IAF recruitment 340 officers,last date to apply 19th dec
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has released the official notification for the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) 01/2026 to recruit 340 officers across Flying Branch, Ground Duty (Technical), Ground Duty (Non-Technical), and NCC Special Entry branches.
According to the notification, the online application process will open on November 17, 2025, and close on December 19, 2025. The AFCAT 01/2026 examination has been scheduled to be conducted on January 31, 2026. Eligible candidates are required to apply through the official AFCAT website, afcat.edcil.co.in.
A total of 340 vacancies have been notified under various entries. Recruitment will be carried out for both Short Service Commission (SSC) and Permanent Commission (PC), wherever applicable.
Under the AFCAT Entry – Flying Branch, vacancies have been notified for SSC for men and women.
For the Ground Duty (Technical) Branch, recruitment will be conducted for Aeronautical Engineer (Electronics) and Aeronautical Engineer (Mechanical) streams under both PC and SSC for men and women.
Under the Ground Duty (Non-Technical) Branch, vacancies have been announced in Weapon Systems, Administration, Logistics, Accounts, Education, and Meteorology branches for SSC entries for men and women.
In addition, recruitment under the NCC Special Entry (Flying Branch) will be carried out, with 10 per cent of seats reserved from CDSE vacancies for Permanent Commission and 10 per cent from AFCAT vacancies for Short Service Commission.
Educational qualifications vary by branch.
For the Flying Branch, candidates are required to have completed graduation with Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level or must hold a BE/B.Tech degree.
For the Ground Duty (Technical) Branch, a BE or B.Tech degree in the specified engineering disciplines is mandatory.
For the Ground Duty (Non-Technical) Branch, candidates must possess a graduation or post-graduation degree in relevant disciplines such as Administration, Accounts, Logistics, or Education, depending on the branch applied for.
The age limit has been specified as of January 1, 2027.
For the Flying Branch, candidates must be between 20 and 24 years, that is, born between January 2, 2003, and January 1, 2007 (both dates inclusive). The upper age limit is relaxable up to 26 years for candidates holding a valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India.
For Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) Branches, candidates must be between 20 and 26 years, that is, born between January 2, 2001, and January 1, 2007 (both dates inclusive).
Selected candidates will be commissioned in the rank of Flying Officer and will be placed in Pay Level 10 of the Defence Pay Matrix, with a pay scale of Rs 56,100 to Rs 1,77,500 per month.
A Military Service Pay (MSP) of Rs 15,500 will be applicable as per rules. Flight Cadets undergoing training will receive a fixed stipend of Rs 56,100 per month during the one-year training period.
On commissioning, officers will be entitled to applicable allowances depending on the branch and place of posting, including flying allowance, technical allowance, transport allowance, and other risk or hardship-related allowances.
Candidates applying through the AFCAT entry will be required to pay an examination fee of Rs 550 plus GST, which is non-refundable. No application fee is applicable for candidates applying under the NCC Special Entry.
The selection process will be conducted through the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) testing system.
Stage I will include the Officer Intelligence Rating Test along with the Picture Perception and Discussion Test. This stage will serve as a screening test, and only those candidates who qualify will be allowed to proceed further. Document verification will be conducted for all Stage I qualified candidates to confirm eligibility.
Candidates who fail to qualify in Stage I or do not meet the prescribed eligibility conditions will be sent back on the same day.
Stage II testing will include psychological tests conducted on the first day (evening), followed by group tests and interviews conducted over the next five days.
• Start of online application: November 17, 2025
• Last date to apply online: December 19, 2025
• AFCAT 01/2026 examination: January 31, 2026
Candidates have been advised to read the detailed notification carefully before applying to ensure compliance with eligibility conditions and application guidelines.