How to Become Indian Air Force Officer

How to Become Indian Air Force Officer

An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. To be able to lead and control, requires the ability to motivate yourself, inspire others and make tough decisions efficiently.

When you join to become an Air Force Officer, IAF help you develop your leadership and management skills, preparing you fully to take on the challenge of leading in real life situations. Lessons in team work, developing communication skills and confidence, honing strategic and dynamic thinking and preparing you to face pressures with ease are grilled into an Officer during his training.

The Air Force teaches you all, not only making men and women of young boys and girls but making them leaders in life. An officer’s strength of character and strong moral compass make him/her stand out from the crowd at all times. As an Officer in the Indian Air Force, you will inherit a glorious heritage and timeless traditions of the IAF, blended perfectly with the latest technology as well as you will strategise, lead and manage.

STEP 1 – WRITTEN EXAMINATION

AFCAT (Air Force Common Admission Test)

Depending on your qualifications, you could join one of the various branches in the IAF. Broadly the Air Force has three branches with further sub-streams :

(I) FLYING BRANCH

You surely fly high by joining the Flying branch of the IAF. You are trained as a Fighter pilot or a Helicopter pilot or a Transport pilot and are part of various peace and wartime missions.

As a Graduate/ Engineer, you enter the Flying branch through the Air Force Academy.

• Fighters
• Transports
• Helicopters

Eligibility criteria:

• Age –20 to 24 years (at the time of commencement of course). Upper age limit for Candidates holding valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by DGCA (India) is relaxed up to 26 years(at the time of commencement of course).
• Nationality – Indian
• Marital Status – Single
• Gender – Men and women.

Educational Qualifications:

• Minimum 50% marks in each in Maths & Physics at 10 + 2 level.
• Graduate (Three Year Course) in any discipline from a recognised University with minimum 60% marks or equivalent. OR
• BE/B Tech (Four Year Course) from a recognised University with minimum 60% marks or equivalent OR
• Cleared Section A & B examination of Associate Membership of Institute Engineers (India) or Aeronautical Society of India from a recognised University with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent.
• Final Year/semester students are also eligible to apply, provided they do not have any present backlogs at the time of AFSB Testing and produce Degree certificate issued by the University as per the date stipulated in the advertisement.
• NCC Air Wing Senior Division ’C’ certificate and validity of the certificate would be two years before the date of advertisement.

(ii) GROUND DUTY (Technical) BRANCH

As an officer in the Ground Duty (Technical) Branch, you propel and manage your team to ensure that the Indian Air Force remains airworthy. You would be incharge of some of the most sophisticated equipment in the world by joining one of the sub branches based on your qualification.

• Mechanical
• Electronics

As an officer in the Ground Duty(Technical) Branch, you propel and manage your team to ensure that the Indian Air Force remains airworthy. You would be incharge of some of the most sophisticated equipment in the world by joining one of the sub branches based on your qualification.

• Age – 20 to 26 years (at the time of commencement of course)
• Nationality – Indian
• Marital Status – Candidates below the age of 25 years should be unmarried

(iii) GROUND DUTY (Non-Technical) BRANCH

Managing human and material resources, the Ground Duty (Non-technical) Branch is the mechanism that steers the Indian Air Force.

• Administration
• Accounts
• Logistics
• Education
• Meteorology

Eligibility Criteria for Ground Duty (Non-technical) Branches:

• Age – 20 to 26 Years for Graduates(at the time of commencement of course).
• Marital Status – Candidates below the age of 25 years must be Unmarried.
• Nationality – Indian.
• Gender – Both men and women.

NDA

The advertisement for NDA is released twice a year in the months of June and December and for CDSE in the months of July and November by UPSC. Candidates are to apply as per the advertisement. The written tests are conducted by UPSC only. For details visit www.upsc.gov.in.

Eligibility Criteria FOR NDA

• Age – 161/2 to 191/2 years(at the time of commencement of course)
• Nationality – Indian
• Gender – Men only
• Educational Qualifications – 10+2 with Physics and Mathematics. Appearing final year students can also eligible to apply.

CDSE (Combined Defence Services Examination) (For Men Only)

Men can enter through this mode of entry and will get a Permanent Commission.
Eligibility criteria:

• Age – 20 to 24 years (at the time of commencement of course)
• Nationality – Indian
• Marital Status – Single
• Gender – Men only.
• Educational Qualifications – Graduate (Three Year Course) in any discipline from a recognised University (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level)/BE/B Tech (Four Year Course).
• Final Year/semester students are also eligible to apply, provided they produce Degree certificate issued by the University as per the date stipulated in the advertisement.
• No Percentage Bar for CDSE entry.

For all entries other than NDA and CDSE and for all branches, candidates have to undergo the AFCAT. The test is conducted twice a year in February and August. Advertisements inviting applications for AFCAT are out in June and December. Candidates are to apply as per the advertisement.

STEP 2 – SSB (Services Selection Board) Testing

If you have successfully cleared Step 1, you will receive a Call letter to report to any one of the Air Force Selection Boards located at Dehradun, Varanasi, Gandhinagar, Mysore and Kancharapara. At the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB), you undergo following tests in order to ascertain your suitability and gauge your potential as an officer in the Indian Air Force.

1. Stage I Testing

• Officer Intelligence Rating Test
• Picture perception and Discussion Test

Stage I is a screening test. Those who qualify Stage-I are eligible to undergo Stage II testing. Stage I disqualified candidates are routed back after announcement of results.

2. Stage II Testing

• All Stage I qualified candidates undergo following tests as part of Stage II testing during next three to four days.
• Psychological Tests are written tests that are conducted by a Psychologist.
• Group Tests are interactive indoor and outdoor activities which are a combination of mental and physical work.
• The interview involves a personal conversation with an Interviewing Officer.

These tests will be explained to you in detail before they are conducted at the Selection Board.

The following is the schedule for OLQ Tests:

Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT) is an extraordinary test. It is pointed toward surveying an up-and-comer’s inclination to be prepared as a pilot. PABT is being utilized as an autonomous choice gadget to draft expected officials into Flying Branch of Indian Air Force. PABT contains three tests viz Instrument Battery Test (INSB), Sensory Motor Apparatus Test (SMA) and Control Velocity Test (CVT).

Instrument Battery Test (INSB) is a paper pencil test and other two are machine tests. The Instruments Battery Test (INSB) involves two sections. This test evaluates osmosis of the preparation and the capacity of a person to peruse and decipher the dials of an instrument board of an airplane. The up-and-comers who score the base set down standards are exposed to the machine test. The machine test incorporates the Sensory Motor Apparatus Test (SMA) and Control Velocity Test (CVT). These tests measure the psychomotor co-appointment expertise of the person. These tests are directed on a solitary day and controlled just a single time in a lifetime.

At the Conference hung on the most recent day, all the Assessors for example the Psychologist, Ground Testing Officer and the Interviewing Officer, talk about your character and choose if to suggest you. Those suggested by the AFSBs will be needed to top off specific archives at the Boards and along these lines move to the following stage.

Stage 3- Conduct Of Medical Examinations

On the off chance that you are suggested by the Selection Board, you will be sent for the clinical assessment either at Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), New Delhi or Institute of Aviation Medicine, Bengaluru.

Stage 4 – Preparing All India Merit List

An All India Merit List is assembled based on your presentation in the composed test and AFSB talk with, subject to being restoratively fit. In light of the opening accessible in different branches/sub-branches, joining directions are given to go along with one of the Training foundations.