Overview
- The Indian Air Force announced the GATE-based route on Tuesday, adding a parallel pathway for induction into its Technical Branch.
- Under the scheme, candidates with valid GATE scores will be shortlisted strictly on GATE merit and called straight to Air Force Selection Boards (AFSB) testing.
- The change applies only to the Technical Branch while AFCAT remains the standard written entry test for other routes and for applicants who do not use GATE.
- AFCAT Notification 02/2026 publishes the accepted GATE subjects, allows candidates to apply via AFCAT, GATE, or both, sets the AFCAT 02/2026 application window as May 20–June 19, and exempts GATE-route applicants from the AFCAT fee.
- Reported eligibility details include typical technical criteria—age limits around 20–26 years, a four-year engineering degree with a required aggregate and Physics and Mathematics at 12th standard—which candidates should confirm on the official AFCAT and IAF career portals.