AFCAT 1 2027 is the first Air Force Common Admission Test of the new cycle and the entry point for graduates who want to become officers in the Indian Air Force in the Flying Branch or the Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches. The most searched question right now is simple: when will the AFCAT 1 exam be held in 2027? This guide brings together the confirmed AFCAT 01/2027 schedule, the expected exam date based on the official dates of recent cycles, and a stage-wise timeline from registration to the start of training at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal.
Status as on 11 November 2026: The Indian Air Force has published the short notice for AFCAT 01/2027 for courses commencing in January 2028. It confirms the online registration window (12 November to 11 December 2026), but it does not give the exam date. The exam date, admit card date and other stage-wise details will be announced in the detailed notification on the official AFCAT portal, afcat.edcil.co.in, which has not been released yet. All 2027 exam-related dates in this article are therefore marked as expected and are based on the official schedules of AFCAT 01/2026 and AFCAT 02/2026. We will update this page as soon as the detailed notification is out.
AFCAT 1 2027 Exam Date at a Glance
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| AFCAT 01/2027 short notice | Early November 2026 | Released |
| Online registration opens | 12 November 2026 (11:00 AM) | Confirmed in short notice |
| Last date to apply | 11 December 2026 (11:30 PM) | Confirmed in short notice |
| Detailed notification | On or around the start of registration | Awaited |
| Admit card | Mid to late January 2027 | Expected |
| AFCAT 1 2027 exam date | Last week of January or first week of February 2027 (likely a Saturday) | Expected, not announced |
| Result | Around late February to March 2027 | Expected |
| AFSB interviews | From around March 2027 onwards | Expected |
| Course commencement | First week of January 2028, Air Force Academy, Dundigal | Confirmed in short notice |
The only dates that are official for AFCAT 01/2027 at this stage are the registration window and the course commencement month. Treat every other date in the table as a planning estimate, not an announcement.
Has the AFCAT 1 2027 Exam Date Been Announced?
No. As on 11 November 2026, the IAF has not announced the AFCAT 1 2027 exam date. The short notice for AFCAT 01/2027 clearly states that the examination date, admit card release and other stage-wise details will be given in the detailed notification. The official AFCAT portal is still showing updates for the AFCAT 02/2026 cycle, whose written exam was held on 8 August 2026 and whose AFSB seat selection opened on 10 September 2026.
Be careful with websites and social media posts that quote an exact AFCAT 1 2027 exam date or a final vacancy figure right now. Until the detailed notification is published on afcat.edcil.co.in, any exact date is only a guess.
Confirmed AFCAT 01/2027 Schedule from the Short Notice
Registration Window
Online applications for AFCAT 01/2027 will be accepted from 12 November 2026 (11:00 AM) to 11 December 2026 (11:30 PM) through the official AFCAT portal. The window covers three routes: AFCAT Entry, NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry.
Entries and Branches Covered
| Entry | Branches | Written AFCAT Exam? |
|---|---|---|
| AFCAT Entry | Flying Branch (SSC), Ground Duty (Technical) and Ground Duty (Non-Technical) | Yes |
| NCC Special Entry | Flying Branch | No, candidates go directly to AFSB testing |
| GATE Score Entry | Ground Duty (Technical) | No, shortlisting is based on the GATE score cut-off |
Final branch-wise vacancies have not been published. The short notice only says that vacancies will be as given in the notification for induction cycle 01/2027, so wait for the detailed notification before relying on any vacancy number.
Application Fee
The application fee for AFCAT Entry is ₹550 plus GST and it is non-refundable. No fee is charged for NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry. The fee is paid online through the application portal.
Course Commencement
Training for the AFCAT 01/2027 batch is scheduled to begin in the first week of January 2028 at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, Hyderabad. This is also the reference date for age: eligibility is counted as on 1 January 2028. You can check the full DOB range for each branch in our guide to the AFCAT 1 2027 age limit.
