planning, logistics, intelligence, accounts, and operations.

NCC Special Entry

For NCC “C” certificate holders who dream of leading from the front.

Each vacancy is a future officer.

Each officer is a guardian of the Indian sky.

One of them could be you.

👨‍✈️Eligibility — Your First Test Before the Test

Not every dreamer becomes a warrior; only those who qualify, prepare, and persist.

✈️ Age Criteria

• Flying Branch: 20–24 years
• Ground Duty (Tech/Non-Tech): 20–26 years

🎓 Educational Requirements

• Flying Branch: Graduation + Physics & Maths in Class 12 OR B.Tech/BE
• Technical Branch: Engineering degree in relevant discipline
• Non-Technical Branch: Graduation / Post-graduation as per post

If you meet the criteria — you’ve already crossed your first checkpoint.

🧭AFCAT 01/2026 Exam Pattern — Know the Battlefield

AFCAT Written Exam

• 100 Questions
• 3 Hours
• 300 Marks
• Negative Marking: -1
• Sections include:
• General Awareness
• Verbal Ability
• Numerical Ability
• Reasoning
• Military Aptitude (IAF-specific)

EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test)

Only for Technical Branch

• 45 minutes
• 150 marks

Your job is simple:

Understand the pattern → Build strategy → Execute it daily.

🧠AFCAT Syllabus — What You MUST Master

General Awareness

Your link to the world:

• Defence news
• Space updates
• Economy & Polity
• History, Geography
• Current Affairs

English (Verbal Ability)

Your voice in the SSB:

• Vocabulary
• Reading comprehension
• Idioms, phrases, grammar

Numerical Ability

Your logic and presence of mind:

• Ratios, averages, percentages
• Time & Distance
• Profit-Loss
• SI/CI

Reasoning + Military Aptitude

Your potential to think like an officer:

• Spatial reasoning
• Puzzles
• Pattern decoding
• Cognitive decision-making

🧾Application Checklist — Your Personal Pre-Flight Inspection

Before you click “Submit”, ensure you have:

• Passport-sized photo
• Scanned signature
• Class 10 & 12 mark sheets
• Degree certificates
• Caste certificate (if applicable)
• NCC “C” certificate (if applicable)
• Verified email & number
• Application fee receipt

Missing even one document can delay your takeoff.

Be thorough. Be precise. Be officer-like.

💼Salary, Perks & Lifestyle — Why AFCAT is Worth Every Second

Joining the IAF is not just a career — it is a lifestyle.

Stipend During Training: ₹56,100

Salary After Commissioning: ₹56,100 + flying allowances + TA + DA + uniform + ration + housing

Perks Include:

• Military canteen
• Insurance
• Free medical facilities
• Subsidised travel
• Adventure sports (skydiving, sailing, rafting)
• Prestige & honour unmatched in any job

The uniform gives you more than a salary —

it gives you purpose.

🤝Frequently Asked Questions (Simple & Straight)

Q. Can women apply?

Yes — for Flying and Ground Duty branches.

Q. Is the exam tough?

Moderate, but only dedication wins.

Q. Can I attempt AFCAT multiple times?

Unlimited attempts till age criteria.

Q. What is the best way to prepare?

Mocks + revision + consistency.

Q. Is AFCAT written in Hindi?

No. It is conducted only in English.

🚀 Final Message to AFCAT Aspirants

This notification is not just an update.

It is your moment.

AFCAT doesn’t ask whether you are the smartest, strongest, or fastest.

It only asks:

Are you disciplined enough to keep going?

If the answer is yes —

Then the sky is already yours.

Aim High. Fly High. Jai Hind.