The Air Force Common Admission Test or AFCAT is conducted by the Indian Air Force to select candidates for various posts in IAF. Most specifically, candidates are selected for the Class-I Gazetted Officers post in Flying and Ground Duties (Technical and Non-Technical).

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This exam is held twice a year, specifically in February and August/September.

Indian Air Force has published the full notification of the AFCAT 1 2024 exam. As per the official notification, AFCAT 1 2024 written exam will be conducted in Feb 2024. Indian Air Force invites Indian citizens (Men and Women) to be part of this elite force as Group A Gazetted Officers in Flying and Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) branches. Online AFCAT examination will be conducted in Feb 2024.

Also Read: AFCAT 1 2024 Notification – Syllabus, Age Limits, Eligibility Criteria & Exam Date

Candidates will get their AFCAT exam date from one of these three dates. Each day there will be two shifts i.e. 1st shift and 2nd shift. Reporting time for Shift-1 is 07:30 hours and for Shift-2 it is 12:30 hours. Below you can check the details of AFCAT 1 2024 shift timings for shifts 1 and 2.

AFCAT is a gateway for all candidates who wish to join the Indian Air Force for  Short Service Commission in Flying Branch. Candidates can join the Permanent Commission/Short Service Commission on Ground Duties for both Technical and Non-Technical roles as well. All candidates who wish to join the Indian Air Force must go through a rigorous training process at the Air Force Academy, situated in Dundigal, Telangana. Check out more about the Air force Academy here. 

AFCAT Exam is conducted to grant two commissions. The details of the two commissions are as follows:-

1. Permanent Commission (PC) for Men: The candidates who join as PC officers will serve till the age of retirement in their respective branches as per their posts.
2. Short Service Commission (SSC) for Men & Women: 

• The engagement period for the Flying Branch of SSC Officers is 14 years from the date of Commissioning, which is non-extendable.
• The tenure for Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical) SSC Officers has been fixed for ten years. However, four years of extension is granted based on suitability, requirements and other factors. 

Candidates can star mark this site and checkout later, as we will upload the direct link to the notification and the notification here. 

Around 6-8 lakh candidates appear for the AFCAT exam, out of which only 10,000 candidates are called for in the AFSB interview process. The AFSB process eliminates some candidates in the interview process. Finally, a small percentage of candidates who appeared in the exam made it to the Air Force academy. So, it is one of the toughest exams in the defence field. The candidates who are thinking to appear for the AFCAT exam must work hard to get crack the AFCAT exam in first attempt. 

Also Check: AFCAT 1 2024 Syllabus & Age Limits

In this article, we will discuss 10 Tips to Crack the AFCAT exam in First Attempt. By following these tips, the candidates can make their AFCAT exam preparation easy and fast. The 10 tips to crack the AFCAT exam on the first attempt are as follows:-

1. Remember the syllabus for the AFCAT exam

The most important thing before appearing for any exam is to remember its syllabus. Candidates should always remember that the Air force authorities ask questions from the topics that are given in the syllabus. So, studying anything that is not in the syllabus is a waste of time and energy. To prevent the same mistake, it is advisable to remember the AFCAT syllabus carefully.

Getting a hold of the syllabus will clear out most of the doubts about when the candidates will start their preparation. If the candidate is unable to remember the AFCAT syllabus, then they can stick the syllabus near the study area to get hold of the topics to be studied. 

2. Memorize the AFCAT Exam Pattern

The AFCAT exam pattern is the second most important thing that candidates should remember. The candidate should be aware of the provisions of negative marking, total no. of questions, total sections etc. to perform better in the AFCAT  exam.

For the comfortability of the candidates, we have provided the AFCAT exam pattern in a tabular form for better and quicker understating.  

Exam	AFCAT	EKT (only for technical)
Mode of Exam	Online	Online
No. Of Questions	100	50
Duration of Exam	2 hours (120 minutes)	45 minutes
Maximum Marks	300	150
Sections in Paper	General Awareness, Numerical Ability and Reasoning, Verbal Ability in English,  and Military Aptitude Test	Mechanical, Computer Science and Electrical & Electronics
Negative Marking	1 mark	1 mark

Note:- 3 marks are allotted for every single correct answer, whereas 1 mark is deducted for every wrong answer. No marks were deducted for unattempted questions.

3. Solve Previous year question papers

Previous year question paper helped the candidates to practice and get command over the exam pattern. 