Expected AFCAT 1 2027 Exam Date: How We Worked It Out
The IAF has followed a very consistent pattern in its two most recent cycles. In both, the written exam was held on a Saturday, exactly 48 days after the final closing date of online registration. The official dates are below.
| Cycle | Registration Window (official) | Admit Card From | Exam Date (official) | Course Starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFCAT 01/2026 | 17 Nov 2025 to 14 Dec 2025 (revised from 10 Nov to 9 Dec 2025) | 22 Jan 2026 (11:00 AM) | 31 Jan 2026 (Saturday) | January 2027 |
| AFCAT 02/2026 | 20 May 2026 to 21 Jun 2026 (extended from 19 Jun 2026) | 4 Aug 2026 (11:00 AM) | 8 Aug 2026 (Saturday) | July 2027 |
| AFCAT 01/2027 | 12 Nov 2026 to 11 Dec 2026 | Expected: January 2027 | Expected: late Jan or early Feb 2027 | January 2028 |
If the same gap is applied to AFCAT 01/2027, with registration closing on 11 December 2026, the exam would fall around 28 January 2027. The nearest Saturdays are 23 January, 30 January and 6 February 2027. Based on past cycles, the AFCAT 1 2027 exam is therefore expected in the last week of January or the first week of February 2027. This is an estimate only. If the registration window is revised or extended, as happened in both 2026 cycles, the exam date can move as well.
A useful rule of thumb: begin your final revision in early January 2027, so that you are ready even if the exam is announced for the earlier end of this range.
AFCAT 1 2027 Admit Card: Expected Timeline
The admit card is released only for AFCAT Entry candidates, because NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry candidates do not take the written exam. In recent cycles, the admit card was made available from 11:00 AM on 22 January 2026 for the 31 January 2026 exam, and from 11:00 AM on 4 August 2026 for the 8 August 2026 exam. In other words, it came out roughly four to nine days before the exam.
For AFCAT 1 2027, expect the admit card in January 2027, about a week before the exam. In the last two cycles the IAF also sent an exam city intimation to candidates’ registered email ID and mobile number before the admit card. That intimation is not an admit card, but it helps you plan travel early.
- Download the admit card only from the candidate login on afcat.edcil.co.in.
- Check your name, photograph, date of birth, exam centre and reporting time carefully.
- Carry the printed admit card along with a valid original photo ID to the exam centre.
- Keep your registered email ID and mobile number active throughout the selection process.
AFCAT Exam Day Schedule (Based on Recent Cycles)
The exam day timings for AFCAT 01/2027 will be confirmed in the detailed notification. For reference, the AFCAT 01/2026 exam on 31 January 2026 was held in a single shift with the following official schedule.
| Activity | Time (AFCAT 01/2026) |
|---|---|
| Candidate reporting time | 8:00 AM |
| Gate closing time | 9:30 AM |
| Verification of admit card and ID, biometrics, photograph and seating | 8:00 AM to 9:45 AM |
| Reading of instructions | 9:45 AM to 10:00 AM |
| Conduct of AFCAT | 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon |
The notification also made it clear that candidates are not allowed to enter the centre once pre-exam verification has started, and they cannot leave the exam hall before the exam ends. Plan to reach your centre well before the reporting time.
AFCAT Exam Pattern to Prepare For
The exam pattern for AFCAT 01/2027 will be confirmed in the detailed notification. In the AFCAT 01/2026 and 02/2026 cycles, the official pattern was as follows.
| Feature | Details (AFCAT 01/2026 and 02/2026) |
|---|---|
| Mode | Online, objective type |
| Subjects | General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test |
| Number of questions | 100 |
| Maximum marks | 300 |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Marking scheme | +3 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong answer, 0 for unattempted questions |
| Language | English only |
If the exam is held in more than one shift, the IAF normalises the marks across shifts before preparing the result, as described in recent notifications. Because of negative marking, accuracy matters as much as speed. Attempt questions you are reasonably sure about and avoid blind guessing.
What Happens After the AFCAT 1 2027 Exam
Result and Cut-Off
The result is published through the candidate login on the AFCAT portal. For reference, the AFCAT 02/2026 exam was held on 8 August 2026, and by 10 September 2026 the result had been declared and AFSB seat selection had opened, which is a gap of about a month. On a similar timeline, the AFCAT 1 2027 result can be expected around late February to March 2027, depending on the actual exam date.
