Career Quips: AFCAT 2012 Notification, Eligibility & Forms

Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT-2012) notification came out last week with the last date for application as 13th January, 2012. The written exam for AFCAT 2012 would be conducted on 26th February, 2012. Both men and women can apply for this recruitment exam.

Click here to download AFCAT 2012 Notification for Men.
Click here to download AFCAT 2012 Notification for Women.

This blog article encapsulates salient points in above notifications to help you apply for the same as well so as to archive it as reference material for future AFCAT exams like AFCAT 2013/AFCAT 2014. Another follow-up blog article titled: AFCAT Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Sample Papers & Books would help you prepare for this exam.

But before that let us know about AFCAT in brief.

What is AFCAT?

AFCAT is a common recruitment exam conducted by IAF (Indian Air Force) every year in the month of March & August, exam notification for which comes out in the months of December/January and June/July every year. The March exam of any year is conducted for the training course that would commence from January next year. While for the August exam, the course commence from July next year. For example, August 2011 AFCAT is being conducted for the courses that will commence in July 2012.

It is called a Common Admission Test as it is conducted for all three branches of Indian Air Force. i.e. Flying Branch, Technical Branch and Ground Duty Branches in a single exam.

AFCAT training course duration is: for Flying & Technical branch 74 weeks (1 and 1/2 year) and for Ground Duty branch 52 weeks (1 year) in Air Force training establishments. AFCAT is conducted for SSC (Short Service Commission) in Flying Branch and both SSC as well as PSC (Permanent Service Commission) for Technical Branch and Ground Duty Branches.

Salary offered post AFCAT, after training period:

After successful completion of the training, you are commissioned as a Flying Officer with following approximate gross salaries:

Flying Branch: Rs. 59,466/=
Technical Branch: Rs. 50,716/=
Ground Duty Branch: Rs. 48,216/=

You are also entitled to get other benefits like free furnished accommodation, rations, medical benefits, LTC etc.

Eligibilities for AFCAT:
So are you interested to join IAF through AFCAT? If yes, than check the eligibilities by going through the blog post of mine titled: AFCAT eligibilities.

Selection process for AFCAT:

At first you have to appear in AFCAT exam to be conducted on 26th February, 2012. On being selected in AFCAT, you would be called for AFSB (Air Force Selection Board) Interview.

On being selected in Stage-1 & 2 of AFSB Interview, if you had appeared for flying branch or technical branch you have to undergo one more written test- PABT (Pilot Aptitude Battery Test) for flying branch and EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test) for technical branch. There is no further written test for Ground Duty Branches after Stage-1 & 2 of AFSB Interview.

You can learn more about AFCAT Selection process in my blog post titled: AFCAT Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Sample Papers & Books.

AFCAT 2011 Application Form:
You have to apply for AFCAT exam in the application form prescribed by IAF.
Click here to download AFCAT 2012 Application Form for Men.
Click here to download AFCAT 2012 Application Form for Women.

How to fill the AFCAT application form is given very clearly in following page:
Click here to download instructions for filling AFCAT 2012 Application Form.

AFCAT Test Centres:
Where are the AFCAT test conducted? The list is given below:

AFCAT test centres under Western Air Command:

Ambala, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Delhi, Jammu, Nal (Bikaner), Srinagar, Surathgarh, Sirsa, Sarsawa, Pathankot.

AFCAT test centres under Eastern Air Command:

Chabua, Guwahati, Bagdogra, Jorhat, Kolkata, Shillong, Silchar, Tezpur, Kalaikunda, Hashimara.

AFCAT test centres under Central Air Command:
Agra, Allahabad, Barielly, Gorakhpur, Gwalior, Lucknow, Patna, Varanasi.

AFCAT test centres under South Western Air Command:
Ahmedabad, Barmer, Jamnagar, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Mumbai, Pune, Vadodara.

AFCAT test centres under Southern Air Command:
Thiruvananthapuram, Sulur (Coimbatore), Kochi, Thanjavur.

AFCAT test centres under Headquarters Maintenance Command, Nagpur:
Nagpur, Ojhar (Nasik).

AFCAT test centres under Headquarters Training Command,Karnataka:
Bangalore, Belgaum, Bidar, Chennai, Hyderabad.

AFCAT 2012 Important Dates:
Date of AFCAT 2012 Notification: 10th December, 2011.
Last date for receipt of AFCAT 2011 FORMS: 13th January, 2012.
(For remote areas: 20th January, 2012)
Date of AFCAT 2012 exam: 20th February, 2012.

Next AFCAT 2012 Exam Date Notification:
Some of you may want to appear in AFCAT again and hence would like to know what would be the exam date for the next AFCAT date. Each year AFCAT is held twice - in February & in August. For the AFCAT August 2012 exam, please check this website in June/July 2012.

Hope with above information you can apply confidently for AFCAT 2012 February exam. How to prepare for AFCAT? Find this in my subsequent blog post titled: AFCAT Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Sample Papers & Books.