• Solving the AFCAT previous year question paper will help candidates in recognizing the past trend and pattern of the IAF in asking questions. 
• It will also help the candidates in recognizing their strong and weak areas so recognizing work more towards them. 
• Candidates must complete the previous year papers 2-3 months before attempting the AFCAT exam. 
• Attempting the previous year’s question paper on AFCAT has helped candidates in covering topics that they left behind. 

Candidates must complete the previous year paper of the AFCAT exam.

4. Attempt AFCAT mock tests 

Just like the previous year paper helped the candidates to get a knowledge of the past trends, the mock test paper helps the candidates to know the upcoming trend in asking questions in the exam.

• AFCAT Mock tests prepare candidates for unconditional questions in the AFCAT exam. 
• Solving the AFCAT mock tests will help the candidates to understand the AFCAT exam pattern and syllabus thoroughly. 
• It also helps in getting adapted as per the time limit prescribed for the AFCAT exam. 
• Attempting mock tests and solving them within the time limit will help in boosting the candidate’s morale and enthusiasm. 
• Hence, candidates must attempt AFCAT mock tests a month before the actual AFCAT exam. 

5. Make a realistic timetable 

Time management is very important when it comes to preparing for any competitive exam. The way a candidate manages his time matters a lot because there are a lot of distractions in the surroundings. Most candidates get involved in uncertain and unproductive activities that hamper their preparation and ultimately their AFCAT exam results. To prevent this, the candidates must make a realistic timetable, allocating various activities a definite time. It will help them to manage time and make the day more productive than usual. It will also help them in bringing consistency, which is another important factor while preparing for the AFCAT exam. 

6. Go for standard books and guides 

`the candidates who are preparing for the AFCAT exam by themselves must not rely on a single source. The AFCAT question paper consists of questions full of diversity but within the syllabus. That is why candidates are advised to go for standard and prescribed books for AFCAT. The prescribed books and guides will help the candidates in covering the AFCAT syllabus in a quick and efficient manner. Some trusted books for the preparation for the AFCAT exam are written below:- AFCAT Exam Online Course

7. Take online coaching

Online coaching helps the candidate in guiding and mentoring for any competitive exams. Mentorship is as important as self-study. After all, we all know that doing hard work in the right direction only will give the desired results. Candidates can take AFCAT online coaching and enhance their chances of cracking the AFCAT exam in first attempt. 

SSBCrackExams is India’s most trusted site which provides online coaching to all defence aspirants at a very minimal and pocket-friendly price. They impart knowledge through video lectures, one to one personal attention, and doubt solving classes with experienced faculty. The AFCAT course is designed in a student-friendly way which can help the students to understand the basics and advances of the AFCAT exam.

Check out the AFCAT course module on SSBCrackExams here. 

8. Find weak and strong areas

Every candidate has certain weak and strong areas that they recognize while preparing for the competitive exam. Our tip is to never run away or ignore the weak areas, instead work on those areas to make them stronger to gain more marks in the AFCAT exam. The strong areas are an advantage to a candidate, but the weak areas are the potential marks that can be achieved with a little more hard work and practice. So, it is better to work on the weak areas to create probabilities of getting more marks. 

9. Be aware of Current Affairs 

Current affairs have become a part of all competitive exams these days. The candidates need to keep an eye on current affairs through newspapers or monthly current affairs magazines. 

 Not everything can be covered by the standard books, the standard books only cover information till the day they were printed and bound. So current affairs should be done equally for the AFCAT exam without relying completely on the standard books and guides. 

10. Revision is the key

 All the preparation would hold no meaning if there were zero revisions. It is better to read a book rather than to read 10 books at a time. Fewer resources and more revision is the key to success in the AFCAT exam. 

The candidates should revise every week to get a stronghold of the contents that they have studied earlier. Revisions also create relevancy in the content that is being read earlier and which is being read. And relevancy is very important to get a clear picture of the topics. 

Conclusion

Above in the article, we have discussed 10 tips that can help candidates in cracking the AFCAT exam in their first attempt. These tips include revision, solving mock test papers, previous year question papers, understanding the exam pattern and syllabus etc.

All these tips, as followed gracefully, can help the candidates in preparing for the AFCAT exam quickly and efficiently. However, tips and tricks only work when the candidates dedicate themselves to the preparation for the AFCAT exam. 

It is their hard work that speaks at the end of the day. Hope this article helps to solve all your queries. For any further guidance regarding any defence related exams, the candidates can refer to the website SSBCrackExams.com and clear their doubts anytime.