AFCAT — Syllabus & notes

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Syllabus and study notes

Revision & Exam Traps· 15 formulae · 11 traps

Percentages

Successive % changes never just add. A +20% then -20% leaves you at 96%, not 100% — apply them one after the other.

Profit & Loss

Profit % is on COST price unless stated otherwise; discount % is on MARKED price. Mixing the bases is the classic loss-of-marks.

Successive discount

Simple Interest

Compound Interest

Time, Speed & Distance

Average speed over equal distances is the harmonic mean 2v1v2/(v1+v2), NOT the simple average (v1+v2)/2.

Average speed

Time & Work

In time-and-work, add the RATES (1/a + 1/b), never the days. Adding times is wrong.

Averages

Permutations

Combinations

Probability

Progressions

Boats & Streams

Alligation

Interest

CI and SI are equal only for the first year. From year 2 onwards CI > SI — never reuse the SI figure.

Speed units

Convert km/h to m/s by multiplying 5/18 (not 18/5). Flipping it inverts your answer.

Counting

nPr counts ordered arrangements; nCr counts unordered selections. "Arrange/order" -> P, "choose/select" -> C.

Discounts

Two successive equal discounts of x% give (2x - x^2/100)% off, not 2x%.

Ratios

In ratio problems, scale by a common multiplier k. The ratio numbers are not the actual quantities.

Data Interpretation

Read DI graph axes and units before computing. A "% of total" question rarely wants the raw value.

Strategy

AFCAT has negative marking (-1). When you can’t eliminate at least one option, skipping usually beats guessing.

AFCAT Syllabus (2025)

4 subjects · 36 topics

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