How to Crack the AFCAT 2024 Exam in First Attempt?

How to Crack the AFCAT Exam in First Attempt: The Indian Air Force conducts the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT), a highly competitive examination. The AFCAT exam serves as the entry point for individuals aspiring to become commissioned officers in the Indian Air Force, with opportunities in the Flying Branch, Ground Duty (Technical), and Ground Duty (Non-Technical) branches. The exam assesses candidates' proficiency in verbal ability, numerical ability, reasoning, and general awareness. Due to the limited vacancies (317 this year) and fierce competition, it is essential to devise a well-structured and successful preparation strategy to know how to crack the AFCAT exam in first attempt.

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Purpose of the AFCAT 2024 Exam

The AFCAT exam is held to award two commissions. The following are the specifics of the two commissions:

• Permanent Commission (PC) for Men: Candidates who join as PC officers will serve in their respective branches until retirement.
• SSC (Short Service Commission) for Men and Women:
  • The engagement duration for SSC Officers in the Flying Branch is 14 years from the date of commissioning and is non-extendable.
  • Ground Duty (Technical & Non-Technical) SSC Officers have a 10-year contract. A 4-year extension is allowed, however, based on appropriateness, needs, and other reasons. 

Approximately 6-8 lakh students take the AFCAT exam, with just 10,000 selected for the AFSB interview procedure. During the interview phase, the AFSB procedure excludes certain prospects. Finally, only a low percentage of people who took the exam are admitted to the Air Force Academy. As a result, it is one of the most difficult tests in the defence industry. Candidates who intend to take the AFCAT exam must work diligently to pass the exam on the first try. 

How to Crack the AFCAT Exam in First Attempt?

Enlisted below are some of the best tips that will help aspirants to crack the AFCAT exam in first attempt

Remember the Syllabus for the AFCAT Exam

The most important thing before appearing for any exam is to remember its syllabus. Candidates should always remember that the Air Force authorities ask questions about the topics that are given in the AFCAT syllabus. Therefore, studying anything that is not in the syllabus is a waste of time and energy. Getting a knowledge of the syllabus will clear out most of the doubts about when the candidates will start their preparation. Knowing the topics gives a sense of clarity in the exam preparation and will help you to crack the AFCAT exam in first attempt.

Understand the AFCAT Exam Pattern

The AFCAT exam pattern is the second most important thing that candidates should remember while preparing themselves for cracking the AFCAT exam in first attempt. The candidate should be aware of the provisions of negative marking, the total number of questions, total sections etc. to perform better in the AFCAT exam.

For the candidates' comfort, we have provided the AFCAT exam pattern in a tabular form for better and quicker understating.

Note: 3 marks are allotted for every single correct answer, whereas 1 mark is deducted for every wrong answer. No marks are deducted for unattempted questions.

Solve Previous Year Question Papers and Mock Test

Previous years' question papers helped the candidates to practice and get command over the exam pattern while they are learning how to crack the AFCAT exam in first attempt. The benefits of solving the previous year are:

• Solving the AFCAT previous year's question paper will help candidates recognize the past trends and patterns of the IAF in asking questions. 

• It will also help the candidates recognize their strong and weak areas so that they can improvise

• Candidates must complete the previous year's papers 2-3 months before attempting the AFCAT exam

• Attempting the previous year’s question paper on AFCAT has helped candidates cover topics that they left behind

• Attempt AFCAT mock tests to gain confidence

Solve Mock Test

Just like the previous year's paper helped the candidates to get a knowledge of the past trends, the mock test paper helps the candidates to know the upcoming trend in asking questions in the exam and especially preparing aspirants to learn how to crack the AFCAT exam in first attempt.

