How to join Indian Air Force 2025 - Know the best ways to join IAF here

Many people across India aspire to join the defence services. Being a part of the Indian defence services (such as the Army, Navy, and Air Force) is considered a very honourable profession.Candidates typically join the Indian Air Force through exams and other schemes such as the through exams like NDA, AFCAT, CDS and University Entry Scheme (UES).

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This Story also Contains

1. How To Join the Indian Air Force?
2. Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT)
3. AFCAT Exam Pattern 2025
4. Combined Defence Services (CDS)
5. CDS Eligibility Criteria 2025
6. CDS Exam Pattern 2025
7. National Defence Academy (NDA)
8. NDA Exam Pattern 2025
9. Indian Air Force Group X & Y
10. IAF Group X and Y exam pattern 2025
11. Indian Air Force NCC Entry

Posts in the Indian Air Force are very sought after. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that many lakhs of candidates attempt to get recruited by the Indian Air Force on a yearly basis. On this page, we discuss the best ways a candidate can get recruited into the Indian Air Force. Candidates wondering how to join the Indian Air Force can consult the material below for information about which exams to take and their respective eligibility criteria.

How To Join the Indian Air Force?

Applicants can check the table below for the different ways to join the Indian Air Force and the minimum educational qualification required to appear for that particular exam.

Know how to join IAF and the eligibility

Various IAF exam dates 2025

Different ways to join IAF

Below are six different ways to join the IAF and some other details about each of the IAF exams.

Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT)

Indian Air Force is the exam conducting body for the AFCAT exam. The AFCAT exam is the most preferred competitive exam to join the Indian Air force as an officer. AFCAT is conducted twice every year. The AFCAT 2025 application form is released on the IAF official website.

The AFCAT selection process consists of a written test, an AFSB interview and a medical test. Candidates clearing all the stages of the AFCAT 2025 recruitment will be commissioned in the Flying Branch and Permanent Commission/ Short Service Commission in Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) Branches of the Indian Air Force.

AFCAT exam overview

AFCAT Eligibility Criteria 2025

AFCAT Exam Pattern 2025

IAF prescribes the AFCAT 2025 syllabus for the AFCAT and EKT exams. The AFCAT and EKT exams will be conducted online at various centres across the country. Check the AFCAT 2025 exam pattern in the tables below.

AFCAT exam pattern

EKT (For Ground Duty Technical Branch only) exam pattern

Combined Defence Services (CDS)

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is the exam conducting authority for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination. Candidates fulfilling the CDS eligibility criteria 2025 can fill the CDS 2025 application form on the UPSC website - upsc.gov.in. The CDS selection process 2025 consists of a written test and SSB interview. Candidates clearing the CDS exam's recruitment process will be recruited to any one of the three defence services i.e. Indian Army, Navy or Air Force.

CDS exam overview

CDS Eligibility Criteria 2025

CDS Exam Pattern 2025

UPSC prescribes the CDS 2025 syllabus for the CDS written exam. The UPSC CDS written exam will be conducted in offline mode at various centres across the country. Check the CDS 2025 exam pattern in the tables below.

CDS Exam Pattern For INA, IMA & IFA

CDS exam pattern for OTA

National Defence Academy (NDA)

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is the exam conducting authority for the National Defence Academy (NDA) examination. Applicants fulfilling the NDA 2025 eligibility criteria can fill the UPSC NDA 2025 application form online on the UPSC website - upsc.gov.in. The NDA 2025 selection process consists of a written exam and SSB interview. Applicants qualifying all the stages of the NDA recruitment process will be recruited as officers in the Indian Defence Services.

NDA exam overview

NDA Eligibility Criteria 2025

NDA Exam Pattern 2025

UPSC prescribes the NDA syllabus 2025 for the National Defence Academy written exam. The NDA written test will be conducted in offline mode at various centres across the country. Check the UPSC NDA 2025 exam pattern in the tables below.

NDA exam pattern

Indian Air Force Group X & Y

After completing their class 12th exams candidates can also join the Indian Air Force through the Airmen Group X and Y entry. This exam is also conducted twice every year. Candidates fulfilling the Airmen Group X and Y eligibility criteria can fill the Airmen Group X and Y application from. The upper age limit to appear for this exam is 21 years. For more information on the IAF Group X and Y entry eligibility check the table below.

IAF Group X and Y eligibility criteria

IAF Group X and Y exam pattern 2025

Indian Air Force Group X and Y syllabus is prescribed by the IAF. Check the tables below for the IAF Group X and Y exam pattern 2025.

IAF Group X and Y exam pattern

Indian Air Force NCC Entry

It is a special entry provision provided to candidates for joining the IAF. Candidates with a NCC Grade C certificate and 60% marks in graduation are eligible for NCC entry. Candidates fulfilling the NCC entry eligibility criteria will be called for the SSB interview directly. Candidates can check the NCC IAF entry eligibility criteria in the table below.

IAF NCC entry eligibility criteria

University Entry Scheme (UES)

Indian Air Force conducts University Entry Scheme (UES) recruitment process for the final year candidates to join the IAF as officers in the different cadres. It is one of the best opportunities for candidates to join the Indian Air Force while completing their academic degree. Applicants need to fulfill the UES eligibility criteria to be eligible for UES recruitment. Applicants must also note that they should not have any backlogs at the time of SSB interview. Applicants must have 60% marks to be eligible for UES entry on completion of their degree. The IAF UES selection process comprises a group discussion round. The shortlisted applicants from UES GD round have to appear for SSB interviews followed by a medical test.