Indian Air Force (IAF) – How to apply selection process, notification, exam pattern, exam mode

The Indian AirForce(IAF) is the fourth largest air defense system in the world. Established on 8 October 1932, it is reaching new heights in the field of technology and innovation. And to make the operations smooth, the Indian AirForce recruits young officers and assistants twice a year. 

There are many ways by which you will become part of an elite force. The most prominent methods are the direct recruitment exams, i.e., NDA, CDS, AFCAT, and X and Y Group. The UPSC conducts NDA and CDS, and the other two are by the Indian AirForce itself. Through the former three, you will be selected as full-time AirForce officers and pilots in the flying wing, while the latter offers you the opportunity to work as an assistant.

Joining the defense forces is already a proud and courageous moment of everyone’s life, but the satisfaction of flying in the sky is matchless; that’s why AirForce attracts applicants in large numbers. On average, if we combine all the exams, you will get a whopping number of 20+ lakhs candidates who apply through the examinations mentioned above. In which only a few hundreds get selected.

If you are also dreaming of joining the elite force, then this article is for you. In this article, you will get all the required information about the Indian AirForce exams, eligibility, selection process, etc. 

IAF Eligibility 

Eligibility criteria for IAF vary as per the posts and wings like officials, assistants, pilots, and ground duty professionals (technical and non-technical). Detailed eligibility criteria are mentioned below:

Nationality 

Unmarried candidates of the following categories can apply:

• A Citizen of India,
• A subject of Bhutan or Nepal
• Tibetan refugee who has arrived in India before January 1962 intending to settle in India permanently,
• A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire, or Vietnam intending to settle in India permanently. 

Note: 

• Candidates under 2 and 4 categories must be certified with the nationality proof issued by the Indian Government in favor of their statement.
• Candidates who are Gorkha subjects of Nepal are not required to show any certificate for their recruitment. 

IAF educational qualification and age limit 

For officers (PC and SSC)

For AFCAT

For Flying Wing

• A candidate applying for AFCAT must be between 20 to 24 years of age as of 01 January 2021.
• Those who have a valid pilot license from DGCA, India, get the relaxation of 2 years. 
• Unmarried should lie between 20 to 25 years of age; married, widowers, and divorcees should not exceed 25 years of age.
• Married candidates are not allowed to live with family and will not be provided with family accommodation. 
• Candidates are expected to have a minimum total of 60% in Physics and Mathematics in 12th or 60% minimum total in full-time courses of either B.Tech or B.E. 
• They must be mentally and physically fit.
• Their height ranges between 157 to 193 cm and their weight from 49 to 81 kgs. 

For Ground Duty (Technical)

• A candidate applying for AFCAT must be between 20 to 24 years of age as of 01 January 2021.
• Those who have a valid pilot license from DGCA, India, get the relaxation of 2 years. 
• Unmarried should lie between 20 to 25 years of age; married, widowers, and divorcees should not exceed 25 years of age.
• Married candidates are not allowed to live with family and will not be provided with family accommodation. 
• Candidates are expected to have a minimum total of 60% in Physics and Mathematics in 12th or 60% minimum aggregate in full-time courses of either B.Tech or B.E. in Electronics and Mechanical engineering branch. 
• They must be mentally and physically fit.
• Their height ranges between 157 to 193 cm and their weight from 49 to 81 kgs. 

For Ground Duty (Non-Technical)

• A candidate applying for AFCAT must be between 20 to 24 years of age as of 01 January 2021.
• Those who have a valid pilot license from DGCA, India, get the relaxation of 2 years. 
• Unmarried should lie between 20 to 25 years of age; married, widowers, and divorcees should not exceed 25 years of age.
• Married candidates are not allowed to live with family and will not be provided with family accommodation. 
• Candidates must graduate in any stream with a minimum of 60% marks if they apply for Administration and Logistics. For the Accounts section, they must obtain a degree of 3 years B.Com. Degree with minimum 60% aggregate. 
• They must be mentally and physically fit.
• Their height ranges between 157 to 193 cm and their weight from 49 to 81 kgs. 

Special Entry (NCC Flying Wing)

• A candidate applying for AFCAT must be between 20 to 24 years of age as of 01 January 2021.
• Those who have a valid pilot license from DGCA, India, get the relaxation of 2 years. 
• Unmarried should lie between 20 to 25 years of age; married, widowers, and divorcees should not exceed 25 years of age.
• Married candidates are not allowed to live with family and will not be provided with family accommodation. 
• From 01 January 2017 onwards, candidates applying through NCC must have a minimum aggregate of 60% in Physics and Mathematics in 12th or 60% minimum aggregate in full-time courses of either B.Tech or B.E. 
• ‘C’ certificate of NCC Air Wing Senior division is also required. 
• They must be mentally and physically fit.
• Their height ranges between 157 to 193 cm and their weight from 49 to 81 kgs.

Note: Gorkhas and Garwhals will get a relaxation of 5cm, and Men and women from Lakshadweep will get relaxation of 2 cm.

For CDS

• Unmarried candidates between 19 to 23 years of age can apply.
• They must attain any engineering degree from a UGC recognized university or Graduation in any stream with Physics and Mathematics in class 12th.
• Minimum height for the Indian Air Force is 162.5 cm. 
• For Women, the minimum required height is 152 cm. 
• BMI must be below 25
• The waist-hip ratio must be below 0.9 for males and 0.8 for females.
• Circumference of the waist must be less than 90 cm for males and 80 cm for females.
• All the biochemical metabolics must be within the acceptable limit. 

Note: Gorkhas and Garwhals will get a relaxation of 5cm, and Men and women from Lakshadweep will get relaxation of 2 cm

For NDA

NDA stands for National Defence Academy. It’s one of its kind in the world where selected candidates of all three wings (Army, Navy, and AirForce) learn and train together. Here you will study a minimum of 3 years and then you will be sent to the respective academies. 

