Indian Air Force has issued the short notification for AFCAT 1 2026 inviting eligible candidates to apply for the courses starting in January 2027. The exam will be held for male and female applicants for Flying and Ground Duty branches.
As per the information shared in the short notice, candidates must meet the required educational and age conditions. The selection process will include a written test, interview stages and medical examination. The detailed notification with vacancy details will be released on 9 November 2025.
Interested applicants can submit the application online from 10 November 2025 to 9 December 2025 at the official portal. Candidates should keep all documents ready and check eligibility before applying for the exam.
Important Dates:
The registration process for AFCAT 1 2026 will begin on 10 November 2025. The last date to apply is 9 December 2025. The short notification was released on 3 November 2025 and the detailed notification will be released on 9 November 2025. The course will begin in January 2027.
Vacancy Details:
Vacancies for Flying and Ground Duty (Technical and Non Technical) posts will be notified in the detailed notification. Candidates are advised to wait for the full vacancy list to be published on the official website of the Indian Air Force.
Eligibility Criteria:
Candidates applying for Flying branch must have minimum 50 percent marks in physics and math at 10+2 and graduation or BE/BTech with minimum 60 percent marks. For Ground Duty Technical, candidates must have minimum 60 percent marks in physics and mathematics at 10+2 and have degree in relevant engineering fields. For both categories, the minimum age is 20 years and maximum is 24 years for Flying and 26 years for Ground Duty as on 1 January 2027. Applicants below 25 years must be unmarried.
How to Apply:
Eligible applicants can fill the online form on the official website afcat.cdac.in. Candidates should register, login, fill details, upload photo and signature and submit the form within the given dates.
Application Fee:
Candidates applying for AFCAT entry must pay Rs 550 plus GST. This fee is not applicable for NCC special entry.
Selection Process:
The selection process includes written test, AFSB testing and medical examination. The first stage of AFSB includes officer intelligence rating test and picture perception and discussion test. Candidates who qualify will appear for stage two tests that include psychological tests, group tasks, interview and CPSS test for flying branch. Final merit list will be prepared based on marks in written and AFSB tests.
Notification:
Candidates can refer to the short notification released by the Indian Air Force on 3 November 2025 for basic details. The detailed notification will be available on the official website on 9 November 2025.
Official Notification PDF