AFCAT 01/2027 Notification: Apply Online from 12 Nov, Check Eligibility, Fee and Selection Process

Indian Air Force (IAF) has released the short notification for the Air Force Common Admission Test AFCAT 01/2027 (Advertisement No. CBC 10801/11/0018/2627) on 2 November 2026, covering AFCAT Entry, NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry for courses commencing in the first week of January 2028 at the Air Force Academy (AFA), Dundigal, Hyderabad. Online applications open on 12 November 2026 at 11:00 AM and close on 11 December 2026 at 11:30 PM on the official portal afcat.edcil.co.in. The recruitment is for the grant of Permanent Commission / Short Service Commission in the Flying Branch and Permanent Commission / Short Service Commission in the Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches, for both unmarried Indian men and women. One fact matters more than any other in this article: the short notification does not publish any vacancy total — the figure of 379 posts that many websites quote is reported by secondary sources only and is not confirmed by the short notification. All details below are from the official short notification. Candidates tracking other defence entries can also read our RRB Junior Engineer 2026 guide.

AFCAT 01/2027 Notification — Overview

The one-line answer most candidates need. Apply between 12 November and 11 December 2026 on afcat.edcil.co.in, but do not plan around any vacancy number yet — the short notification deliberately leaves the vacancy column blank (“as published in the Notification for induction cycle 01/2027”) and the detailed notification will confirm the branch-wise split. The exam date and the exam pattern are also not in the short notification, so any date or marks scheme you see quoted today is not from the official short notice.

AFCAT 01/2027 — Important Dates

Apply well before the deadline. Information filled in the form is treated as final, and the date of birth and other details cannot be amended later. Keep the unique email ID and mobile number used for registration active throughout the selection process.

AFCAT 01/2027 Vacancy — What Is Confirmed and What Is Not

What the short notification actually says. The vacancy column in the short notification reads “As published in the Notification for induction cycle 01/2027.” No total and no branch-wise split is given. The branch-wise numbers and the total will appear in the detailed notification.

The 379 figure, honestly labelled. Several recruitment websites report a total of approximately 379 posts across the Flying and Ground Duty branches. That figure comes from secondary reporting, not from the short notification, and it should be treated as indicative only. This article does not present 379 as the official total in its title, its lead or any table, because the short notification does not confirm it. Check the detailed notification on afcat.edcil.co.in for the exact distribution before you decide which branch to apply for.

One confirmed reservation. Two seats from the Ground Duty (Non-Technical) vacancies are reserved for Law-qualified candidates. The actual intake depends on organisational requirements and training slots.

AFCAT 01/2027 Entries and Branches

The short notification covers three entries. AFCAT Entry is the main route for graduates; NCC Special Entry is for NCC Air Wing Senior Division ‘C’ certificate holders; GATE Score Entry is for candidates with a valid GATE score who want Ground Duty (Technical).

Type of commission. Flying Branch officers are generally granted Permanent Commission, while Ground Duty officers can be granted either Permanent Commission or Short Service Commission. The exact commission type for each course is confirmed in the detailed notification and the joining instructions.

Eligibility Criteria

Age limit. The age limits are counted as on 1 January 2028, the month in which the course commences. Flying Branch candidates must be 20 to 24 years old, while Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) candidates must be 20 to 26 years old. The date-of-birth window is strict, and the upper age limit is relaxed by up to two years for candidates who hold a current and valid Commercial Pilot Licence issued by the DGCA.

Nationality and marital status. Only Indian citizens can apply. Candidates must be unmarried at the time the course commences — a candidate who marries during training is discharged and must refund the training cost.

Educational qualification — read this before you register. Flying Branch applicants need 10+2 with Physics and Mathematics with at least 50% marks in each subject, plus a graduation degree (three-year course) in any discipline with at least 60% marks, or a BE / B Tech degree (four-year course) with at least 60% marks, or the equivalent. Ground Duty (Technical) applicants need a four-year engineering or technology degree in the relevant stream, or the equivalent qualification in the same field. Ground Duty (Non-Technical) covers Administration, Logistics, Accounts, Education and Meteorology, and each of these branches specifies its own degree — for example, Meteorology needs a postgraduate degree in a relevant science subject. Candidates in their final year of graduation can apply provisionally, but they must produce proof of passing before the course starts.

Other requirements. The short notification sets minimum physical and medical standards for each branch, including height, weight, vision and hearing. Flying Branch candidates must clear the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS) at the AFSB stage, and candidates who have failed CPSS before cannot apply again for the Flying Branch.

Application Fee

The application fee is Rs 550 plus GST for AFCAT Entry and GATE Score Entry candidates. NCC Special Entry candidates are exempt from the fee. The fee is non-refundable, and it must be paid online only.

How the fee is paid. The fee is paid online only — by debit card, credit card, net banking or UPI — on afcat.edcil.co.in, during the application window. Save the payment receipt with the registration number, because it is needed at later stages. Candidates who apply for more than one entry should check the detailed notification for the fee rule, and candidates following other recruitment processes can also read our IOCL Pipeline Apprentice Recruitment 2026 guide for a comparison of fee rules.

How to Apply

1. Go to afcat.edcil.co.in and register with a valid email ID and mobile number.
2. Select the entry (AFCAT / NCC Special / GATE) and the branch you want to apply for.
3. Fill in personal, educational and communication details, and verify them before moving ahead.
4. Upload your photograph, signature and thumb impression in the specified format, and keep the original certificates ready for verification at the AFSB stage.
5. Pay the fee of Rs 550 + GST, if applicable, and submit the application. Applications from NCC Special Entry candidates are fee-free.
6. Submit the form and save the registration number, the acknowledgement and the payment receipt for later stages.
7. Track admit card and result updates on afcat.edcil.co.in.

