Fulfill your dream of serving in the Indian Air Force, apply for AFCAT: Check Eligibility and Cutoff here
In the Indian Air Force, the duty of an officer or better called a warrior, is to uphold the constitution and protect India’s freedom. ‘Touch the Sky with Glory’ is the motto of the Indian Air Force which has been taken from the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. The pride of being an eminent part of the Indian Air Force leads one to live a life less ordinary and with utmost gratification of serving the nation. To experience such a phenomenal might, one must have to crack the AFCAT Exam and fulfill their desire of being invited by the Air Force Academy of India.
AFCAT or Air Force Common Admission Test is a selection exam which is conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) every two years to admit officers in the Indian Air Force. After giving the written exam, the candidate has to appear for the Air Force Selection Board Interview. AFCAT exam began in the year 2011 based on sheet paper examination, whereas in 2019 AFCAT exam was shifted online for it to be made available for candidates all across the country.
The duration for the written exam is 2 hours and it consists of 100 questions. Each question carries 3 marks. There are various questions from a mix of fields like current affairs, mathematics, reasoning, English, history etc. The qualified candidates are called in for the second round of the personality test which is conducted for 6 days to select the best of the best. Through AFCAT, a candidate can go to any of the three branches offered by the Indian Air Force: Flying Branch, Technical Branch and Ground Duty Branch of the IAF. Not only men but women can also apply for all the above mentioned three branches. AFCAT is conducted to choose desirable and eligible candidates for multiple posts in flying and ground Duty both in technical and non- technical fields. It gives wings to lakhs of aspirants who dream of being a part of the Indian Air Force.
Steps to apply for AFCAT:
Step 1: Go to the official website of AFCAT i.e. https://afcat.cdac.in/AFCAT/ and complete the registration process there.
Step 2: It includes the filling of the Application Form. Here, the candidates have to log in with their registered email id and password and then they have to select the type of entry for which they want to apply.
Step 3: Pay the application fees and you’re good to go!
Eligibility Criteria For AFCAT
Candidates must secure a minimum of 50% marks each in Maths and Physics at 10+2 level. They must graduate, which is a three-year course in any particular field from a well-known University. They should definitely have a minimum of 60% marks or they can do BE/ B Tech from a well-known University with 60% marks. Candidates who have cleared section A and B of Institution of Engineers with an aggravation of minimum of 60% can also apply for AFCAT.
The candidates applying for Flying Branch must have the age limit between 20-24 years whereas the age limit for people applying for Ground Duty both technical and non technical should be between 20-26 years.
Candidates who are above 25years of age and are married are eligible to apply for AFCAT. Both female and male candidates can apply for AFCAT but for the Permanent Commission (PC), only male candidates were earlier eligible; female candidates were not selected for it. But it was only recently that the Supreme Court has ruled to grant women the permanent commission to Women Short Service Commissioned Officers or WSSCO.
Cutoff for AFCAT
For any exam the cut off is the minimum qualifying marks that a candidate requires in order to qualify for that particular exam. The cut off of AFCAT usually ranges from 120-160 marks. For the year 2021 AFCAT1 was conducted from 20th to 22nd February whereas the cut off marks were released on 9th March 2021. The cut-off marks for AFCAT at that time was 165. From 28th to 30th August 2021 AFCAT 2 exam will be conducted. In September or October the cut off and results are expected to come out for AFCAT 2 exam 2021.
For all those candidates who desire to work between the sprawling jets can turn their dream to reality through the AFCAT Examination. AFCAT gives that ultimate flight to your long lost destination. An officer is said to be a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a very important position, a position of authority. In order to lead and control one requires leadership qualities and the ability to motivate oneself, inspire others and efficiently make tough decisions. AFCAT makes the candidate strong enough and prepares them for actions not to substitute words to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge of life. It gives the candidate the temper of the will so that they can give in their best and fly with bright colours endorsing the personality of being an officer. Indeed, the AFCAT exam is the best opportunity that a candidate can have to fulfill his dream of becoming an IAF officer and attain the satisfaction of sacrificing for his country.