• AFCAT mock tests prepare candidates for unconditional questions in the AFCAT exam

• Solving the AFCAT mock tests will help the candidates understand the AFCAT exam pattern and syllabus thoroughly

• It also helps in getting adapted as per the time limit prescribed for the AFCAT exam

• Attempting mock tests and solving them within the time limit will help boost the candidate’s morale and enthusiasm

• Hence, candidates must attempt AFCAT mock tests a month before the actual AFCAT exam

Make a Realistic Timetable and Follow

Time management is very important when it comes to preparing to crack the AFCAT exam in first attempt. The way a candidate manages his/her time matters a lot because there are a lot of distractions in the surroundings. Most candidates get involved in uncertain and unproductive activities that hamper their preparation and ultimately their AFCAT exam results. To prevent this, the candidates must make a realistic timetable, allocating various activities at a definite time. It will help them to manage time and make the day more productive than usual. It will also help them in bringing consistency, which is another important factor while preparing for the AFCAT exam.

Prefer Standard Books and Guides

The candidates who are preparing to crack the AFCAT exam in first attempt by themselves must not rely on a single source. The AFCAT question paper consists of questions full of diversity but within the syllabus. That is why candidates are advised to opt for standard and prescribed best books for AFCAT 2024. The prescribed books and guides will help the candidates in covering the AFCAT syllabus quickly and efficiently.

Take Online Coaching (if required)

Online coaching helps the candidate in guiding and mentoring for any competitive exams and especially helping them to crack the AFCAT exam in first attempt. Mentorship is as important as self-study. After all, doing hard work in the right direction will give the desired results. Candidates can take AFCAT online coaching and enhance their chances of cracking the AFCAT exam on their first attempt. The coaching imparts knowledge through video lectures, one-to-one personal attention and doubt-solving classes with experienced faculty. The AFCAT course is designed in a student-friendly way which can help the students to understand the basics and advances of the AFCAT exam.

Identify Weak and Strong Areas

Every candidate has certain weak and strong areas that they recognize while preparing to crack the AFCAT exam in first attempt. Don’t run away or ignore the weak areas, instead work on those areas to make them stronger to gain more marks in the AFCAT exam. The strong areas are an advantage to a candidate, but the weak areas are the potential marks that can be achieved with a little more hard work and practice. So, it is better to work on the weak areas to create probabilities of getting more marks.

Be aware of Current Affairs

Current affairs have become a part of all competitive exams these days. The candidates need to keep an eye on current affairs through newspapers or monthly current affairs magazines. Not everything can be covered by the standard books, the standard books only cover information till the day they were printed and bound. So current affairs should be done equally for the AFCAT exam without relying completely on the standard books and guides.

Revision is the Key

All the preparation would hold no meaning if there were zero revisions. It is better to read a book rather than to read 10 books at a time. Fewer resources and more revision are the keys to success in cracking the AFCAT exam in first attempt. The candidates should revise weekly to get a stronghold of the contents they have studied earlier. Revisions also create relevancy in the content that is being read earlier and which is being read. And relevancy is very important to get a clear picture of the topics.

Check the Previous Year's Cutoff and Establish an Achievable Goal

You will ultimately only be eligible if your score is higher than the AFCAT cut-off score. And since passing the cut-off marks is impractical, you must achieve a score of 180 or more on the written test if you want your name to appear on the merit list. As a result, it is necessary to evaluate the previous year's AFCAT Cut Off Scores and then establish a target based on our unique strengths and weaknesses.

You Must Score 30/32 in the Reasoning Section

The reasoning section of the AFCAT exam is simple and holds the most weight. As a result, you must properly answer at least 30 of the 32 questions. 30 correct answers on the AFCAT exam will make you a stronger candidate for cracking the AFCAT exam in first attempt.

Best Books to Crack the AFCAT Exam in First Attempt 

The market is brimming with AFCAT test study materials. Candidates must select a book that includes practice questions following each chapter or topic. Instead of citing several books, applicants should focus on a few highly recommended books and study materials that will help them to crack the AFCAT exam in first attempt. Here are a few examples:

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