The Indian Air Force’s AFCAT portal offers two model question papers with an answer key and an online mock test for download, and it does not publish the papers of past examinations on its download page. Candidates see their own question paper and answer key only on their login during a short objection window after the test. So when a website offers an AFCAT previous year question paper as a PDF, it is almost certainly a memory-based reconstruction, not an official paper. This page separates the two, shows what the Air Force does release, and adds our own section-wise reading of the model papers.
GS India Defence Academy is a private coaching academy in Dehradun and has no connection with the Indian Air Force. We link only to the portal’s own files, and we do not host or sell any paper. The notification for your cycle governs the pattern, and this page is a study aid.
What does the AFCAT portal actually offer?
The portal’s Download Papers and Answers page, which is also linked from the Selection menu, lists the following.
| Item on the portal | What it is |
|---|---|
| AFCAT Model Question Paper I | A 100-question paper in the AFCAT format, as a PDF |
| AFCAT Model Question Paper II | A second 100-question paper in the same format |
| Answer keys | The answer key for the model papers |
| Download All | A single bundle of the files above |
| Online Mock Test | A link from the portal’s Popular Links to an online mock test |
| Scheme of syllabus | A PDF giving the marking scheme and topics under the Guidelines page |
That is the whole of the Air Force’s public practice material on the page we checked. We found no question paper from an actual AFCAT sitting there. You can reach it through the portal’s Download Papers and Answers page.
What a candidate does receive is the paper they sat. For the August 2026 cycle (AFCAT 02/2026), the notification says the question paper with answer key and the candidate’s individual response are made available in the candidate’s login during the period of objection management, from 5 pm on 9 August 2026 to 5 pm on 11 August 2026, and that no query about them is entertained after that. The notification also says the question paper is made available to candidates only during the online examination. In short, the real paper reaches the person who sat it, for a few days, and not the public.
What is the official AFCAT pattern?
| Point | As stated in the AFCAT 02/2026 notification and the portal’s syllabus scheme |
|---|---|
| Papers | One online paper in English only, covering General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning and Military Aptitude Test |
| Questions and time | 100 questions in 2 hours |
| Maximum marks | 300 |
| Marking | 3 marks for each correct answer, 1 mark deducted for each wrong answer, nothing for unattempted questions |
| Standard | Numerical Ability at matriculation level; the other areas at graduation level |
| Shifts | Marks are normalised whenever there is more than one shift |
| Examinations in 2026 | AFCAT 01/2026 on 31 January 2026 and AFCAT 02/2026 on 8 August 2026 |
The portal’s selection page says the test is conducted twice a year, in February and August. The AFCAT 02/2026 notification does not describe a separate engineering knowledge paper. If a site sells papers with that label, check the notification for your own cycle before you spend time on them.
How are the two model papers built?
We went through both model papers. In each, questions 1 to 30 are English, questions 31 to 55 are general awareness, questions 56 to 75 are numerical ability and questions 76 to 100 are reasoning and military aptitude, and the instructions on the first page repeat the 3 marks and the one-mark deduction. This is our reading of the files, not an official statement, but it is a useful pacing frame.
| Questions | Area | What the model papers include |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 30 | English | Reading passages with questions, spotting errors in sentences, filling blanks, choosing the best word, idioms and phrases, rearranging jumbled sentence parts and one-word substitution |
| 31 to 55 | General awareness | History, geography, sports, awards, science, international organisations, defence and Air Force knowledge, and current affairs |
| 56 to 75 | Numerical ability | Decimals, work and time, averages and percentages, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, speed and distance |
| 76 to 100 | Reasoning and military aptitude | Figure-based questions, shapes and spatial patterns, series, coding and decoding, blood relations, symbols and operators, and letter groups |
Some general-awareness questions refer to events up to 2021, such as the Nobel Peace Prize of that year, so the current-affairs items in the model papers are dated. Use them for the question style and for English, numerical and reasoning practice, and take your current affairs from recent months.
