Checked 25 September 2026. Pattern and syllabus from the AFCAT 02/2026 notification. Cut-offs are not published by IAF on a public page; the figures shown are reported by coaching sites. The plan is our suggestion.
AFCAT rewards speed and accuracy more than depth: Numerical Ability is set at Class 10 level, English at graduation level, and every wrong answer costs a mark. A late-January 2027 exam, if the 01/2027 cycle follows the last one, is about 18 weeks away: start the 12-week plan by early November, and use the weeks before that for a baseline mock and the basics. This plan splits your time across the four subjects, builds in timed papers, and shows how to set a target score when the Air Force publishes no cut-off.
AFCAT 02/2026 notification; our plan.
How the hours are split
Our split. The notification gives no section weights, so this reflects difficulty and scope: Numerical Ability and English improve fastest with practice.
AFCAT hours planner
Choose your likely exam day and how many hours a week you can study. The planner counts the weeks left from today and splits your total hours across the paper.
Exam dates here are projections for 01/2027 (late January or mid-February) and 02/2027 (August), from the pattern of recent cycles; replace them when the notification is out.
The 12 weeks
| Weeks | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Baseline mock; Numerical Ability basics (percentages, ratio, profit and loss, interest); English vocabulary daily |
| 3–4 | Time and work, time and distance, trains, boats; reading comprehension and error detection |
| 5–6 | Mensuration, number series, statistics, probability; idioms, one-word substitution, cloze tests; first full mock |
| 7–8 | Reasoning (verbal and non-verbal); General Awareness — polity, history, geography |
| 9–10 | Defence and current affairs (last 6–8 months); weekly full mocks |
| 11–12 | Two mocks a week; revise weak topics; AFSB fitness routine begins |
Our plan. Keep 20 minutes of English vocabulary and 20 minutes of mental arithmetic every day throughout — they compound.
Subject by subject
| Subject | How to study |
|---|---|
| Numerical Ability | Daily timed sets of 15–20 questions; learn shortcuts for percentages, ratios and speed-distance-time; keep an error log |
| Verbal Ability in English | 20 new words and idioms a day; error-spotting rules; one reading passage a day under time |
| General Awareness | Static topics from a single compact source; defence and current affairs for the last 6–8 months |
| Reasoning and Military Aptitude | Mixed sets of verbal and non-verbal puzzles, especially figure-based questions, under time |
Our suggestions, built on the notification's syllabus and standard (Numerical Ability at Class 10 level, others at graduation level).
A sample week
| Day | Plan (about 2 h) |
|---|---|
| Mon, Wed, Fri | Numerical Ability set + English vocabulary + one GA topic |
| Tue, Thu | Reasoning set + reading comprehension + current affairs |
| Sat | Full 100-question mock in 120 minutes (from week 6), about 3 hours with review of the section times |
| Sun | Review every wrong answer; update the error log; light fitness |
About 15 hours a week, the pace this plan assumes. Before week 6, use Saturdays for a sectional mock instead of a full paper.
Using your baseline mock
Week 1 starts with a full timed paper before any study. It tells you two things no plan can: which subject costs you the most marks, and whether your problem is knowledge or speed. If your accuracy is high but you finish only 70 questions, the plan should lean towards timed practice; if you finish but get a third wrong, it should lean towards learning and fewer guesses. Re-weight the hours in the planner accordingly and repeat the baseline in week 6 to see what moved. Keep every mock's score by subject in one table; the trend over weeks is more useful than any single result.
Setting a target score
| Cycle | Reported cut-off (out of 300) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| AFCAT 02/2026 | 135 | Also reported: 115 for AE(L) and 85 for AE(M), likely branch-specific second cut-offs |
| AFCAT 01/2026 | 110 | The same pages mention an EKT cut-off, which cannot be right — there was no EKT |
| 2024 (cycle not specified) | 137 | |
| 2023 | 155 | |
| 2022 | 157 |
Reported by coaching sites (PW, Adda247), not published by IAF: the portal only says cut-offs are visible in each candidate's login, and the notification says IAF fixes them at its discretion and may set a branch-wise second cut-off. Treat these as a rough range, not a target, and remember the AFSB counts too — the written score gets you there and then forms part of the final merit.
Reported figures only (PW, Adda247). IAF publishes no public cut-off.
Because the cut-off moves between roughly 110 and 160 in reported figures, a sensible target is to score comfortably above the recent top of that range in your final mocks — around 165–180 out of 300 — which is, for example, 62 correct and 10 wrong. The AFSB then decides most of the final merit, so the written exam's job is to get you there with room to spare.
