AAI Junior Assistant Exam Pattern 2026: CBT, Driving Test and PET

The AAI Junior Assistant exam pattern has two stages. Stage 1 is a 2-hour Computer Based Test (CBT) of 100 marks, split equally between subject knowledge and general sections. Stage 2 depends on the post: Junior Assistant (Fire Service) candidates face document verification, a medical, a driving test and a Physical Endurance Test (PET), while Office and HR candidates take a computer literacy test.

The pattern below follows the last official regional notifications of the Airports Authority of India (Northern, Western, Eastern and North Eastern cycles of 2024 to 2025, and the Southern cycle of 2023). No new Junior Assistant notification has been released in 2026 so far. The key point for time use: merit comes from the CBT alone, and there is no negative marking.

AAI Junior Assistant Exam Pattern at a Glance

Stage 1: AAI Junior Assistant CBT Pattern

The notifications give a 50% and 50% weightage and a total of 100 marks. They do not state the number of questions, so treat any fixed question count you see elsewhere as unofficial. The paper is offered in Hindi and English for these posts.

Minimum qualifying marks in the CBT

Clearing the minimum does not guarantee a call for Stage 2. In recent cycles AAI shortlisted candidates at five times the category-wise vacancies, so the real shortlisting marks were much higher. See the AAI Junior Assistant cut-off page.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

• No negative marking: all recent notifications state that wrong answers carry no deduction.

• Blank answers: earn nothing, so a blank is never better than a reasoned guess.

• Tie-break: if totals are equal, the older candidate ranks higher; if dates of birth match, the higher Part A score ranks higher.

What the Pattern Means for You

• Attempt every question: with no penalty, leave nothing blank in the last minutes.

• Part A carries extra weight in ties: 10th-level mathematics and science are worth securing early.

• Aim far above the minimum: the 2025 Northern Region UR shortlisting mark was 79, against a minimum of 50.

• Balance speed and accuracy: with 2 hours for 100 marks, timed practice matters more than covering extra topics.

Stage 2: Junior Assistant (Fire Service)

1. Biometric attendance and document verification: including your original driving licence.

2. Physical measurement and medical test: height, weight, chest (men) and eyesight standards.

3. Driving test: on a light motor vehicle.

4. Physical Endurance Test: five events, each worth up to 20 marks; you need 60 out of 100. Ex-Agniveers are exempt from the PET only.

PET events and standards

The five events are a 100 m run, a carrying event, pole climbing, rope climbing and ladder climbing. The carrying event differs by notification: the Eastern Region cycle used a 50 m sandbag carry (50 kg for men, 30 kg for women), while the Northern and Western cycles list casualty carrying. The table shows the Eastern Region (ER/01/2024) marks bands as an example.

The ladder is pitched at 6 m. There are no pro-rata marks and no second attempt, so a time between two bands earns the lower band. Standards can change between notifications, so check the PET annexure of your region's advertisement.

Stage 2: Junior Assistant (Office) and (HR)

Candidates who clear the CBT take a computer literacy test in MS Office, which is qualifying only, followed by document verification. Appointment is made in order of CBT merit, subject to passing this test. The notifications do not mention a typing speed test for these posts.

Final Merit Calculation

The final merit list is drawn from CBT marks only. The PET, driving test, medical and computer literacy test are pass or fail. For example, if candidate A scores 82 in the CBT and 64 in the PET, and candidate B scores 80 in the CBT and 96 in the PET, candidate A ranks higher because the PET does not add to merit. Fire Service recruits then complete an 18-week Basic Training Course with a stipend of Rs. 25,000 a month and a service bond.

Time Management and Exam-Day Strategy

• First pass: answer every question you can solve in under a minute.

• Second pass: return to longer arithmetic and reasoning questions.

• Last 5 minutes: mark a reasoned answer for anything left, since blanks score zero.

• Physical readiness: keep training through the CBT phase, because the PET call can come months later with short notice.

Older pages may still show a fixed question count or a Senior Assistant 70:30 split, so follow the official notification on the AAI recruitment page.