Official papers, memory-based papers and what to do with each
| Kind of paper | How reliable is it? | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| The Air Force’s model papers and answer key | Official, but a model, and some content is dated | Take Paper I as a timed full test, Paper II a week later, and read the answer key line by line |
| Your own paper and answer key from your login | Official, and available for a few days only | Download it during the window if you sat the test, and review where time went |
| Memory-based papers on coaching and aggregator sites | Reconstructed from what candidates recall. Questions may be missing, reworded or wrongly keyed | Use for topic familiarity only. Do not treat a cut-off or a difficulty label derived from them as official |
| PDF files offered as the official paper of a past year | Cannot be confirmed from the portal’s download page | Do not rely on them and do not pay for them |
A memory-based paper can still help if you treat it honestly. Candidates leave the examination with a rough picture of the topics asked, and a good coaching team can turn that into practice questions. The risk is only in calling the result an official previous year paper.
A little arithmetic on the marking scheme
With three marks for a correct answer, minus one for a wrong one and four options per question, a pure guess is worth nothing on average: a one-in-four chance of three marks cancels a three-in-four chance of losing one. If you can remove one option with confidence, the odds turn slightly in your favour. If you cannot remove any, leaving the question blank costs nothing. Over 100 questions in 120 minutes you have about 72 seconds a question, which is why most candidates mark the passage and numerical items in a second pass. Test that plan on the model papers before you rely on it.
A practice plan that uses what exists
- Read the scheme of syllabus on the portal once, and mark the topics you have not touched.
- Sit Model Question Paper I in two unbroken hours, on paper, with the answer key closed. Score it with the 3 and minus 1 rule.
- List every wrong answer by area and by cause: not known, mis-read, or rushed. Fix the cause before you attempt the next paper.
- A week later, sit Model Question Paper II under the same conditions and compare the area scores.
- Use the portal’s online mock test to practise on screen, since the real examination is computer based.
- Keep a notebook of English errors and numerical shortcuts, and review it weekly.
The written test is only the first stage. Candidates who qualify choose an AFSB date and venue on the portal, and our guides to the 1 AFSB Dehradun board and the boards at Varanasi, Mysuru and Gandhinagar cover the next stage. For the dates of the next cycle, see our exam calendar, and for the difference between the entries, read NDA, CDS and AFCAT. We offer free counselling by phone or WhatsApp on +91 70170 31757 if you want help planning your AFCAT preparation.
Sources for this page
- Indian Air Force AFCAT portal: Download Papers and Answers (model question papers, answer key, bundle)
- Indian Air Force AFCAT portal: AFCAT scheme of syllabus (PDF)
- Indian Air Force: AFCAT 02/2026 notification (pattern, exam date, paper and answer key access)
- Indian Air Force: AFCAT 01/2026 notification (exam date)
- Indian Air Force AFCAT portal: selection process (two tests a year)
- Indian Air Force AFCAT portal: guidelines for candidates
Frequently asked questions
FAQs
Questions parents ask us.
Can't find yours? Ask on WhatsApp; a counsellor usually replies within working hours.
Ask on WhatsAppDoes the Air Force publish AFCAT previous year question papers?
On the portal's download page we found only two model question papers with an answer key, a bundle of them and an online mock test. Candidates see their own paper and answer key on their login for a few days after the test.
Where can I download the official AFCAT model papers?
On the AFCAT portal under Selection, in the Download Papers and Answers page. It lists Model Question Paper I, Model Question Paper II, the answer keys and a Download All option.
Are memory-based AFCAT papers official?
No. They are reconstructed from candidates' recall and may be incomplete or wrongly keyed. Use them for topic familiarity, not for cut-offs.
What is the AFCAT exam pattern?
One online paper of 100 questions in 2 hours for 300 marks, in English, covering General Awareness, Verbal Ability in English, Numerical Ability and Reasoning and Military Aptitude. Each correct answer gets 3 marks and each wrong answer loses 1.
Can I see my AFCAT question paper after the exam?
For the August 2026 cycle, the notification says the paper with answer key and your response were available in your login from 5 pm on 9 August 2026 to 5 pm on 11 August 2026. Queries after that were not entertained.
Is there a separate EKT paper in AFCAT?
The AFCAT 02/2026 notification describes a single paper and does not mention a separate engineering knowledge test. Always read the notification for your own cycle.
To practise for the written paper and the AFSB together, see our AFCAT coaching in Dehradun, which is classroom based, with separate hostels and a mess for boys and girls. Call +91 70170 31757 or message us on WhatsApp for batch dates.
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