AFCAT 2026 Syllabus: Section-wise Topics and Study Plan

The AFCAT syllabus looks short on paper, but it spreads across four very different areas: English, General Awareness, Numerical Ability and Reasoning. Most candidates lose marks not because a topic was missing from their list, but because they did not know how deep to go in each one. This guide breaks the AFCAT 2026 syllabus into section-wise topics, tells you what to start with, and ends with a week-wise plan.
Table of Contents

1. AFCAT Syllabus at a Glance

2. Key Things to Know Before You Start

3. English Syllabus

4. General Awareness Syllabus

5. Numerical Ability Syllabus

6. Reasoning and Military Aptitude Syllabus

7. AFSB Stages: What Is Tested After the Written Exam

8. How the Written Syllabus Helps at AFSB

9. How to Split Your Two Hours

10. 12-Week Study Plan

A quick honesty note: the official notification lists specific topics for English, General Awareness and Numerical Ability, but names Reasoning only as "Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning" along with Military Aptitude. The detailed reasoning topics below therefore come from the pattern of questions seen in earlier papers, and we have labelled them that way. Always cross-check the final list on the official site, afcat.edcil.co.in, before you finalise your plan.

AFCAT Syllabus

The written paper has 100 questions to be solved in 2 hours. Each correct answer earns 3 marks and each wrong answer costs 1 mark. The split below shows how the four sections are usually weighted; treat the question counts as indicative, because the notification does not fix them section by section.

Key Things to Know Before You Start

• One paper, no sections to choose. All four areas appear in a single online paper. There is no sectional time limit, so you decide how to split the two hours.

• Only Numerical Ability is at Class 10 level. A common myth says every subject is matriculation level. English, General Awareness and Reasoning are pitched at graduation level, so do not underestimate them.

• No official topic weightage. Any "most important topics" list you see online is based on past papers, not on an official statement. Use it as a guide, not a guarantee.

• The Engineering Knowledge Test (EKT). The 02/2026 notification describes only the 100-question paper above. Some third-party pages still list an EKT for technical branches. If you are applying for a technical branch, read the notification text for your branch on the official site before dropping EKT preparation.

• Calculators are not allowed. Build calculation speed through tables, squares and fraction conversions early.

English Syllabus

English is the highest-scoring section on paper, with the most questions and marks. It rewards steady daily practice more than last-minute cramming. The topics below are the ones named in the notification, along with what is typically asked and where to begin.

If your English is weak, give it the first four weeks. It is the section where a focused month produces the most visible improvement.

General Awareness Syllabus

General Awareness is wide, but it is also the section where smart selection beats long hours. The notification points to the following areas.

• History: Major events of Indian history, the freedom struggle and basic world history. Aim for timelines and cause-effect links rather than isolated dates.

• Geography: The Indian and world geography basics, including rivers, mountains, climate, soils, resources and the solar system.

• Civics and polity: The Constitution, fundamental rights and duties, the structure of Parliament and the judiciary, and basic governance concepts.

• Economics: Basic economic terms, the budget, banking, inflation and major government schemes.

• Environment and ecology: Ecosystems, biodiversity, climate change and key international agreements.

• General science: Everyday physics, chemistry and biology at school level, with an emphasis on applications.

• Current affairs: National and international events, appointments, awards, summits, sports and recent developments in science and technology.

• Defence and aviation: The armed forces, ranks, major exercises, aircraft and missile systems, defence agreements, and the history of the Air Force. Questions here are frequent, so this is your best area to invest in.

• Static general knowledge: Important days, organisations, personalities, books and authors, and places in the news.

Read current affairs for the last six to eight months before your exam, and revise them in short weekly bursts instead of one long session.

Numerical Ability Syllabus

This is the only section pitched at Class 10 level, so the concepts are familiar. The challenge is speed. With only 20 questions, each one is worth 3 marks, and a wrong answer costs 1, so accuracy matters as much as pace. The topics are grouped below to make planning easier.

Some candidates also report occasional questions on topics such as clocks, but these are not named in the notification, so treat them as low priority.

A practical order: begin with percentages and ratios, because most other topics lean on them. Then move to time and work and time and distance, which are the most frequently asked in this section.

Reasoning and Military Aptitude Syllabus

The notification names this section only as Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning plus Military Aptitude. The topic breakdown below is what past papers have commonly contained, and is not an official list.

Verbal reasoning

• Analogy and classification: Finding the relationship between pairs, or the odd one out.

• Series and coding-decoding: Number, letter and mixed series; coding of words and numbers.

• Blood relations and directions: Family-tree puzzles and direction-and-distance problems.

• Syllogism and statements: Drawing valid conclusions from given statements.

• Ranking, arrangement and puzzles: Seating, order and comparison problems.

Non-verbal reasoning

• Figure series and pattern completion: Identifying the next figure or the missing part.

• Mirror and water images: Reflections of letters, numbers and figures.

• Embedded and hidden figures: Locating a smaller figure inside a larger one.

• Paper folding, cutting and cube or dice problems: Visualising three-dimensional changes.

Military aptitude

Military Aptitude questions are reported to test spatial orientation, such as direction sense, and basic aviation-related reasoning. Because the notification does not describe them in detail, practise direction and visualisation questions from previous papers rather than looking for a separate textbook.

AFSB Stages: What Is Tested After the Written Exam

The Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) does not have a topic syllabus. It tests personality and aptitude through a series of stages. Knowing them early helps you shape your preparation, because several are tied to skills you are already building for the written paper.

There is no "syllabus" to study for these, but there is a lot to practise: clear speaking, structured thinking and confidence in a group.

Engineering Knowledge Test (technical branches)

Some pages list common EKT topics for the Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) and (Electronics) branches. These typically include core subjects from your engineering degree, such as mechanics and thermodynamics for the mechanical branch, and electronics and electrical fundamentals for the electronics branch. As noted earlier, the 02/2026 notification does not describe an EKT, so confirm with the official site before investing heavily in it.

How the Written Syllabus Helps at AFSB

Your written-exam preparation is not wasted once you clear it. Several areas carry forward.

This is a good reason not to treat General Awareness as a chore. The same reading you do for marks becomes material for your interview.

How to Split Your Two Hours

Because there is no sectional timing, your attempt order matters. A workable starting point is below; adjust it after a few mocks, once you know your own strengths.

• English first (about 25 to 30 minutes): Most questions are quick to answer, so it builds confidence and banks marks early.

• General Awareness next (about 10 to 12 minutes): You either know the answer or you do not. Do not spend time on questions you are unsure about.

• Reasoning (about 35 minutes): Attempt the figure-based and direct questions first, and leave long puzzles for the end.

• Numerical Ability (about 35 minutes): Begin with the calculations you can finish in under a minute.

• Last 5 to 10 minutes: Return to skipped questions. With a 1-mark penalty, guess only when you can eliminate at least one option.

This is a suggested approach, not an official rule. The best order is the one that gives you your highest accuracy in practice tests.

12-Week Study Plan

This plan assumes about three hours of study daily. Adjust the weeks to your own timeline, but keep the order: build the base first, then practise, then test.

Mock tests are the part that most candidates leave too late. Taking AFCAT online mock tests on Testkart from week nine onwards lets you practise the 100-question, two-hour format, check your accuracy against the negative marking, and see which of the four sections needs another revision round. You can also solve topic-wise questions from the AFCAT study notes and practice material as you finish each unit.

After every mock, spend at least as much time on the review as on the attempt. Note every wrong answer and why it went wrong: concept gap, careless error or time pressure. After a few mocks, your error log will show you exactly what to revise.