Air Force AFCAT 02/2026 Notification Out: Apply Online for 379 Officer Vacancies

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has officially released the detailed notification for the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT 02/2026). Online registrations have officially commenced on May 20, 2026, inviting unmarried male and female engineering graduates and professionals to join the elite force as Commissioned Officers.

This recruitment cycle is for courses commencing in July 2027 at the prestigious Air Force Academy (AFA), Dehradun/Dundigal. Candidates can apply under the AFCAT Entry, NCC Special Entry, or GATE Score Entry models for both Permanent Commission (PC) and Short Service Commission (SSC).

AFCAT 2 2026: Official Recruitment Schedule

Aspirants must note the strict deadlines for submitting applications online. No manual or offline documents will be processed.

Event	Official Timeline
Official Notification Date	May 12, 2026
Online Registration Starts	May 20, 2026 (11:00 AM)
Last Date to Apply Online	June 19, 2026 (11:30 PM)
Admit Card Release Date	August 4, 2026
AFCAT 2 2026 Written Exam Date	August 8, 2026 (Saturday)
Course Commencement	July 2027

1. Branch-Wise & Commission-Wise Vacancy Break Up

A total of 379 tentative vacancies have been announced across the Flying and Ground Duty portfolios.

A. AFCAT Entry

• Flying Branch: 35 Posts (30 Men SSC / 5 Women SSC)
• Ground Duty (Technical):
  • Aeronautical Engineer Electronics – AE(L): 136 Posts (2 Men PC, 2 Women PC, 107 Men SSC, 25 Women SSC)
  • Aeronautical Engineer Mechanical – AE(M): 75 Posts (8 Men PC, 2 Women PC, 52 Men SSC, 13 Women SSC)
• Ground Duty (Non-Technical):
  • Weapon Systems (WS): 26 Posts (21 Men SSC, 5 Women SSC)
  • Administration (Adm): 62 Posts (50 Men SSC, 12 Women SSC)
  • Logistics (Lgs): 6 Posts (4 Men SSC, 2 Women SSC)
  • Accounts (Accts): 7 Posts (5 Men SSC, 2 Women SSC)
  • Education (Edn): 3 Posts (1 Man SSC, 2 Women SSC)
  • Meteorology (Met): 3 Posts (1 Man SSC, 2 Women SSC)

B. GATE Score Entry & NCC Entry

• GATE Score Entry: 26 Posts allotted specifically for Ground Duty Technical branches using your GATE merit score.
• NCC Special Entry (Flying): 10% seats are reserved out of CDSE/AFCAT allocations for valid NCC ‘C’ Certificate holders.

2. Eligibility Criteria (Calculated as on July 1, 2027)

A. Age Limit & Date of Birth Range

• Flying Branch: 20 to 24 Years. Candidates must be born between July 2, 2003, and July 1, 2007 (both dates inclusive). Upper age relaxable to 26 years for valid DGCA Commercial Pilot License holders.
• Ground Duty (Tech/Non-Tech): 20 to 26 Years. Candidates must be born between July 2, 2001, and July 1, 2007 (both dates inclusive).

B. Educational Qualifications

• Flying & Ground Duty (Non-Technical): Graduation in any discipline from a recognized university with a minimum 60% marks (3-year or 4-year degree). Mandatory requirement: Must have scored at least 50% marks each in Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level.
• Ground Duty (Technical): 4-year B.E. / B.Tech degree in specialized engineering streams (Mechanical, Electronics, Telecom, Electrical, etc.) with an aggregate minimum of 60% marks.

3. Salary, Stipend, and Pay Level

• Stipend: Flight Cadets receive a fixed monthly stipend of ₹56,100 during their final year of training.
• Salary on Commissioning: Placed under Level 10 of the Pay Matrix ($\text{₹}56,100$ – $\text{₹}1,10,700$).
• Military Service Pay (MSP): ₹15,500 per month fixed addition.

4. Comprehensive Selection Layout

The recruitment tracks candidates across multiple stages to evaluate mental fitness, engineering aptitudes, and leadership potential:

1. Online Written Examination: 100 Objective Questions worth 300 Marks. Duration is 2 Hours. Subjects track English, General Awareness, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning. Marking scheme: $+3$ for correct answers; $-1$ negative marking applies.
2. AFSB (Air Force Selection Board) Testing: A 5-day evaluation setup. Stage I: Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) and PPDT. Stage II: Psychological Tests, GTO physical/mental tasks, and Personal Interviews.
3. CPSS (Computerized Pilot Selection System): A once-in-a-lifetime test mandatory only for the Flying Branch entries.

5. Step-by-Step Online Application Process

1.Official Visit:Accessing Portal.

Navigate directly to the official active portal at afcat.edcil.co.in or use the careerairforce.gov.in path.

2.Candidate Sign-Up:Account Creation.

Click “Candidate Login” and choose the AFCAT 02/2026 cycle. Put in your full name (exactly as per your 10th matriculation certificate), mobile number, and email to trigger individual OTPs.

3.Profile Details & Branch Preference:Form Entry.

Log in with system credentials. Fill out your educational specifications, entry choices, and choice of branches in sequence. Enter the mandatory registration data.

4.Scanning & Uploads:Document Upload.

Upload a scanned passport photograph (100–200 KB), a black ink signature (80–150 KB), and your thumb impression (Left thumb for males; Right thumb for females). Crucial: Complete the dynamic webcam live-image capture process required by the portal.

5.Fee Payment & Printout:Final Gateway.

Pay the application fee via online net banking or UPI. Double-check your confirmation printout copy and secure it for the exam date.

• Application Fee: ₹550 + 18% GST for standard AFCAT entries. Nil (Exempted) for NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry options.

6. Important Official Links for aapkajobalert Readers

Resource Link Type	Direct URL Target
Apply Online Application Form Link	AFCAT Online Registration Portal
Official Recruitment Portal	Click Here
Download Official Notification PDF	Click Here

7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Can final-year college students apply for AFCAT 02/2026?

Ans: Yes. Final-year graduation or engineering students can apply provided they do not have any active backlogs and can submit proof of passing the degree with a minimum of 60% marks by May 30, 2027.

Q2: Is there any negative marking in the AFCAT online exam?

Ans: Yes. For every correct response, you get 3 marks, and 1 mark is deducted for every incorrect option. Unattempted questions receive zero marks.

Q3: Can married candidates apply for this batch?

Ans: No. Candidates must be completely unmarried at the time of commencement of the course in July 2027. Marriage is strictly prohibited during training.

Q4: Is the GATE Score Entry fee-exempted?

Ans: Yes. Candidates applying through the specialized GATE Score Entry model or the NCC Special Entry track are fully exempted from paying the ₹550 fee.