The Indian Air Force runs five Air Force Selection Boards (AFSBs), at Dehradun, Mysuru, Gandhinagar, Varanasi and Guwahati. The Navy publishes four Service Selection Boards, at Bangalore, Bhopal, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata. The Army has its own Selection Centres, two of which, in Bhopal and Bangalore, are named in the Navy’s addresses. Who picks your board depends on the service: AFCAT candidates choose from seats on offer, while the Navy and Army allot you a board.
Last verified: 12 October 2026, against the Air Force and Navy pages named under Sources. The Army’s own pages sit behind a captcha that we do not bypass, so we list only the Army centres that appear in documents we could read.
Where are the five Air Force Selection Boards?
The AFCAT notification and the IAF’s guidelines page list the five boards. The addresses below are from the IAF’s contact page.
| Board | City | Address on the IAF contact page |
|---|---|---|
| 1 AFSB | Dehradun | Clement Town, Dehradun 248002 |
| 2 AFSB | Mysuru | Chamundi Vihar Complex, Siddhartha Nagar, Mysuru, Karnataka 570011 |
| 3 AFSB | Gandhinagar | GIDC Estate, Sector-25, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382024 |
| 4 AFSB | Varanasi | Varanasi Cantt, Nadesar, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221002 |
| 5 AFSB | Guwahati | Contact page: near VIP Chowk, Guwahati, Assam 784015. A newer IAF notice gives a different reporting point; see the table of conflicts below |
The IAF says AFSB testing normally takes six days, depending on contingencies. The first day holds the Officer Intelligence Rating test, the Picture Perception and Discussion Test, a document check, the PIQ and the psychological test. Interview and group tests take the next days, the board conference falls on Day 5 and the Computerised Pilot Selection System for flying candidates on Day 6. Our 1 AFSB Dehradun guide covers reporting at the Dehradun board in detail.
Where are the Navy’s boards?
The Navy’s instructions for SSB candidates name four boards. Two of them are given as sitting inside Army Selection Centres.
| Board | Address on the Navy page |
|---|---|
| 12 SSB, Bangalore | Selection Centre South, Cubbon Road, Bangalore 560042 |
| 33 SSB, Bhopal | Selection Centre Central, Sultania Infantry Line, Bhopal 462018 |
| Naval Selection Board, Visakhapatnam | 9-IRSD Area, next to Material Organisation, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh 530008 |
| SSB Kolkata | Chhota Nadir Road, Down Town, Diamond Harbour, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal 743331 |
For direct-entry Navy officers, the Navy’s selection page says SSB interviews are held at Bangalore, Bhopal, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata, with Bangalore used for the Pilot and Naval Air Operations branches. The Navy’s page also puts the medical examination after the board at about three to five days.
What about the Army’s Selection Centres?
Candidates whose first choice is the Army go to an Army Selection Centre. We were able to confirm in official documents that an Army Selection Centre Central exists at Bhopal, from an Army call-up letter, and a Selection Centre South at Bangalore, from the Navy’s address. The Army’s complete list is on joinindianarmy.nic.in, which asks visitors to type a captcha before it shows any page. We did not bypass that, so we are not reproducing a list we cannot check. Read the list on that site, or in your call-up letter, before you travel.
Army testing, in the example call-up letter published on the Army’s recruiting site, runs for five days excluding the day of arrival. Stage I starts early on the first day, and candidates not shortlisted leave the same afternoon. The Army provides free boarding and lodging, and candidates deposit their mobile phones on arrival.
Sources for the list of SSB centres
- IAF AFCAT portal: contact page listing the five AFSBs
- IAF AFCAT portal: guidelines for candidates (schedule, choosing a board)
- IAF AFCAT 02/2026 notification (AFSB centres, seat selection)
- IAF notice: new reporting point for 5 AFSB (PDF)
- Indian Navy: instructions for SSB candidates
- Indian Navy: selection procedure for officers
- Army: example call-up letter, Selection Centre Central, Bhopal (PDF)
- UPSC: NDA and NA Examination (II) 2026 notice (centre allotment)
Who decides your SSB centre?