Which portal is which. A new candidate should use afcat.edcil.co.in for the application; the older afcat.cdac.in portal and the careerindianairforce.cdac.in website carry the detailed notification and the career information, but the application form itself is only on afcat.edcil.co.in.

Selection Process

Stage 1 – Online AFCAT written examination. All candidates appear for the AFCAT written test. It is a computer-based test of 100 questions for 300 marks, and candidates applying for Ground Duty (Technical) must also appear for the Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT).

Stage 2 – AFSB testing. Candidates who clear the written test are called for the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) testing at one of five centres — Dehradun, Mysuru, Gandhinagar, Varanasi or Guwahati — for a five-day assessment that includes officer intelligence rating, psychological tests, group tests and an interview.

Stage 3 – Medical examination. Candidates recommended by the AFSB undergo a medical examination at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine or an Air Force Central Medical Establishment.

Stage 4 – Merit list and training. The final merit list is prepared from the marks in the written test and the AFSB, and candidates in the merit list join the Air Force Academy for training. Candidates preparing for other selection processes can also read our DSSSB MTS JE Recruitment 2026 guide for a comparison of exam patterns.

Exam pattern — not yet published. The detailed notification will confirm the exam date, the exact number of questions, the marking scheme and the syllabus. The AFCAT examination is generally a computer-based test of 100 questions for 300 marks, with negative marking of one mark for each wrong answer, and the EKT is a separate 50-question test for Technical candidates. Final details must be taken from the detailed notification.

Salary, Training and Service

Pay is the easiest part of AFCAT 01/2027 to state, because the short notification gives the rank and the pay scale directly. On commissioning, a candidate becomes a Flying Officer. The starting basic pay is Rs 56,100, in Pay Level 10 (Rs 56,100–Rs 1,77,500), with Military Service Pay of Rs 15,500 per month. Once allowances are included, the first-year package is approximately Rs 12 lakh per annum, and officer cadets receive a stipend of Rs 56,100 per month while training at the Air Force Academy.

Officers receive comprehensive benefits that go beyond pay — free accommodation, medical facilities for the officer and family, leave travel concession, canteen facilities, insurance cover, pension benefits and opportunities for higher education and specialisation.

What the Detailed Notification Will Add

The short notification deliberately leaves some items open, and the detailed notification — expected before the application window opens on 12 November 2026 — will fill them in: the exact branch-wise vacancy split and the total, the AFCAT exam date and admit card schedule, the detailed syllabus and exam pattern, the exact EKT syllabus for Technical branches, the physical and medical standards in full, the list of documents required at each stage, and the AFSB centre allocation. Candidates should not trust any website that claims to know these details before the detailed notification is released.

Important Links

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When does the AFCAT 01/2027 online application open?

Online applications open on 12 November 2026 at 11:00 AM on the official portal afcat.edcil.co.in.

Does the AFCAT 01/2027 short notification give the total number of vacancies?

No. The short notification does not publish a vacancy total. The vacancy column reads “As published in the Notification for induction cycle 01/2027.” The total and the branch-wise split will appear in the detailed notification.

What is the last date to apply for AFCAT 01/2027?

The last date to apply online is 11 December 2026 at 11:30 PM. Apply before the deadline, because late applications are not accepted.

What is the application fee for AFCAT 01/2027?

The fee is Rs 550 plus GST for AFCAT Entry and GATE Score Entry candidates. NCC Special Entry candidates do not pay any fee. The fee is non-refundable, and the only permitted payment mode is online (debit card, credit card, net banking or UPI) on afcat.edcil.co.in.

Who can apply for AFCAT 01/2027?

Indian citizens who meet the age, marital status and educational qualification rules for the branch they choose. Flying Branch applicants must be 20 to 24 years old; Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) applicants must be 20 to 26 years old. Flying Branch candidates need 10+2 with Physics and Mathematics plus a bachelor’s degree with at least 60% marks (or the equivalent); Ground Duty branches need the relevant degree specified in the notification.

When will the AFCAT 01/2027 course start?

Training for the courses covered by AFCAT 01/2027 starts in the first week of January 2028 at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, Hyderabad.

What is the selection process for AFCAT 01/2027?

Written AFCAT examination and EKT for Technical candidates, AFSB testing, CPSS for Flying Branch candidates, medical examination and a final merit list.

What is the salary of a Flying Officer selected through AFCAT?

A Flying Officer starts in Pay Level 10 (Rs 56,100–Rs 1,77,500), plus Military Service Pay of Rs 15,500 per month. The first-year package, including allowances, is approximately Rs 12 lakh.

Where do I apply for AFCAT 01/2027?

Apply online only on the official portal afcat.edcil.co.in. Do not use any other website that claims to accept AFCAT applications.

Is the figure of 379 vacancies official?

No. The figure of 379 posts is reported by secondary sources and is not confirmed by the short notification. The short notification leaves the vacancy column blank and says the numbers will appear in the detailed notification.

For more openings announced this week, see the Latest Jobs section of this site.

Written by Ravi Singh

Ravi Singh is the Editor (Government Jobs) at New Sarkari Results, an independent information portal for Sarkari Result, Sarkari Naukri, admit card, answer key, syllabus and admission updates. He has 10+ years of experience covering Government Jobs, Railway Jobs, SSC, Banking, Teaching, Police, Defence and state recruitment boards. Every update on this site is verified directly from the official notification PDF issued by the commission or board — never from third-party aggregators.