Difference between CDS Exam and AFCAT Exam
Candidates willing to join Indian Air Force as an officer can write the AFCAT exam. The examination is conducted twice a year to appoint Class-I Gazetted Officers in Ground and Flying Duty for both technical and non-technical branches. It is a national-level exam that is conducted in online mode. To apply for the exam, candidates must fulfill the eligibility criteria. The application form has been released on the Indian Air Force website along with the official notification. Both male and female are eligible to appear in the examination.
There are certain eligibility criteria to write this exam. Candidates applying for the exam should be Indian nationals according to the Indian citizenship act, 1955. Only unmarried candidates whose age is less than 25 years can apply. Widows/Divorcees/Separated candidates of less than 25 years of age are not eligible. In terms of educational qualification, they should have passed the class 12 examination with 50% marks in Physics and Maths each or should possess a BTech degree with a minimum of 60% marks or have passed A and B examination of Aeronautical Society of India / Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers with 60% marks.
The examination is conducted for two papers namely Air Force Common Admission Test (compulsory for all) and Engineering Knowledge Test (for candidates applying for the technical branch. The common test is conducted for a total of 300 marks wherein candidates have to answer 100 questions in 2 hours. On the other hand, the technical paper is conducted for 150 marks which comprises a total of 50 questions. Candidates are required to answer the questions in 45 minutes only.
How CDS is Different from AFCAT?
Union Public Service Commission conducts the CDS exam to recruit candidates for appointment in the forces like Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force. Like AFCAT, it is also a national-level examination that is conducted twice a year. After qualifying the examination, shortlisted candidates are commissioned as officers in the defence forces. The exam is conducted in online mode for two hours in various cities across the country. Females are also eligible to appear in the examination and they can apply for Officer Training Academy (OTA) posts only.
The eligibility criteria to apply for the examination are candidates must have completed their graduation from a recognized university. The age of candidates should be between 20 years to 24 years. Candidates should possess Indian nationality. However, the refugees from Nepal, Bhutan, or Tibet who have migrated before 01 January 1962 with the intention of permanent settlement can also apply for the examination. Thus, candidates should check the eligibility criteria in the official notification in detail and after that, they should fill out the application form.
The exam is conducted for a total of 300 marks in which the question paper consists of three sections English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. In each section, there are a hundred questions for which candidates are allotted 2 hours for each paper. One mark is awarded for each correct answer while marks are deducted for each wrong answer. After the written examination, candidates who are eligible for appointment to the Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military Academy, and Indian Air Force are called for appearing in the interview. On the other hand, no personality test is conducted for recruitment to the Officer Training Academy.