• All the candidates (both male and female) must be between 15.7 years to 18.7 years, at the time of course beginning. 
• The date of birth mentioned in the 10th and 12th certificates will be considered authentic age proof. 
• For Air Wing, they should be 12th or equivalent examinations qualified with Mathematics and Physics as their primary subjects. 
• Every candidate (men and women) applying for NDA should be unmarried.
• If they marry in between training, then this will be considered as misconduct and disciplinary. The candidate who is found guilty will be debarred from the academy and will no longer be eligible for the defense forces. 
• Candidates need to refund all the money spent on him/her by the Government if they are debarred or removed from the academy. 
• Minimum height for the Indian Air Force is 162.5 cm. 
• For Women, the minimum required height is 152 cm. 

Note:

• Students appearing in class 12th are also eligible to apply in NDA. 
• 11th class students are not allowed to apply for the examination. 
• Candidates from the North-Eastern areas, Gorkhas, Kumaon, or Garhwal, will get a maximum height relaxation of 5 cm and 2 cm for candidates belonging to Lakshadweep.
•  2.5 cm height relaxation is allowed for those candidates who didn’t hit puberty, and the Medical Board found signs of further growth. 

For X and Y Group

Group X (Except Education Instructor Trades)

• Cleared 10+2 or equivalent examination with Mathematics, Physics and English with minimum 50% marks in aggregate and 50% marks in English. Or

• Completed three year diploma in Engineering in any stream from a Government recognized Polytechnic Institute with 50% marks in aggregate as per diploma final year mark sheet and 50% marks in English in diploma. Or
• Applicants must complete the 10th plus the National Apprenticeship Program (NAC) granted by the NCVT or 10th Pass plus ITI from the institution recognized by the NCVT/SCVT.

Group Y ’ (Except IAF(S) and Musician Trades)

• Cleared 10+2 or equivalent examination with Mathematics, Physics and English with minimum 50% marks in aggregate and 50% marks in English. Or 
• Completed a two year vocational course from a COBSE Educational Board member institute with a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate and 50% marks in English in the vocational course or in Intermediate/Matriculation if English is not a subject in the Vocational Course.

Group Y Medical Assistant Trade

• Passed 10+2 or equivalent examination with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English from a COBSE Educational Board member institute with a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate and 50% marks in English.

Note:

• Only unmarried male candidates are eligible for X and Y Group examination. 
• Candidates can apply for both X and Y groups simultaneously.
• Maximum age limit for X and Y Group is 17to 21 years. (20 to 28 years for Education Instructor Trade).

IAF Selection Process 

The selection process for IAF is almost similar for every exam except X and Y Group. For NDA, CDS, and AFCAT, there is a 2 stage process that includes a written exam, and SSB but in X, Y Group, you have to clear three stages to get commissioned in the service, i.e., written test, physical test, and medical test. 

SSB mostly remains the same for NDA, CDS, and AFCAT with few minor changes, and it is a five-day process where candidates have to go through various rigorous tests that includes the personal interview. It’s the merit list that varies the most. All the exams are conducted in an online module where you get 2 hr 30 min for NDA, 2 hr for CDS, 2 hr for AFCAT (45 minutes extra for EKT), and 85 minutes for the X and Y group. The final merit will be made on the total marks obtained in all the stages of the examination. 

IAF exam day guidelines

The Air Force has set some guidelines for the applicants to keep in mind on the day of examination. 

• Carry your admit card and ID proof (Voter ID Card, AADHAR Card, Driving Licence, or Passport).
• Reach on time (if your get late more than 30 minutes, then you will not be allowed to give examination under any circumstance)
• Do not carry any prohibited or expensive item in the examination hall (Any electronic, digital, or Bluetooth device, calculator, translator, recorder, headphone, earphone, radio, walkman, geometry-box, pencil box, clipboard, wristwatch, bracelet, chips, chocolate, drinks, etc.)
• Black or Blue ballpoint can be used in the examination. 
• Do not staple your photograph on the Admit Card and use glue to paste it. 

Also Read: How to Crack the IAF Exam?

FAQs

Question – When will the IAF 2022 notification be released?

Answer –  You can refer to the official websites of the respective authorities to check the upcoming exam dates. For NDA and CDS, you can check UPSC’s website and for AFCAT and X, Y Group, please follow the official website of the Indian AirForce. 

Question – How many times can I appear for the IAF 2022 exam?

Answer –  There is no restriction on the number of attempts. You can give any of the mentioned exams until you reach the maximum age limit. 

Question – What qualification is required for IAF 2022?

Answer –  For NDA and X, Y Group, you need a 12th passed or equivalent examination certificate. For CDS and AFCAT, at least graduation in any stream (technical for Navy and AirForce) is required.

Question – What is the salary of an officer selected through IAF 2022?

Answer –  After selecting through NDA, CDS, and AFCAT, you will be entitled to a remuneration of 70 thousand per month, including all the allowance and benefits. And if you are selected through X and Y Group, your monthly salary will be 40 to 45 thousand per month. 

Question – How is the merit list for the 2022 exam prepared?

Answer –  The merit list for all prepared after calculating the total marks obtained in all the stages. 

Question – Can I apply for 2022 after Class 12 /graduation?

Answer –  Yes and No. Yes, you can apply for NDA and X, Y Group after the 12th. And No, you can’t apply for CDS and AFCAT after 12th because the minimum qualification for both these examinations is graduation. 

Question – What is the minimum acceptable height in the 2022 exam?

Answer –  The minimum acceptable height for a male is 157 cm and 152 cm for females.