AFSB Seat Selection and Interview
Candidates who clear the written exam, along with eligible NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry candidates, choose their AFSB date and centre through the portal from the available slots. In the AFCAT 02/2026 cycle, seat selection was open from 5:00 PM on 10 September 2026 to 11:59 PM on 14 September 2026, and candidates had to download their call-up letter and mandatory forms after booking. AFSB testing includes a Stage I screening (Officer Intelligence Rating test and Picture Perception and Discussion Test), followed by Stage II psychological tests, group tasks and the personal interview. Flying Branch candidates also go through the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS).
Medicals and Merit List
Recommended candidates undergo a medical examination as per IAF standards. The final merit list is prepared on the basis of overall performance, and joining instructions are issued to selected candidates for the course starting in January 2028.
AFCAT 1 2027 Preparation Plan Around the Expected Dates
| Period | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 12 November to 11 December 2026 | Register early, fill the form carefully and pay the fee. Do not wait for the last day. |
| December 2026 | Finish the syllabus: General Awareness, Verbal Ability, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning and Military Aptitude. |
| Early January 2027 | Full-length mock tests and revision of weak areas; watch the portal for the exam city intimation. |
| About a week before the exam | Download the admit card and confirm the centre address and reporting time. |
| After the exam | Start AFSB preparation straight away: OIR, PP&DT, psychological tests, GTO tasks and interview. |
Before you apply, confirm your eligibility. Age is counted as on 1 January 2028, and the Flying Branch window is narrower than the Ground Duty window. Our AFCAT age limit guide explains the exact DOB range for each branch, the CPL relaxation for the Flying Branch and the rules on DOB proof.
Important Points to Keep in Mind
- Apply only through the official AFCAT portal, afcat.edcil.co.in.
- Enter your date of birth exactly as in your Class 10 certificate. The notification treats details such as DOB as final once submitted.
- Aadhaar is mandatory for registration, as per the short notice.
- Candidates must be unmarried at the start of the course, and marriage is not permitted during training.
- Use an email ID and mobile number that will stay active until the end of the selection process, because the exam city intimation and other updates are sent there.
- Read the detailed notification in full once it is released, because the exam date, vacancies and educational criteria will be confirmed only there.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the AFCAT 1 2027 exam date?
The IAF has not announced it yet. Based on the official dates of AFCAT 01/2026 and 02/2026, the AFCAT 1 2027 exam is expected in the last week of January or the first week of February 2027, most likely on a Saturday. The confirmed date will come in the detailed notification.
2. When does AFCAT 1 2027 registration start and end?
As per the AFCAT 01/2027 short notice, online registration runs from 12 November 2026 (11:00 AM) to 11 December 2026 (11:30 PM) on afcat.edcil.co.in.
3. When will the AFCAT 1 2027 admit card be released?
It is expected in January 2027, about a week before the exam. In the last two cycles, the admit card came out four to nine days before the exam date.
4. Has the detailed AFCAT 01/2027 notification been released?
Not as on 11 November 2026. Only the short notice is out. The detailed notification with the exam date, vacancies and full eligibility is awaited on the official portal.
5. How many questions are asked in the AFCAT exam?
In the recent official pattern, AFCAT has 100 objective questions for 300 marks in 2 hours, with 3 marks for each correct answer and 1 mark deducted for each wrong answer.
6. When will the AFCAT 1 2027 batch start training?
The course is scheduled to begin in the first week of January 2028 at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, Hyderabad.
Conclusion
The AFCAT 01/2027 cycle is now under way. Registration opens on 12 November 2026 and closes on 11 December 2026, and the course will begin in January 2028. The exam date itself has not been announced, but the official dates of the last two cycles point to an exam in the last week of January or the first week of February 2027. Use that window to plan your preparation, register well before the deadline and keep checking the official AFCAT portal for the detailed notification.
This page will be updated with the confirmed AFCAT 1 2027 exam date, admit card date and other details as soon as the IAF releases the detailed notification.
