AFCAT exam pattern
AFCAT is one online paper of 100 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, in English, across four areas. A correct answer earns 3 marks and a wrong one costs 1.
The pattern and marking here are from the Indian Air Force’s AFCAT 02/2026 notification and its official 2026 online sample. Check the current notification before exam day: afcat.edcil.co.in
Areas
| Area | Questions in the IAF’s sample | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability in English | 30 | Comprehension, error detection, synonyms and antonyms, cloze, idioms and more |
| General Awareness | 25 | History, geography, polity, economy, basic science, current affairs, defence and more |
| Numerical Ability | 20 | Matriculation-level maths, including mensuration and statistics |
| Reasoning and Military Aptitude | 25 | Verbal and non-verbal reasoning |
| One 2-hour paper | 100 |
- Verbal Ability in English
- Questions in the IAF’s sample30
- CoversComprehension, error detection, synonyms and antonyms, cloze, idioms and more
- General Awareness
- Questions in the IAF’s sample25
- CoversHistory, geography, polity, economy, basic science, current affairs, defence and more
- Numerical Ability
- Questions in the IAF’s sample20
- CoversMatriculation-level maths, including mensuration and statistics
- Reasoning and Military Aptitude
- Questions in the IAF’s sample25
- CoversVerbal and non-verbal reasoning
- One 2-hour paper
- Questions in the IAF’s sample100
Marking
| Question | Correct | Wrong | Left blank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every question | +3 | −1 | 0 |
- Every question
- Correct+3
- Wrong−1
- Left blank0
Rules worth knowing
- Every question has four options and one correct answer. A correct answer earns 3 marks, a wrong one loses 1, and a blank scores 0.
- The paper is in English only, and calculators aren’t allowed.
- Numerical Ability is set at matriculation level; the other areas at graduation level.
- The notification doesn’t say how many questions each area has. The sizes above are from the IAF’s 2026 online sample and its model papers.
- There’s no Engineering Knowledge Test in the 2026 scheme.
Common questions
- How many questions are in AFCAT?
- 100 multiple-choice questions for 300 marks, in 2 hours.
- Is there negative marking in AFCAT?
- Yes. A wrong answer loses 1 mark, a correct one earns 3, and a blank scores 0.
- Is there an EKT in AFCAT?
- Not in the 2026 scheme: neither 2026 notification mentions the Engineering Knowledge Test.
Our AFCAT mock tests are being prepared.
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