AFCAT Selection Process 2022

Air Force Common Admission Test or AFCAT is the entrance examination conducted by The Indian Air Force for recruiting eligible candidates for the armed forces. About 317 vacancies for the three different branches were provided this year by IAF which included the Flying Branch, Ground Duty (Technical) and Ground Duty ( Non-Technical). Being a part of the IAF is a dream come true for millions for aspirants but it doesn’t come easy. AFCAT is the one among the most competitive exams in the nation. IAF calls candidates for two types of commission, Permanent Commission or PC for Men and Short Service Commission or SSC for Men and Women. Cracking AFCAT requires dedication, patience, focus and drive to succeed. Cracking AFCAT takes you only one step to IAF. It is then followed by AFSB Interview and Medical test. Continue reading the article to know in detail about the AFCAT selection process 2022. 

Prepare for AFCAT with Entri App!

AFCAT 2022 – Selection Process

IAF released the notification for the AFCAT 1 2022 examination on 1st of December 2021 for the AFCAT recruitment of Group A gazetted officers for Flying and Ground Duty branches. 

The selection process for the IAF group A gazetted Officer starts with the written examination which is AFCAT. EKT is to be attempted by candidates applying for any Technical Branch. The candidate clearing the written test will go through the AFSB tests. The candidates clearing the AFSB test will undergo a medical and physical test for IAF. Candidates clearing all the stages will be selected for the post and can start training with IAF for the scheduled academic year. Let’s study the process in detail.

Click Here to Access AFCAT 2022 Study Material!

AFCAT Written test

AFCAT or Air Force Common Admission Test is the written test conducted by IAF as part of the recruitment process for Group A gazetted officers for Ground Duty and Flying branch. The branches for the examination are:

1. Flying Branch
2. Ground Duty – Technical
3. Ground Duty – Non Technical

The candidates applying for the technical branches will have to attempt the EKT or Engineering Knowledge Test as well along with AFCAT to clear the examination. 

The examination is conducted in English for both AFCAT and EKT. The candidate scoring higher than this year’s cut off will clear the written test. The candidates clearing the written test can appear for the AFSB Interview test which will be the next stage of the selection process.

AFCAT 2022 – AFSB Test

The first step to be done by the candidate after clearing the AFCAT written test is generating the Call-Up-Letter for the Air Force Selection Board or AFSB Interview. This can be done through the following links.

https://careerindianairforce.cdac.in/ 

https://afcat.cdac.in/AFCAT/

Candidates who have cleared or are declared successful in AFCAT 2022 will be called by the Air Force Selection Board. Candidates who registered under NCC Special Entry category will be directly called to one of the centers for the test. The list of Selection Boards are given below.

1. Dehradun (1 AFSB)
2. Mysuru (2 AFSB)
3. Gandhinagar (3 AFSB)
4. Varanasi (4 AFSB) 
5. Guwahati (5 AFSB)

Candidates who have applied for the Flying branch can only opt for Dehradun, Varanasi and Mysore centers. Candidates should make sure that they are physically fit to undergo all the tests of AFSB. The AFSB selection process has 2 stages.

Stage 1 

Stage 1 is basically a screening test for the candidates. Any candidate failing to meet the requirements will be eliminated on the first day. The stage consists of Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) Test and Picture Perception and Discussion Test (PPDT). 

The OIR test involves solving two booklets of about 40 questions in 17 min of time. In the PPD Test, the candidate will be given a picture and 4 min to write a story on it. The candidate will have to narrate the story after the given time. The candidate clearing  the stage tests will undergo document verification and check.

Stage 2 

Stage 2 involves Psychological test, Group Test and Interview. The Psychological test involves further tests which are :

1. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) – candidates are shown puzzling pictures and asked to thread a story.
2. Word Association Test (WAT) – candidates are given a word asked to frame a sentence out of it.
3. Situation Reaction Test (SRT) – candidates reaction for a given real life situation.
4. Self Description Test (SD) – candidate is given appropriate time to write 5 paragraphs about them and their loved ones.

Group tests are basically activities which are conducted indoor or outdoor which involve both mental and physical output. The candidate who has applied for the Flying branch will undergo a Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS) which is a once in a lifetime test. 

Click Here to Download AFCAT Notification PDF

AFCAT 2022 – Medical Test

If the candidate clears all the stages of the selection board, they will be sent for the medical test at Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), New Delhi or Institute of Aviation Medicine, Bengaluru.

AFCAT 2022 – Merit List

As per the marks secured in the AFCAT written test and AFSB test, a final merit list will be released by the IAF. Allotment of the candidates will be based on the performance, vacancies available and according to the selected branch. 10% of the vacancies are reserved for NCC Air Wing Senior Division ‘C’ certificate holders in Ground Duty Branches.

Click Here to Read the Selection Process from the Official Website!

AFCAT 2022 – Documents to be Submitted

It is mandatory to submit the required documents during the AFSB Interview and test. The applicants who fail to submit the required documents will not be given a chance to be part of the tests. They will be directly disqualified. The following are the important documents to be submitted for the AFSB Test.

1. AFCAT Admit Card.
2. Original Matriculation/ Secondary School Certificate and Mark sheets issued by CBSE/ ICSE/ State Board. 
3. Original Marksheet & Certificate of 10+2 (issued by the relevant Board).
4. Original/ Provisional Graduation Degree/ Post Graduation Degree Certificates and Mark Sheet of each year/ semester issued by University.
5. In case of final year/ semester students, a Certificate from the College Principal, clearly mentioning the following aspects annotated with proper stamp and seal of the Institution is required:-
   (a)Name of the College.
   (b)Name of the University.
   (c)Discipline in which Graduation/ Post Graduation obtained.
   (d)Aggregate Percentage.
   (e)Likely Date of Declaration of Final Result (in DD/MM/YYYY Format).
6. Two attested photocopies of each of the above mentioned certificates.
7. Original NCC Certificate (if applicable).
8. NOC from employers for candidates working in Central/ State Govt. or Public Sector Undertakings.
9. Original valid Commercial Pilots’ License, issued by DGCA, if applicable.
10. Inbound Railway Ticket/ Bus Tickets. (For refund of Travelling Allowance)
11. Twenty copies of recent passport size colour photographs taken in light coloured clothes against white background.

The selection process for IAF Group A gazetted officer is a long and time taking process. The preparation for AFCAT is also time taking but preparation is never lost time. More you practice, the closer you get to IAF. Keep working hard because hardwork is the stepping stone to success. Entri wishes you success in your exams. Touch the Sky with Glory!

Crack AFCAT 2022 with Entri! Click Here to Download the App Now!