Indian Air Force Declares AFCAT 02/2026 Result, Shortlisted Candidates To Attend AFSB Interviews
The Indian Air Force has released the written examination result for AFCAT 02/2026, opening the next stage of recruitment for officers in the Flying Branch and Ground Duty cadres. Candidates who took the computer-based test on 8 August 2026 can now view their marks, qualifying status and the cut-off applicable to their entry by logging in to the official AFCAT candidate portal. Those who have cleared the written stage will now move on to Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) testing for courses scheduled to begin in July 2027.
The recruitment cycle covers Flying Branch, Ground Duty (Technical) and Ground Duty (Non-Technical) vacancies, along with NCC Special Entry and GATE Score Entry. In all, the Indian Air Force has notified 379 posts for this cycle, though the final distribution remains tentative and subject to service requirements.
Unlike a public merit list, the AFCAT 02/2026 result has been issued only through individual login. Candidates will therefore need their registered email address and password to access the scorecard. Those who have forgotten their password can use the “Forgot Password” option on the login page.
The official portal is afcat.edcil.co.in, and it is also accessible through related Indian Air Force career pages. After signing in, candidates can open the AFCAT 02/2026 result or scorecard section to check their marks, qualifying status and the cut-off for the relevant entry. The scorecard should be downloaded and preserved, as it will be required during AFSB reporting and document verification.
The written examination is conducted for a maximum of 300 marks. Heavy traffic was reported on the portal after the result was published, and candidates facing access problems have been advised to try again on a stable internet connection using an updated browser.
Cut-off details and GATE route
The qualifying cut-off is shown on each candidate’s individual scorecard, and the Indian Air Force has made clear that the status displayed there will be treated as final. Education portals tracking the result have reported an overall AFCAT 02/2026 written cut-off of 135 marks out of 300. Separate qualifying thresholds have also been cited for technical streams.
The service has also declared the cut-off for GATE Score Entry. Candidates who meet the prescribed minimum GATE score can proceed directly to AFSB under this route without having to qualify in the AFCAT written exam. They must still log in to the same portal, confirm their GATE Score Entry status and follow the instructions issued for AFSB.
NCC Special Entry candidates, subject to eligibility, will also be called for AFSB testing under the notified scheme.
Vacancies notified under AFCAT 02/2026
The 379 vacancies announced for AFCAT 02/2026 include posts across both flying and ground duty streams. The vacancy position notified is indicative and may change depending on final service requirements and the later stages of selection.
| Entry / Branch | Indicative vacancies |
|---|---|
| Flying Branch (AFCAT SSC) | 35 (30 men, 5 women) |
| Ground Duty (Technical) — AE(L) and AE(M), PC and SSC | Majority of the technical intake |
| Ground Duty (Non-Technical) — Administration, Logistics, Accounts, Education, Weapon Systems and Meteorology | About 107 |
| GATE Score Entry — Ground Duty (Technical) | 26 |
| NCC Special Entry — Flying | 10 per cent of relevant CDSE/AFCAT flying vacancies |
Final allocation will depend on merit, medical fitness, branch preference and the vacancies available at the time of completion of the selection process.
What happens next
Successful candidates will now be called for AFSB assessment. The boards are located at Dehradun (1 AFSB), Mysuru (2 AFSB), Gandhinagar (3 AFSB), Varanasi (4 AFSB) and Guwahati (5 AFSB). Shortlisted candidates must choose an available date and venue on the official portal to generate their AFSB call letter.
AFSB testing is conducted in two stages. Stage I consists of the Officer Intelligence Rating Test and the Picture Perception and Discussion Test. This is the screening stage, and candidates who do not qualify are sent back the same day. Stage II lasts four to five days and includes psychological tests, group tests conducted indoors and outdoors, and a personal interview. Flying Branch candidates also undergo the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS).
Those recommended by the board are then sent for medical examination. The All India Merit List is prepared on the basis of performance in the written examination, where applicable, and AFSB, subject to medical fitness and the availability of vacancies.
Recruitment timeline and training schedule
| Event | Schedule |
|---|---|
| Notification | 20 May 2026 |
| Application closing date (extended) | 21 June 2026 |
| Written examination | 8 August 2026 |
| Provisional answer key and objections | 11–13 August 2026 |
| Written result | 9 September 2026 |
| AFSB testing | October–December 2026 |
| Medical examination | November 2026–January 2027 |
| Final merit list | Around 1 June 2027 |
| Training commencement | July 2027 |
Training for Flying and Ground Duty (Technical) branches is expected to last about 62 weeks, while Ground Duty (Non-Technical) training is around 50 weeks. On completion, candidates are commissioned as Flying Officers in Level 10 of the Defence Pay Matrix, with pay of Rs 56,100–1,77,500, along with Military Service Pay and other admissible allowances.
Advice for shortlisted candidates
Candidates who have cleared the written stage are advised to complete AFSB date and venue selection as soon as the link becomes active. They should keep their original educational certificates, identity documents and NCC or GATE records ready, and maintain the prescribed level of physical fitness before reporting.
The service advises that candidates should be able to run 1.6 km in about ten minutes and should also be prepared for basic push-ups and chin-ups. First-time AFSB candidates are eligible for travelling allowance as per rules, subject to submission of valid tickets and bank details.
The Indian Air Force has said that all further instructions on call letters, reporting time, documents and medical standards will be issued only through the official AFCAT portal. Candidates have been advised to ignore unofficial result PDFs and rely solely on their individual login for updates.
