gave Indian Air Force (IAF) has introduced a new entry scheme for joining its technical branch in the officer cadre through the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), opening an additional recruitment avenue for engineering graduates. Under the new scheme, candidates with valid GATE scores will be eligible for direct shortlisting to Air Force Selection Boards (AFSBs) without appearing for the preliminary written test conducted by the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT). The IAF announced this through a statement issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
Direct shortlisting through GATE
According to IAF, candidates applying through GATE based route will be shortlisted on merit for further screening at AFSBs. “The selection will be based on merit, exempting these candidates from preliminary written test, such as the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT),” the statement said. The Air Force said the move was introduced to provide “greater flexibility and opportunity” for engineering graduates to join the officer cadre. However, the IAF clarified that the new scheme will be applicable only to the technical branch. The statement added, “The GATE score scheme will be applicable exclusively for admission to the technical branch.
No change has been made in the eligibility criteria.
According to the notification, the educational qualification required under the GATE-based scheme will remain the same as the existing qualification criteria prescribed by AFCAT for technical branch recruitment. The notification issued by AFCAT 02/2026 details the list of GATE accepted subjects. IAF has also allowed candidates to apply for technical branch through both AFCAT and GATE routes. “To provide maximum flexibility and opportunity to candidates, eligible candidates can apply for technical branch through both AFCAT and GATE score schemes, as per their choice,” the statement said.
AFCAT is the main route of admission.
The Air Force clarified that AFCAT will continue to be the standard entry mechanism for recruitment in all branches including flying branch, ground duty branches and technical branch. The newly introduced GATE pathway acts as an additional screening route especially for engineering graduates seeking to join a technical branch. Official notification and details regarding acceptable GATE subjects are available on Indian Air Force AFCAT portal and Career Indian Air Force website.
