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3 AFSB Gandhinagar: Reporting, Stay and Tips

Settles the Sector 9 versus Sector 25 question for 3 AFSB Gandhinagar from the IAF's pages, with reporting, stay, conduct and medical rules.

6 min read Last reviewed Reviewed by GS India Defence Academy faculty

3 AFSB is the Air Force Selection Board at GIDC Estate, Sector 25, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382024, according to the contact page of the Indian Air Force’s AFCAT portal. Some websites give Sector 9 instead. This guide settles the conflict the only reliable way, by going to the Air Force’s own page and your call-up letter, and then covers the rules on conduct, tattoos, fitness and the medical examination that follow the board.

GS India Defence Academy is a private coaching academy in Dehradun. It has no affiliation with the Indian Air Force or any selection board, and nothing here is an official instruction. The AFCAT advertisement and your call-up letter come first.

Sector 25 or Sector 9? Settling the address

Searching for this board shows two sector numbers. The only list that matters is the Air Force’s, and it names one of them.

SourceWhat it says about the address
IAF AFCAT portal, contact pageAFSB Gandhinagar, GIDC Estate, Sector-25, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382024; telephone 079-29750823
Some candidate websitesSector 9. The Air Force’s page does not say so
Your AFSB call-up letterThe reporting point and time for your batch, which is what you act on

Addresses can change when a board moves between buildings, and a printed list can lag behind. If a website’s address does not match the contact page, trust the contact page; if the contact page does not match your call-up letter, trust the letter and ring the board before you book. The page lists the boards’ telephone timings as Monday to Saturday, 7.30 am to 2.30 pm. It also gives a mobile number for Gandhinagar, which we have not repeated because such numbers change.

How to confirm your venue before you travel

  1. Log in to the AFCAT portal and open the call-up letter that was generated when you chose your AFSB date and venue. Check that it names Gandhinagar and the date you chose.
  2. Compare the address in the letter with the IAF contact page. If they match, you are done.
  3. If they do not, phone 079-29750823 during the board’s telephone timings and ask the board to confirm the reporting point. Note the date and the name of the person who answered.
  4. Only then book non-refundable travel and stay.

Gandhinagar is the capital of Gujarat and lies next to Ahmedabad, the larger city. The AFCAT notification lists the written-test centre as Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar, which is another reason why the two names get mixed up. The written-test centre and the selection board are different places, so read your letter carefully. For trains and flights, check current timetables on IRCTC and National Train Enquiry System for rail, and use the reporting point in your letter, not a website’s description, when you plan the last stretch.

How the board runs once you report

The testing at an AFSB has three parts. On day one, the Officer Intelligence Rating test and the Picture Perception and Discussion test act as a screen. Those who pass have their documents checked against the branch they applied for, and the others are sent back the same day. The psychological test is held that evening. Group tests and the interview run over the next days, and the Computerised Pilot Selection System closes the schedule for recommended flying-branch candidates. The guidelines describe the schedule as normally six days, depending on contingencies.

Free boarding and lodging are provided at the board during testing. If you reach early, or travel with a parent or guardian, you arrange your own stay. A representative in Air Force uniform meets you at the reporting point named in the letter, and you hand over your call-up letter and admit card on arrival. Late comers are not admitted, even if the cause is a late-running train.

Tattoos, narcotics and conduct

These are the rules that surprise candidates, because they decide whether you continue, not how well you do.

  • Tattoos. Permanent tattoos are allowed only on the inner face of the forearms, from inside the elbow to the wrist, and on the back of the palm or the dorsal side of both hands, and you sign a self-declaration. Small innocuous tattoos such as religious symbols or the names of near and dear ones are permitted. Tattoos with lewd, offensive, indecent, sexist, extremist or racist content are not.
  • Candidates from tribal communities. Members of Scheduled Tribes whose customs include tattoos are permitted on a case-to-case basis, on submitting the certificates the guidelines list before Stage I begins.
  • Narcotics. Use or possession is banned. Candidates may be tested during the medical examination and later in service, and a candidate found using or holding narcotics is debarred or removed.
  • Conduct. Any indiscipline or misconduct leads to cancellation of the candidature, and the decision of the President of the Board is final.
  • Phones and valuables. Mobile phones, laptops and cameras are not allowed inside the premises, and there is no facility to keep cash or valuables.

Read the tattoo paragraph of the guidelines in full if you have any permanent marking, and ask the board in writing before you travel if you are unsure. We offer free counselling by phone or WhatsApp on +91 70170 31757 if you simply want to talk through the process.

After Gandhinagar: the medical examination

Candidates recommended by the board go to the Air Force Central Medical Establishment in New Delhi or to the Air Force’s medical institute in Bengaluru for four to seven days. The Air Force Medical Board or Services Medical Board is the final authority on whether you are fit to join. The Air Force’s medical standards page lists the investigations carried out at the Special Medical Board, including a full blood count, liver and renal function tests, blood glucose, a lipid profile, urine tests, an ECG, chest and lumbosacral spine X-rays and an ultrasound of the abdomen and pelvis, with extra spine X-rays for those assessed for flying duties. Our guide to the SSB medical examination compares the Army, Navy and Air Force procedures.

Sources for this guide

Frequently asked questions

FAQs

Questions parents ask us.

Can't find yours? Ask on WhatsApp; a counsellor usually replies within working hours.

Where is 3 AFSB Gandhinagar?

The IAF contact page lists AFSB Gandhinagar at GIDC Estate, Sector-25, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382024. Your call-up letter gives the reporting point.

Is 3 AFSB in Sector 9 or Sector 25?

The Air Force's contact page says Sector 25. Some websites say Sector 9, but the Air Force page does not. If your letter differs from the page, follow the letter and phone the board to confirm.

What is the contact number of AFSB Gandhinagar?

The IAF contact page lists 079-29750823, with telephone timings of Monday to Saturday, 7.30 am to 2.30 pm. Confirm it on the page before you call.

Is stay free at AFSB Gandhinagar?

Boarding and lodging are free during the period of testing. Early arrivals and accompanying parents or guardians make their own arrangements.

Are tattoos allowed at the AFSB?

Only in the places the guidelines name, such as the inner face of the forearms, with a self-declaration, and small innocuous ones such as religious symbols or names of loved ones. Offensive or extremist tattoos are not allowed.

Where is the medical examination after the AFSB?

Recommended candidates go to the Air Force Central Medical Establishment in New Delhi or the Air Force's medical institute in Bengaluru, for four to seven days.

Getting ready for Gandhinagar or any other AFSB? Our classroom SSB training in Dehradun rehearses the screening tests, group tasks and the interview, with separate hostels and a mess for boys and girls. Call +91 70170 31757 or message us on WhatsApp for current batch dates.

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