AFCAT eligibility rests on three numbers: you must be 20 or older, no older than 24 for the flying branch or 26 for ground duty, and hold a degree scoring 60% or more in most branches. On top of that, flying and technical aspirants need physics and mathematics at 10+2, and every candidate must meet Air Force height, vision and fitness standards at the selection board.
AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test) runs in two sittings every year, and each sitting has its own notification with exact birth date windows. The rules below follow the recent notifications. Read them branch by branch, because a BCom graduate and a BTech graduate qualify for very different entries.
Exam at a glance
Conducted by
Indian Air Force, two sittings a yearNationality
Citizen of IndiaAge, flying
20 to 24 years; 26 if you hold a current DGCA pilot licenceAge, ground duty
20 to 26 years (technical and non technical)Degree marks
Usually 60% in graduation; 50% each in physics and maths at 10+2 for flying and technicalMarital status
Must be unmarried if below 25 at course startMinimum height
162.5 cm for flying; 157.5 cm men and 152 cm women for ground dutyHow to apply
Online, through the AFCAT portal named in each notification
AFCAT eligibility at a glance by branch
Each branch has its own age band and degree rule. Your age is judged on the course start date, which is why every sitting prints its own fixed range of birth dates.
| Branch | Age band | Minimum qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Flying (pilot) | 20 to 24 (26 with a valid commercial pilot licence) | 50% each in maths and physics at 10+2, plus any three year degree with 60% or BE or BTech with 60% |
| Ground Duty (Technical): AE(L) and AE(M) | 20 to 26 | 50% each in physics and maths at 10+2, plus a four year engineering degree with 60% in a listed discipline |
| Ground Duty (Non Technical): Administration, Logistics | 20 to 26 | Any graduation with 60% |
| Ground Duty (Non Technical): Accounts | 20 to 26 | BCom with 60%, or other commerce and finance degrees listed in the notification |
| Meteorology entry | 20 to 26 | A postgraduate degree in a listed science stream with at least 50%, plus maths and physics in graduation |
The list of accepted engineering disciplines, commerce degrees and meteorology streams is long and gets revised now and then. Match your exact degree name with that table before paying any fee.
Eligibility for AFCAT exam: age limit explained
The lower limit is 20 for every branch. The upper limit is 24 for flying and 26 for ground duty. Holding a current commercial pilot licence from the DGCA gets the flying upper limit raised to 26.
Recent notifications keep the same age band for every category, including SC, ST and OBC. That is normal for officer entries in the armed forces, so do not count on a category benefit here.
Karan was born in March and turns 24 a few months before the flying course of the next sitting begins. He should compare his birth date with the window printed in that notification, not with his age on the day he applies. If he misses the flying window, he can still try ground duty until the 26 year limit.
Qualification rules and final year students
- Physics and mathematics at 10+2, with at least 50% in each, are compulsory for flying and for the technical branch. Science stream students with biology instead of maths cannot take these entries.
- The 60% mark applies to the degree as a whole. AMIE or Aeronautical Society of India associate membership (sections A and B) with 60% is accepted as an equivalent for some branches.
- Students in their last year can apply when they carry no backlog and keep the required percentage in the semesters completed so far. The final degree has to be produced by the cut off date set in that sitting's notice.
- A class 12 compartment cleared later is generally accepted if the subject marks meet the rule; confirm the exact wording in your notification.
NCC special entry and attempts
Holders of the NCC Air Wing Senior Division C certificate can apply through the NCC special entry for the flying branch. Recent notifications reserved 10% of flying seats in the regular courses for this entry. NCC entry candidates do not write the AFCAT paper but must meet the same age, degree and medical rules and clear the selection board.
There is no fixed cap on attempts in recent notifications. In practice your age band limits you: with two sittings a year, a graduate at 20 has several chances before reaching 24 or 26.
Marital status rules
Candidates below 25 at the start of the course must be unmarried. Widowers and divorcees below 25 are not treated as unmarried for this purpose. Candidates above 25 may apply while married, but they get no family accommodation and cannot live out with family during training. Marriage during training is not allowed, and a cadet who marries is discharged and asked to refund the training cost.
AFCAT physical eligibility: height, chest and vision
Physical standards are measured at the selection board stage and again in the medical exam, not at the written stage. The figures below come from the medical standards appendix of a recent notification.
| Standard | Flying branch | Ground duty |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum height | 162.5 cm | 157.5 cm for men, 152 cm for women |
| Body lengths | Sitting height 81.5 to 96 cm, leg length 99 to 120 cm, thigh length up to 64 cm | Not applicable |
| Chest | Well proportioned, minimum expansion of 5 cm | |
| Weight | Must match the age and height chart in the notification, within the allowed spread | |
| Vision | 6/6 in one eye and 6/9 in the other, no myopia allowed, colour perception CP I | Corrected vision and colour perception grade vary by branch (CP II or CP III) |
Height concessions apply to candidates from some hill and north eastern regions for ground duty. Weight above the chart may be accepted for documented sportspersons only within strict limits on BMI and waist size.
Laser eye surgery, tattoos and other medical conditions have detailed rules of their own. Read the medical standards appendix of the latest notification if any of these applies to you.
Fitness and documents to keep ready
Recent notifications advise candidates to be able to run 1.6 km in 10 minutes and to do 10 push ups and 3 chin ups before reporting to the selection board. Start building this stamina months ahead of your board date.
Keep these ready for the board: your class 10 certificate for birth date proof, the class 12 marksheet showing physics and maths marks, degree marksheets for every semester, the degree or a provisional certificate, NCC C certificate if you use that entry, and your pilot licence if you want the extended flying age.
Ananya, a BSc student in her last year, studied physics and maths and has 63% so far. She can apply for flying and ground duty now, but if her final result drops below 60% she loses the seat even after clearing the board, so her last semester matters as much as AFCAT practice.
Where AFCAT fits among defence entries
With eligibility settled, move to the AFCAT syllabus for the paper pattern and the EKT for technical candidates. Students yet to finish school can look at NDA eligibility, the earlier route into the Air Force, and graduates can compare the Air Force Academy entry through CDS eligibility. Other uniformed careers are listed on our defence and police page.
Frequently asked questions
What age band applies in AFCAT?
Flying needs you to be 20 to 24, while ground duty accepts 20 to 26. A current pilot licence from the DGCA lifts the flying ceiling to 26. Exact birth date windows appear in each sitting's notification.
Can I apply for AFCAT with 55% in graduation?
For most branches the degree must carry at least 60% marks, so 55% will not meet the rule. The meteorology entry looks at postgraduate marks of 50% instead. Check the latest notification for your branch.
Is physics and maths in class 12 compulsory for AFCAT?
Yes for flying and for technical ground duty, with at least 50% in each subject. Non technical branches such as administration, logistics and accounts do not need them.
Can girls apply for AFCAT?
Yes. Women can apply for flying as well as every ground duty branch. The minimum height for women in ground duty is 152 cm, while the flying branch needs 162.5 cm for everyone.
Do OBC or SC candidates get extra age in AFCAT?
Recent notifications give no category benefit on age. The only extension is for flying candidates who hold a commercial pilot licence.
How many times can I write AFCAT?
Recent notifications do not cap attempts. You can write it at every sitting while you fit the age band and degree rules of your branch.