IAF AFCAT 01/2027 Notification Out: Apply 12 Nov–11 Dec 2026 for Flying & Ground Duty Officer Posts

1. Introduction — AFCAT 01/2027 at a Glance

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has released the short notification for the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) 01/2027, along with the NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry, for officer courses beginning in January 2028. Online registration runs from 12 November 2026 (11:00 AM) to 11 December 2026 (11:30 PM) exclusively on the EDCIL-managed portal afcat.edcil.co.in. Both men and women who are Indian citizens under the Citizenship Act, 1955 can apply.

This cycle recruits commissioned officers into three streams: the Flying Branch (as Short Service Commission officers), the Ground Duty (Technical) Branch (Aeronautical Engineering — Electronics and Mechanical), and the Ground Duty (Non-Technical) Branch, which covers Weapon Systems, Administration, Logistics, Accounts, Education and Meteorology. Selected candidates will join training at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal (Hyderabad) in the first week of January 2028 and will be commissioned as Flying Officers at Pay Level 10.

This guide brings together every fact published in the official advertisement — eligibility windows, the commission-type rules that decide whether you get a pension, the ₹1.25 crore insurance cover, tattoo and marital-status restrictions, travel allowance conditions and helpline routing — and explains what each one means for your application. Where the short notice defers details (qualifications, exam pattern, physical standards) to the detailed notification, we have used the rules applied in previous AFCAT cycles and labelled them clearly so you know what to re-check after 12 November 2026.

2. About the Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defence. It was established on 8 October 1932 and today operates one of the largest air forces in the world. Its officer cadre is recruited through four main routes: the National Defence Academy (NDA), the Combined Defence Services Examination (CDSE), AFCAT and special entries such as NCC and GATE. AFCAT is the IAF's own entrance test for graduates and is held twice a year — the "01" cycle for courses starting in January and the "02" cycle for courses starting in July.

For the 01/2027 cycle, the online examination and registration process is managed by EDCIL (Educational Consultants India Limited) on behalf of the IAF. Eligibility, Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) allotment, interview dates, merit lists and joining instructions are handled by the IAF directly.

If you are a 10+2 candidate rather than a graduate, the IAF's airmen route is covered in our IAF Agniveervayu Intake 01/2027 guide.

3. Important Dates

The AFCAT 01/2027 application window is open for 30 days, from 12 November 2026 to 11 December 2026. The short notice fixes only the registration window and the course start date. The exam date will be confirmed in the detailed notification.

4. Vacancy Details & Course Numbers

The AFCAT 01/2027 short notice lists seven course numbers across three entries but does not publish vacancy counts; all figures will appear in the detailed notification for induction cycle 01/2027. The course number tells you the commission type: "PC" means Permanent Commission, "SSC" means Short Service Commission, "28F" refers to the 2028 Flying course, "28T" to the Technical course and "28G" to the Ground Duty (Non-Technical) course.

Three details in this table are easy to miss. First, two seats out of the Ground Duty (Non-Technical) vacancies are reserved for law-qualified candidates. Second, the NCC Special Entry is the only route in this notification that offers a Permanent Commission in the Flying Branch — and that PC course is listed for men only. Third, the IAF states that vacancies are indicative and may change depending on training slots, cadre controls and the actual number of vacancies arising in January 2028; no representation about vacancy changes will be entertained.

5. Commission Types Explained — PC vs SSC

The type of commission you receive decides how long you serve and whether you get a pension, so it matters as much as the branch you choose. In AFCAT 01/2027, Flying Branch candidates through AFCAT receive only a Short Service Commission, while Ground Duty (Technical) and Weapon Systems candidates can be granted either PC or SSC.

The practical takeaway is simple. An SSC Ground Duty officer who completes the standard 10 years leaves without a pension and without the AVIC post-retirement cover, which starts only at 14 years of service. Taking the 4-year extension brings that officer to 14 years and makes them eligible for AVIC — a factor worth considering when the extension decision comes.

6. Eligibility Criteria

To apply for AFCAT 01/2027, you must be an Indian citizen, unmarried at the start of the course, within the branch age window, and hold the branch-specific degree with the required marks. The short notice confirms nationality, age and marital rules; it refers educational qualifications to the detailed notification. The qualification cards below reflect the rules applied in AFCAT 01/2026 and 02/2026 and should be re-checked after 12 November 2026.

Nationality & Marital Status

• Applicants must be citizens of India as per the Citizenship Act, 1955. Both men and women are invited.
• Candidates must be unmarried at the time the course begins. Marriage during training is not permitted — a cadet who marries is discharged and must refund all expenditure incurred by the Government.

Educational Qualifications (as per previous AFCAT cycles)

Final-year students have been allowed to apply in past cycles, provided they produce proof of degree completion with the required marks by the date set in the notification. For the NCC Special Entry, candidates have previously needed an NCC Air Wing Senior Division "C" certificate in addition to the Flying Branch qualification.

7. Age Limit & Date-of-Birth Windows

Age for AFCAT 01/2027 is calculated as on 1 January 2028. Flying Branch candidates must be 20–24 years old, and Ground Duty candidates (including GATE Score Entry) must be 20–26 years old. The upper limit for Flying is relaxed to 26 years only for holders of a valid Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) issued by DGCA.

Notice that every branch shares the same latest permissible birth date (1 January 2008), so the minimum age is uniform. The difference lies only in the oldest permissible date. Unlike civilian government recruitments, AFCAT does not provide category-based age relaxation for OBC, SC or ST candidates; the CPL relaxation for Flying is the only relaxation mentioned in the short notice.