AFCAT score calculator (+3 / −1)
Enter how many of the 100 questions you got right and wrong in a mock. Unattempted questions score zero.
Scoring from the AFCAT 02/2026 notification: 3 marks for a correct answer, minus 1 for a wrong one. IAF publishes no cut-off on a public page; treat reported past cut-offs only as a rough guide.
The final fortnight
In weeks 11 and 12, add nothing new. Sit two full mocks a week under exam conditions — 1000 to 1200 if you can, since that is the real slot — and spend the other days on your error log and the last months of current affairs. Check the practical items early: admit card, ID documents, travel to the centre, and the reporting time of 0800 with the gate closing at 0930.
Fitness alongside study
The AFSB follows the written result by only a few weeks, and the notification advises being able to run 1.6 km in 10 minutes and do 10 push-ups and 3 chin-ups by then; the Academy expects much more (4 km in 15 minutes, 20 push-ups and sit-ups, 8 chin-ups, a rope climb and a 25 m swim). Thirty minutes of running and strength work on most days of the plan costs little study time and saves a scramble after the result.
Accuracy beats volume
| Strategy | Score |
|---|---|
| 70 attempted, 55 right, 15 wrong | 150 |
| 85 attempted, 60 right, 25 wrong | 155 |
| 60 attempted, 55 right, 5 wrong | 160 |
Our arithmetic under +3/−1. Fewer, surer answers can beat more attempts: cutting 10 wrong guesses is worth as much as three extra right answers. Answer when you can eliminate at least one option; skip blind guesses.
Review each mock by sorting mistakes into four kinds — did not know, careless slip, misread, and ran out of time — and fix them differently: learn the first, slow down for the second and third, and practise speed for the fourth. Blind guesses show up as a fifth kind: if they are costing you marks, stop making them.
Mistakes that cost marks
- Preparing for an EKT. It is not in the current notifications.
- Blind guessing. Expected value zero; it only adds risk.
- Ignoring defence current affairs. Defence is a named General Awareness topic.
- No timed mocks. 72 seconds a question is tight for Numerical Ability.
- Leaving fitness to after the result. The AFSB is weeks after the written exam.
Practise it, don't just read it
Numerical Ability and English improve fastest with daily practice. Short timed quizzes are the core of this plan.
The ProSyllabus AFCAT library has topic quizzes for Synonyms and Antonyms, Idioms and Phrases, Reading Comprehension, English, Numerical Ability, Number Series, Profit and Loss, Simple and Compound Interest, Time, Distance, Trains and Boats, General Awareness and Defence and Armed Forces. Each question comes with an explanation.
How should I prepare for AFCAT in 3 months?
Split time across Numerical Ability, English, General Awareness and Reasoning, practise daily, and sit a full timed 100-question mock every week from week 6, reviewing every wrong answer.
What is the AFCAT cut-off?
IAF does not publish it on a public page; it is shown in candidates' logins. Coaching sites reported 135 for 02/2026 and 110 for 01/2026, out of 300.
What is a safe score in AFCAT?
There is no official figure. Reported cut-offs have ranged from about 110 to 160; aim for 165–180 in your final mocks to be comfortable.
Is AFCAT tough?
The questions are school- to graduation-level; the challenge is 100 questions in 120 minutes with negative marking. Speed and accuracy, built through timed practice, decide the score.
How many hours a day should I study for AFCAT?
This plan assumes about 15 hours a week — two hours on weekdays and three on a weekend day. Consistency matters more than long sessions, because vocabulary and arithmetic speed build daily.
Should I attempt all 100 AFCAT questions?
Not necessarily. Under +3/−1 marking, skipping true blind guesses is sensible; answer when you can eliminate at least one option.
Are old AFCAT papers useful?
Yes for question style. The portal's model papers date from 2015, so use recent full-length mocks for timing and the current syllabus.
How many mock tests should I take for AFCAT?
In this plan, one full 100-question mock a week from week 6 and two a week in the last fortnight — about eight in all — each followed by a full review.
How much current affairs is needed for AFCAT?
General Awareness lists current affairs (national and international) and defence; cover the last six to eight months before the exam, alongside static topics.
Which subject should I focus on for AFCAT?
Whichever your baseline mock shows is weakest. For most candidates, Numerical Ability and English gain most from daily practice.
Sources
- official — IAF — AFCAT 02/2026 notification
- official — AFCAT portal (afcat.edcil.co.in)
- official — AFCAT portal — model question papers
- reported — PW — AFCAT cut-off (reported figures)
- reported — Adda247 — AFCAT 2 2026 result and cut-off (reported)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
