AFCAT 1 2027 Notification: Form Opens 12 November – Dates, Eligibility and Exam Pattern
AFCAT 01/2027 form opens 12 Nov 2026 for January 2028 courses. Official AFCAT notice facts on eligibility, exam pattern and vacancies, plus a 12-week plan.
Some students know they want the sky long before they know which exam will take them there. If you are one of them, mark 12 November 2026. That is when the online form for the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) 01/2027 is due to open, for officer courses that begin in January 2028.
Below is what has been announced, what the last two official AFCAT notices tell us, and what is still unconfirmed. We have kept those three apart, because a wrong date on a defence form can cost you a whole year.
A short notice for AFCAT 01/2027 appeared in Employment News in the first week of November 2026, as widely reported. It covers the Flying Branch, Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical), NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry:
| Event | AFCAT 01/2027 |
|---|---|
| Online form opens | 12 November 2026, 11:00 AM |
| Last date | 11 December 2026, 11:30 PM |
| Where to apply | afcat.edcil.co.in |
| Course begins | January 2028 |
| Exam date | Not yet announced |
Please note: when we checked the official portal on 8 November 2026, it still showed the AFCAT 02/2026 cycle, and the detailed AFCAT 01/2027 notification had not been posted yet. Confirm every date on afcat.edcil.co.in before you pay the fee.
For a sense of timing, AFCAT 01/2026 was held on Saturday, 31 January 2026 (AFCAT 01/2026 notice). A late-January or early-February 2027 exam would fit that pattern, but that is our expectation, not an official date.
You may already have seen “379 vacancies” for AFCAT 01/2027 online. That figure matches the total in the AFCAT 02/2026 notice exactly, so we would not rely on it until the detailed 01/2027 notice is out. For reference, here is the 02/2026 breakup (AFCAT 02/2026 notice):
| Branch (AFCAT 02/2026) | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Flying (SSC, men and women) | 35 |
| Ground Duty Technical – AE(L) and AE(M) | 211 |
| Ground Duty Non-Technical – WS, Admin, Logistics, Accounts, Education, Met | 107 |
| GATE Score Entry (Technical) | 26 |
| Total | 379 |
The notice itself calls these numbers tentative. NCC Special Entry takes 10% of the AFCAT seats for SSC in the Flying Branch.
Age – expected, not yet confirmed. AFCAT 01/2026 counted age as on 1 January 2027, for a January 2027 course. With the course now in January 2028, the same rule moves every window forward by one year:
| Branch | Age rule (2026 notices) | Expected birth-date window |
|---|---|---|
| Flying | 20 to 24 years | 2 January 2004 – 1 January 2008 |
| Flying, with a valid DGCA Commercial Pilot Licence | up to 26 years | 2 January 2002 – 1 January 2008 |
| Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) | 20 to 26 years | 2 January 2002 – 1 January 2008 |
Education (from the AFCAT 02/2026 notice):
Final-year students can apply if they have no current backlog when they apply. Candidates must be unmarried when the course begins, and anyone who failed the CPSS (pilot aptitude test) in an earlier attempt cannot apply for the Flying Branch.
Both 2026 notices describe a single online paper, in English only:
| Item | Details (AFCAT 2026 notices) |
|---|---|
| Subjects | General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning and Military Aptitude |
| Questions | 100 objective questions |
| Marks | 300 (3 marks for a correct answer) |
| Negative marking | 1 mark deducted for each wrong answer; no marks for unattempted questions |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Fee | Rs. 550 + 18% GST (not charged for NCC Special Entry or GATE Score Entry) |
Neither 2026 notice lists a separate Engineering Knowledge Test, so check the 01/2027 notice for any change before you plan around it. Candidates who clear the written test go to an Air Force Selection Board (AFSB). On commissioning, a Flying Officer is paid at Level 10 (Rs. 56,100 – 1,77,500) plus Rs. 15,500 Military Service Pay, as per the 02/2026 notice.
If the exam does fall in late January or early February, you have roughly twelve weeks. Here is a calm way to use them:
Our article on AFCAT online vs offline preparation can help you choose how to study. If you have a tattoo, read our tattoo policy guide before you reach the AFSB.
AFCAT is a graduate’s entry. If you are still in school and want the Air Force, the NDA route opens earlier. See our NDA 1 2027 exam guide for the dates.
We run AFCAT coaching in Dehradun covering the written exam and AFSB preparation. The course details are on our AFCAT coaching in Dehradun page.
Every Air Force officer you have ever looked up to once filled in a form like this one, a little unsure and a little hopeful. Fill yours in early, check every date on the official portal, and give these twelve weeks everything you have.
Sources (checked 8 November 2026): IAF AFCAT 02/2026 notification; IAF AFCAT 01/2026 notification; AFCAT portal. The AFCAT 01/2027 application dates come from the short notice as reported; the exam date, vacancies and age windows remain unconfirmed until the detailed notification is published.
Share your details and choose your course. Our team at Cadets Defence Academy will get back to you.
The short notice, as reported, gives 12 November 2026 (11:00 AM) to 11 December 2026 (11:30 PM). Confirm the dates on afcat.edcil.co.in, the official portal.
The exam date has not been announced yet. AFCAT 01/2026 was held on 31 January 2026, so a late-January or early-February 2027 date is likely, but wait for the official notification.
Under the 2026 rules, Flying is 20 to 24 years (up to 26 with a DGCA Commercial Pilot Licence) and Ground Duty is 20 to 26 years. For a January 2028 course, that would mean candidates born between 2 January 2004 and 1 January 2008 for Flying. This is expected, not yet confirmed.
Yes. In the 2026 notices each correct answer earns 3 marks, each wrong answer loses 1 mark, and unattempted questions score zero. The paper has 100 questions for 300 marks in 2 hours.
Yes, going by the 2026 notices, provided they have no current backlog when they apply and submit proof of completing their final exams by the date the notice sets.
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