Indian Air Force Introduced GATE Score-Based Entry for Technical Branch Officers, AFCAT Mandatory for Other Branches
Indian Air Force, IAF, in an official notification, has announced a new GATE score-based recruitment scheme for Technical Branch Officers. Eligible candidates can now get directly shortlisted for the AFSB testing without appearing for the AFCAT written exam for Technical entries.
The Indian Air Force, IAF, has introduced a new recruitment scheme for induction into its Technical Branch under the Officers Cadre, allowing the aspirants to apply through a valid Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, GATE Scores. The move is expected to provide engineering graduates with an additional pathway to join the Air Force. Under the newly announced scheme, candidates with a valid GATE score will be directly shortlisted for testing at the Air Force Selection Board, AFSBs.
This means eligible aspirants who are applying through the GATE route will be exempted from the preliminary written examination, including the Air Force Common Admission Test, AFCAT. However, the IAF has also clarified in an official notification that the GATE score scheme will be applicable only for induction into the Technical Branch. AFCTA will continue as the standard entry route for all other branches, including the Flying and Ground Duty Non-technical branches, while also remaining open for Technical Branch entries.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is pleased to announce the introduction of a scheme for induction into the Technical Branch (Officers Cadre), allowing eligible candidates to apply based on their Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) scores.
— PIB India (@PIB_India) May 26, 2026
Under this new initiative,…
Eligibility Criteria and Application Flexibility for IAF Technical Branch Officer
The educational qualifications required under the GATE score scheme will remain the same as the existing eligibility criteria for the Technical Branch recruitment through AFCAT. The Air Force has also released a list of acceptable GATE subjects in the AFCAT 02/2026 notification available on the official websites.
Importantly, candidates can apply through both the AFCAT and the GATE score scheme simultaneously, giving aspirants greater flexibility during the recruitment process. The announcement is being viewed as a major step toward streamlining technical recruitment and attracting skilled engineering graduates into the Indian Air Force.
Pratyasha is a content writer for Jagran Josh's college section, creating educational articles for students. She holds a B.A. Honours in Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology from Banaras Hindu University. She enjoys mythology, fantasy books, and travelling. She can be contacted at pratyasha.chaturvedi@
