AAI Manager (Fire Services) 2026 Free Guess Paper

AAI opened only 14 seats for Manager (Fire Services) in its 2026 notification. The post sits at Group-A, E-3 level, a rare entry point for fire engineers into a senior aviation safety role. A small vacancy count raises the stakes for every candidate who applies.

TL;DR

• AAI advertised 14 Manager (Fire Services) posts out of 260 total Manager vacancies in the 2026 cycle.
• The Computer-Based Test carries 120 marks across two hours, split between general aptitude and fire engineering knowledge.
• Part B, the technical section, holds 50 to 70 percent weightage, more than any general aptitude topic.
• Selection runs through five stages: CBT, document verification, a Physical Measurement Test, a Driving Test, and a Physical Endurance Test, before the interview.
• The Manager pay scale starts at ₹60,000 and rises to ₹1,80,000, with an approximate annual cost to company of ₹21 lakh.
• Fire discipline cutoffs at AAI have historically stayed lower than general technical streams, a pattern worth watching for this cycle too.

AAI Manager Fire Services 2026: Vacancy and Eligibility Snapshot

AAI released 389 total vacancies under Advertisement No. 12/2026/CHQ/DR-CBT, covering 260 Manager posts and 129 Junior Executive posts. Manager (Fire Services) took 14 of those 260 seats, one of the smaller discipline shares alongside Law and Architecture. A small share means each seat draws sharper competition from experienced fire engineers nationwide.

Applicants need a bachelor’s degree in Fire Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Automobile Engineering. AAI also requires three years of relevant post-qualification experience in fire services. This experience clause removes fresh graduates from the pool and shifts competition toward working professionals.

The upper age limit stands at 32 years, counted as on 7 September 2026. AAI grants five years of relaxation for SC/ST candidates, three years for OBC (NCL) candidates, and ten years for PwBD candidates. This relaxation widens the eligible pool for reserved categories without changing the base qualification bar.

AAI Manager Fire Services Exam Pattern: Where the Marks Sit

The CBT runs for 120 minutes and carries 120 total marks. AAI sets no negative marking, a detail that changes how a candidate should approach guesswork on tough questions.

Part B carries more weight than Part A. A candidate who treats fire engineering as a revision afterthought loses the section that decides the result. The paper runs bilingually in Hindi and English, so language should not block a technically strong candidate.

Part A: The General Aptitude Layer

Part A tests reading comprehension, error detection, and sentence correction in English. It also tests number systems, percentage, ratio, time and work, and data interpretation in quantitative aptitude. General awareness covers static knowledge and current affairs. This section builds the qualifying floor, not the differentiator, since most candidates from a technical background clear it with steady practice.

Part B: The Fire Engineering Core

Part B draws from physics and chemistry as applied to fire engineering, along with mechanics, hydraulics, thermodynamics, and electricity. It also covers building construction, building materials, and fire protection systems in direct detail.

Beyond the science base, AAI tests applied fire-service knowledge: fire prevention, fire detection and alarm systems, portable fire extinguishers, and fixed fire-fighting installations. Special fire suppression systems, rescue equipment, breathing apparatus, and fire service communication complete the list. This spread rewards candidates who have worked hands-on with fire systems over candidates who studied theory alone. A working fire engineer holds a natural edge here, since field exposure to breathing apparatus and suppression systems is hard to substitute through reading.

Selection Process: Five Stages Before the Offer

AAI does not stop at a written test for this post. The Manager (Fire Services) track adds physical stages that most other Manager disciplines skip entirely.

1. Computer-Based Test (CBT)
2. Application/Document Verification
3. Physical Measurement Test (PMT)
4. Driving Test and Physical Endurance Test (running, casualty carrying, pole climbing, rope climbing, and ladder climbing/descending)
5. Interview

A candidate who scores well in the CBT but skips physical preparation risks elimination at stage four. The PET list demands sustained fitness training, not a last-week gym routine. Candidates should start endurance and climbing drills alongside written preparation, not after it.

Cutoff Trends in the Fire Discipline

AAI has not yet published a Manager-level cutoff for this fire discipline, since this notification opens a fresh cycle for the post. The closest reference point comes from AAI’s Junior Assistant and Junior Executive (Fire Service) results, which give a sense of how the fire stream behaves against general streams.

For comparison, the AAI Common Cadre stream posted UR cutoffs between 103 and 130 across the same period. The fire discipline consistently qualifies at a lower relative score than general technical streams. This gap points to thinner competition density in fire-specific postings, likely tied to the narrower eligible pool created by the experience and degree requirements. A candidate should not read this as a guarantee of an easy cutoff at Manager level, since a Group-A post draws a more experienced applicant base than a junior-level post. It does suggest that raw score pressure in fire-specific streams tends to run below the general engineering streams.

Salary and Career Value: What the Post Pays

Manager (Fire Services) sits at the E-3, Group-A level, with a pay scale of ₹60,000 to ₹1,80,000 under the IDA structure. The approximate annual cost to company reaches ₹21 lakh, once dearness allowance, house rent allowance, and other perks apply on top of basic pay.

This places the post above most state-level fire service roles and most private-sector fire safety management roles at a comparable experience band. A candidate weighing this post against a state PSC fire officer role should factor in the higher ceiling of the AAI pay band, plus central PSU benefits like provident fund and gratuity.

Preparation Cost: Fee and Study Investment

AAI charges an application fee of ₹1,000 for General, EWS, and OBC candidates. SC, ST, PwBD, women candidates, and AAI apprentices with completed training pay no fee. This fee structure removes a real barrier for reserved-category and women applicants, a detail that matters for candidates comparing this exam against other central PSU exams with flat fees across categories.

Beyond the application fee, most candidates budget for study material and, in many cases, a short-term coaching program focused on the technical Part B section. Since Part B carries the larger weightage, candidates should direct a larger share of any coaching budget toward fire-engineering-specific material rather than generic aptitude batches, which overlap heavily with material for other government exams.

Common Questions on AAI Manager Fire Services 2026

What is the age limit for AAI Manager Fire Services 2026? The maximum age is 32 years, calculated as on 7 September 2026, with standard category-wise relaxation.

How many vacancies exist for Manager Fire Services in 2026? AAI advertised 14 vacancies for this discipline in the 2026 cycle.

Does the Manager Fire Services post require a driving test? Yes. Candidates must clear a Driving Test along with a Physical Measurement Test and a Physical Endurance Test after document verification.

What is the AAI Manager Fire Services salary? The pay scale runs from ₹60,000 to ₹1,80,000 at the E-3 level, with an approximate annual CTC of ₹21 lakh.

Is there negative marking in the AAI Manager CBT? No. AAI has confirmed no negative marking for the 2026 CBT across all Manager disciplines.

What This Means for Your Preparation

The fire discipline rewards candidates who pair technical depth with physical readiness. A candidate must treat Part B as the section that decides selection, not a supplement to general aptitude revision. Physical training for the PET and driving test needs to start early, since fitness cannot be built in the gap between CBT result and the physical test date. Candidates who balance both tracks from day one hold the clearest path through all five selection stages.