This is the question most families ask, and the answer depends on the entry you applied through.
| Entry | How the board is decided | Can you change it? |
|---|---|---|
| AFCAT (Air Force) | After the written result, you log in to the AFCAT portal and choose an AFSB date and venue from the seats available. The seat window can be short; in cycle 02/2026 it ran from 10 to 14 September 2026. | Postponing a date may be considered on genuine grounds if administratively convenient. Write by email to the board that issued the call. |
| NDA or CDS, Army first choice | After clearing the written exam you log on to the Directorate General of Recruiting website, using the same email ID you gave UPSC. The UPSC notice says Selection Centres are then allotted through that website. | Requests to postpone are addressed to the Administrative Officer of the Selection Centre, and Army HQ decides. |
| NDA or CDS, Navy first choice | The Navy issues call letters. The CDS notice says Navy candidates can download them from the Navy website about three weeks after the result. | The Navy says a change of date is allowed only in exceptional cases and a change of venue is not allowed. |
| NDA, Air Force first choice | The NDA notice says candidates with the Air Force as first choice also register on the Army recruiting website for AFSB and date selection. | Follow the instructions on your call letter. |
| Navy direct entry (INET) | SSB venues are Bangalore for Pilot and Naval Air Operations branches and Bangalore, Bhopal, Visakhapatnam or Kolkata for the rest. | As above, venue changes are not allowed. |
Where official sources disagree
When a list of SSB centres looks different from the one you saw elsewhere, one of these is usually the reason. We have noted the difference and the source we follow.
| Topic | What the sources say | What we follow |
|---|---|---|
| 5 AFSB location | The IAF contact page still gives a place near VIP Chowk, Guwahati. A later IAF notice says the board has shifted and gives the reporting point as the Main Gate, 5 AFSB (near Krishna Mandir), Agshia Village, Palasbari Road, Guwahati. | The newer notice for the reporting point, and always the address printed on your call letter. |
| Number of Navy boards | The Navy’s instructions page names four. Lists on other websites sometimes show a different count. | The Navy page and your call letter. |
| Gandhinagar address | The IAF contact page gives GIDC Estate, Sector-25. Other websites may show another sector. | The IAF contact page. |
| Length of the board | UPSC says Stage II takes four days after Stage I. The Army letter says five days excluding arrival. The IAF says normally six days. | The instructions in your own call letter. |
Which SSB centre is best?
No official source ranks the boards, and no service lets you pick a board because you think it is easier. The Navy, the Army and the IAF all describe the same idea: assessors look for Officer Like Qualities across several tests, and candidates are recommended or not recommended. So the sensible way to choose, where a choice exists, is practical. Look at train connections, the dates on offer, whether you can reach the reporting point in daylight and whether a parent can travel with you.
Candidates who prepare in Dehradun sometimes ask whether that gives them an edge at 1 AFSB. It does not, and we would not claim it. What a residential batch gives you is routine, practice with feedback and time away from distractions. If you would like to discuss your preparation plan, free counselling is available by phone or WhatsApp on +91 70170 31757. For the process itself, read our SSB interview process guide.
SSB centres in India: common questions
FAQs
Questions parents ask us.
Can't find yours? Ask on WhatsApp; a counsellor usually replies within working hours.
Ask on WhatsAppHow many SSB centres are there in India?
The Air Force publishes five AFSBs. The Navy's instructions page names four boards. The Army has its own Selection Centres, which are listed on joinindianarmy.nic.in and in call-up letters.
Can I choose my SSB centre?
AFCAT candidates choose a date and venue on the AFCAT portal from the seats available. For the Army the centre is allotted through the recruiting website, and the Navy does not allow a change of venue.
Where is 1 AFSB?
At Clement Town, Dehradun, 248002, according to the IAF contact page.
Is the stay at the SSB free?
Yes. The Army and the Air Force provide free boarding and lodging during testing. If you arrive earlier than your call letter says, you make your own arrangements.
Can I change my SSB date?
Only on genuine grounds and if it is convenient to the service. The Air Force says to write by email to the board that issued your call, and the Navy allows changes of date in exceptional cases only.
Which SSB centre is best?
No service ranks its boards. Choose on practical grounds such as travel and dates, where you have a choice.
If you are preparing for your board, see how we teach it on the page for SSB training in Dehradun, or call or message us on WhatsApp at +91 70170 31757.
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