Indian Air Force AFCAT Officer Recruitment Eligibility Criteria 2026

Flying Branch: Graduation (3-year degree) in any discipline with 60% marks and passed Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level.

Ground Duty (Technical): Engineering degree (4-year course) with 60% marks in specific streams like Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical, or Electronics.

Ground Duty (Non-Technical): Graduation with 60% marks or Post-Graduation with 50% marks depending on the specific department.

For the Flying Branch, candidates must be aged between 20 and 24 years. For Ground Duty branches, the age limit is between 20 and 26 years as of the official cutoff date specified in the notification.

1. Online AFCAT Examination.
2. Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT) for Technical Branch candidates.
3. AFSB Testing (Stage I: OIR and PPDT; Stage II: Psychological, Group Tests, and Interview).
4. Medical Examination at Air Force Medical Establishments.
5. All India Merit List preparation.

• Upper Age Limit Relaxation: Candidates holding a valid Commercial Pilot License (CPL) issued by DGCA (India) may be granted relaxation up to 26 years for the Flying Branch.
• General Rule: No specific category-wise age relaxation (SC/ST/OBC) is applicable for AFCAT as per current IAF policy.