8. Salary, Allowances, Insurance & Privileges

A Flying Officer commissioned through AFCAT 01/2027 is placed at Level 10 of the Defence Pay Matrix (₹56,100–₹1,77,500) and also receives Military Service Pay (MSP) of ₹15,500 per month. During training, flight cadets receive a fixed stipend of ₹56,100 per month.

The ₹71,600 figure is the entry basic pay plus MSP, before Dearness Allowance, HRA or transport allowance is added. Allowances depend on your branch, the nature of your duty and your posting location.

Allowances Named in the Notice

• Flying Allowance — for Flying Branch officers
• Technical Allowance — for eligible technical officers
• Transport Allowance
• Test Pilot & Flight Test Engineer Allowance
• Risk and Hardship Allowance — for difficult postings

Insurance Cover

Privileges

• Furnished accommodation
• Comprehensive medical cover for the officer and dependents
• Canteen and Officers' Mess facilities
• Loans at subsidised interest rates
• Leave Travel Concession (LTC)
• 60 days of annual leave and 20 days of casual leave, subject to service needs
• Sports and adventure activities such as sky diving, micro-light flying, mountaineering and water rafting

9. Application Fee

Only AFCAT Entry candidates pay an examination fee of ₹550 plus GST; NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry candidates pay nothing. The fee is non-refundable and is paid online during registration.

The fee is the same for all categories — AFCAT has no fee concession based on gender or caste. The accepted payment modes (net banking, debit/credit card, UPI) will be listed in the detailed notification. If you are eligible for more than one entry, remember that each entry has a separate registration; registering for NCC or GATE does not exempt you from the AFCAT fee if you also register for the AFCAT entry.

10. Selection Process

AFCAT 01/2027 selection follows a multi-stage process: an online test, a five-day Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) assessment, a pilot aptitude test for Flying candidates, a medical examination, and a final all-India merit list. The short notice refers the full procedure to the detailed notification; the stages below are those used in recent cycles.

The IAF advises candidates to be physically fit when reporting to the AFSB, because physical tests are part of the assessment. TA rules for the AFSB journey are explained in the General Instructions section below.

11. AFCAT & EKT Exam Pattern

In recent cycles, the AFCAT online exam has had 100 objective questions worth 300 marks in 2 hours, with +3 marks for each correct answer and −1 for each wrong one. Ground Duty (Technical) candidates take an additional Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT). The 01/2027 short notice confirms only that the test is online at various centres; treat the pattern below as the previous-cycle reference.

Negative marking makes accuracy more valuable than attempt count. Two candidates with the same raw attempts can end up far apart in score if one guesses aggressively. Cut-offs are published by the IAF after each cycle and vary between cycles.

12. Physical, Medical & Tattoo Standards

The short notice refers physical and medical standards to the detailed notification, but it spells out two rules that disqualify many candidates every year: the permanent tattoo policy and the drug-testing rule. Both are explained below, followed by the height requirements used in previous cycles.

Tattoo Policy

Height Standards (as per previous cycles)

Flying candidates are also measured for leg length, thigh length and sitting height because these affect cockpit fit. Eyesight standards are strictest for the Flying Branch. Height relaxations have historically applied to candidates from certain hill regions and communities; the detailed notification will confirm the current list.

13. Training at Air Force Academy, Dundigal

Training for all AFCAT 01/2027 courses begins in the first week of January 2028 at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal (Hyderabad). It lasts 74 weeks for the Flying and Ground Duty (Technical) branches and 50 weeks for the Ground Duty (Non-Technical) branches, at the Academy and other Air Force training establishments.

Documents Mandatory at Joining

• PAN Card — mandatory when joining the Academy
• Bank account in SBI or any nationalised bank — mandatory when joining the Academy
• Aadhaar Card — mandatory at the time of registration

Physical training at the Academy includes running, swimming, rope climbing and other conditioning, and cadets face mandatory tests during training. The IAF recommends that prospective candidates start conditioning before reporting so they can adapt quickly.

14. How to Apply Online

Applications for AFCAT 01/2027 are accepted only online at afcat.edcil.co.in between 12 November and 11 December 2026. The portal has separate tabs for AFCAT Entry, NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry, and you must register separately for each entry you are eligible for.

15. General Instructions, TA Rules & Helplines

Beyond eligibility, the AFCAT 01/2027 notice sets out rules on travel allowance, communication and conduct that directly affect candidates. These are summarised below.

Travel Allowance (TA) for AFSB

• First-time AFSB candidates are reimbursed the to-and-fro fare by the shortest route — AC-III Tier, AC Chair Car, or the actual bus fare.
• For other modes of travel, TA is paid as per Government rules.
• No TA is paid if you have already appeared before any Selection Board for the same type of entry.
• You must give an active Savings Bank account in your own name. Accounts such as Sukanya Samriddhi, or accounts in another person's name, are not accepted.
• Tickets and bank details must be furnished within one month of the start of your SSB. After that, no TA claim is paid and the amount is returned to the Government.

Other Key Rules

• Keep your registered email ID and mobile number active throughout the selection process.
• Information in the advertisement and on the website is guidance only. In case of ambiguity, IAF and Government of India policies and rules as amended from time to time are final.
• Selection is fair and merit-based. Any attempt to influence the process, or the use of forgery, impersonation or false information, can lead to cancellation of candidature or termination of service, and legal action.

Helplines

Routing your query to the right helpline saves time: EDCIL handles only the exam and portal, while eligibility and AFSB matters go to the IAF.

16. Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most commonly asked questions about AFCAT 01/2027. If your question is not answered here, please refer to the official notification or the AFCAT portal at afcat.edcil.co.in.

17. Important Links

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)