After taking the decision to give any particular exam, its must to check the exam pattern and analyse the type of questions asked in the exam. So, in today’s article, we will go through AFCAT Exam Pattern 2020. A to Z things related to AFCAT Pattern will be analysed so that you can directly start the AFCAT Preparation after reading this article.
Various common questions related to AFCAT Exam Pattern like number of questions, time to solve each question, cut off marks, number of attempts, Form filling process, AFCAT Weightage, etc will be solved today.
What is AFCAT Exam?
Full form of AFCAT= “Air Force Common Aptitude Test”
UPSC conducts NDA exam (10+2 Level) and CDS Exam (Graduation Level) which recruites officers in Army, Navy and Air Force. Apart from this exams, Indian Air Force conducts “AFCAT exam“purely for recruitment of officers in various branches of Indian Air Force. All the posts recruited via AFCAT Exam are classified into 3 broad categories:
- Flying Branch
- Ground Duty (Technical)
- Ground Duty (Non-Technical)
AFCAT Exam Pattern 2020
Pattern for AFCAT Exam is very easy to understand because there are just 2 Stages of AFCAT Examination:
- Written Examination (300 Marks)
- AFSB (SSB Interview of 5 Days)
You need to clear the Written exam to be eligible for Air Force Selection Board Interview (AFSB). After clearing the AFSB and medicals, Final Merit List is released by Indian Air Force (total of Written exam Marks and SSB Interview Marks)
Branches of Indian Air Force Via AFCAT Exam
Flying Branch, Ground Duty Branch (Technical), Ground Duty Branch (Non-Technical) are three branches which you can enter via AFCAT Exam. But you must know more details apart from these Basic Branches:
Ground Duty (Technical) includes: | Aeronautical Engineer Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineer Electronics |
Ground Duty (Non-Technical) includes: | Administration, Logistics and Accounts Branch |
But which branches of Engineering are eligible for Aeronautical Branch (Mechanical and Electronics)?
List of Branch eligible for Aeronautical Engineer (Mechanical)
- Mechatronics
- Industrial Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Aeronautical Engineering
- Aircraft Maintenance Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering (Production)
- Mechanical Engineering (Repair and Maintenance)
- Mechanical Engineering and Automation
List of Branch eligible for Aeronautical Engineer (Electronics)
- Communication Engineering
- Information Technology
- Computer Engineering/Technology
- Computer Engineering & Application
- Computer Science and Engineering/Technology
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Electronics Engineering/ Technology
- Electronics Science and Engineering
- Electronics
- Electronics and/or Telecommunication Engineering
- Electronics and/or Telecommunication Engineering (Microwave)
- Electronics and Computer Engineering
- Electronics Communication and Instrumentation Engineering
- Electronics Instrument & Control
- Electronics Instrument & Control Engineering
- Electronics and Communication Engineering
- Electronics and Computer Science
- Instrumentation & Control Engineering
- Instrument & Control Engineering
Check detailed article on AFCAT Eligibility for A to Z Eligibility criteria of AFCAT Exam.
AFCAT Exam Pattern with Number of Questions Asked
AFCAT Exam Pattern for Written exam as per Official Notification:
Systematic Breakdown of AFCAT Written exam Pattern:
Things you Must Know! | AFCAT Exam | EKT (for Technical Graduates) |
Total Questions in Written Exam: | 100 | 50 |
Total Marks of Written Exam: | 300 | 50 |
Marks Alloted for 1 Question: | 3 | 1 |
Time Duration: | 120 minutes | 45 Minutes |
Time you get to solve 1 Question: | 1.2 minutes | 54 Seconds |
Marks Deducted for 1 Wrong Answer: | 1 | 1 |
Weightage of AFCAT Written Exam
AFCAT is the only competitive exam in India which officially specifies the weightage of Subjects in AFCAT Written Exam (and also follows it in reality!)
AFCAT Written exam is of 300 Marks which has 100 Questions (1 Question=3 Marks). Now we will see exact number of questions asked form each subject:
General Awareness: | 25 Questions |
Verbal Ability in English: | 25 Questions |
Numerical Ability : | 18 Questions |
Reasoning and Military Aptitude: | 32 Questions |
AFCAT Weightage
- Reasoning and Military Aptitude
- General Awareness
- Verbal Ability (English)
- Numerical Ability
For Chapter-Wise weightage of each subject, check article on AFCAT Syllabus. It will help you to manage time for each topic as per its weightage.
Which Academy will you join after clearing AFCAT Exam?
After clearing the AFCAT exam, you will join Indian Air Force Academy, Dundigal (Hyderabad) irrespective of branch you have applied (Permanent Commission as well as Short Service Commission)
There also exists a NCC Special Entry to join Indian Air Force Academy (without written exam!)
How Many Times in a Year is the AFCAT exam conducted?
AFCAT Exam is conducted twice in a year (February and August). Our team updates aspirants on personal mail ID as soon as notification is released. So, make sure that you fill AFCAT Exam form as soon as notification is released.
What is AFCAT Exam Cut Off?
Let us now focus on most important part of AFCAT exam Pattern. If you want to qualify for AFSB, its mandatory to clear the AFCAT written exam cut off.
Let us see AFCAT Exam Cut off of previous 5-6 Attempts:
Exam | Cut off Marks |
AFCAT 2 2019 Cut Off | 142 |
AFCAT 1 2019 Cut Off | 133 |
AFCAT 2 2018 Cut Off | 140 |
AFCAT 1 2018 Cut Off | 155 |
AFCAT 2 2017 Cut Off | 160 |
AFCAT 1 2017 Cut Off | 150 |
For AFCAT EKT Cut Off Marks, check detailed article on “AFCAT Cutoff” where we have done detailed analysis of previous 5 year cut off marks.
AFCAT Exam Pattern (Schedule) on the Day of Exam
Reporting time of AFCAT Exam is much earlier than actual exam time. So, you need to understand the exact structure of events which take place on the day of AFCAT Exam.
AFCAT Exam Pattern and Syllabus
We have discussed each and every aspect related to pattern of AFCAT exam in detail. Moreover, AFCAT Exam Syllabus has been discussed in a separate article with chapter-wise weightage. After reading these 2 topics, you will have a Bird’s Eye View of AFCAT Exam.
Its high time to start AFCAT 2 2020 preparation. So, follow detailed strategy for AFCAT exam and score 180+ marks in written exam.