Checked 28 September 2026. From AAI Advts 07/2022, 02/2024/CHQ and 09/2025/CHQ with their verification notices, AAI 12/2026/CHQ/DR-CBT, the NBCC, RITES, DDA, NHAI, POWERGRID and EIL adverts, and the GATE 2027 brochure. UPSC, IOCL, NTPC, DMRC, NHSRCL and HUDCO entries are reported, not primary. Posts-per-cycle ratios are ours.
Search for “PSU jobs through GATE Architecture” and you will find long lists of companies. We checked the recruitment documents one by one. The result is short: the only public employer we could find that recruits architects directly on a GATE AR score is the Airports Authority of India (AAI), for the post of Junior Executive (Architecture). Its last three cycles offered 10, 3 and 11 posts. The GATE 2027 brochure lists about 29 PSUs that use GATE scores and names neither architecture nor the AR paper. Architects and planners do get public jobs, but mostly through the employer’s own exam plus experience (DDA, RITES, NBCC, UPSC for CPWD). This guide sets out the AAI route in full and the other routes plainly.
AAI Advt 09/2025/CHQ; our document-by-document check (table below).
AAI Junior Executive (Architecture): the last three cycles
| Advert | GATE years accepted | Posts | Reservation UR / EWS / OBC / SC / ST | Application window | Shortlist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/2022 | GATE 2022 only | 10 | 06 / 01 / 02 / 01 / — | 22.12.2022 – 21.01.2023 | 15 called for document verification on 14.03.2023; a later notice said no further selection lists would be published |
| 02/2024/CHQ | GATE 2024 | 3 | 03 / 00 / 00 / 00 / 00 | 02.04.2024 – 01.05.2024 | 9 called for application verification on 22.08.2024 |
| 09/2025/CHQ | GATE 2023, 2024 or 2025, equal weightage | 11 | 04 / 00 / 04 / 02 / 01 | 28.08.2025 – 27.09.2025 | 23 called for verification on 20.04.2026 (schedule published 09.04.2026) |
AAI recruitment page and advert PDFs. In 09/2025 the PwBD posts (00 / 01 / 00 / 01 by category as printed) are counted inside the category totals. We found no published cut-off scores for these lists.
Two patterns are worth noticing (our reading). First, AAI calls about 1.5 to 3 candidates per post for verification: 15 for 10, 9 for 3, 23 for 11. Second, the GATE years accepted changed each time, from one year only in 2022 to three years with equal weight in 2025. A GATE 2027 AR score is valid for three years, so it could be accepted by any AAI advert until early 2030, but no AAI advert for GATE 2027 exists as of 28 September 2026, and nothing guarantees the Architecture post will be included in the next one.
Eligibility, pay and selection (Advt 09/2025)
| Item | What the advert says |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and registration with the Council of Architecture |
| GATE paper | AR; qualified in GATE 2023, 2024 or 2025 |
| Final-year students | May apply if in the final semester on the cut-off date, but must hold the final result at application verification |
| Maximum age | 27 years on 27.09.2025 |
| Age relaxation | SC/ST 5 years; OBC-NCL 3; PwBD 10 (where the post suits the disability); ex-servicemen with 5+ years’ service up to 5; regular AAI employees up to 10 |
| Experience | None required |
| Pay | E-1 scale, ₹40,000–3%–1,40,000; cost to company about ₹13 lakh a year |
| Application fee | ₹300; exempt for SC, ST, PwBD, women and AAI apprentices who completed one year |
| Selection | Shortlist for application verification, then a merit list on GATE score; no written test or interview |
| Tie-break | Older candidate first, then higher marks in the qualifying degree |
| Service bond | ₹7 lakh bond is stated for JE (Electronics) only; none is stated for Architecture |
AAI Advt 09/2025/CHQ, sections 3, 4, 7, 11 and 12.
AAI Junior Executive (Architecture): eligibility check on the last advert’s rules
Enter your details. The tool applies the rules of AAI Advt 09/2025/CHQ: B.Arch with Council of Architecture registration, a GATE AR score from an accepted year, and a maximum age of 27 on the cut-off date with the printed relaxations. The next advert will print its own cut-off date and GATE years; change them here when it does.
Rules as printed in AAI Advt 09/2025/CHQ. How a category relaxation combines with a PwBD or ex-serviceman relaxation is governed by the advert and Government of India orders; this tool adds them, so confirm a combined case in the advert itself. The ex-serviceman relaxation also carries release conditions printed in the advert.
Who else hires architects and planners, and how
We checked each commonly named employer against its own recruitment document. “Yes” means the document names the GATE AR paper. Everywhere else, the route is the employer’s own test, usually with experience, and a GATE AR score does not help.
| Employer | Through GATE AR? | What the document says | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airports Authority of India | Yes | JE (Architecture): 10, 3 and 11 posts in the last three cycles | official |
| AAI (Manager, Architecture) | No | Advt 12/2026/CHQ/DR-CBT: 4 posts, computer-based test, 3 years’ experience | official |
| NBCC | No | Manager (Architecture & Planning), Advt 01/2026: 2 posts, age 37, 6 years’ experience, test plus interview | official |
| RITES | No | Assistant Manager / Architect, Sep 2026: 9 posts (Building 7, Healthcare 1, Metro 1), age 32, 2 years’ experience, written 60% plus interview 40%, applications 03–30.09.2026 | official |
| Delhi Development Authority | No | Advt 09/2025, own test (16.12.2025 – 03.01.2026): Deputy Director Architect 4, Deputy Director Planning 4, Assistant Director Planning 19, Assistant Director Architect 8, Planning Assistant 23, Architectural Assistant 9 | official |
| NHAI | No | GATE route only for Deputy Manager (Technical), CE paper | official |
| POWERGRID | No | Engineer Trainee through GATE 2027: EE, CE, CS and EC only | official |
| Engineers India Ltd | No | Management Trainee: CH, ME, CE and EE only | official |
| CPWD, MES | No | Assistant Architect (CPWD) and Deputy Architect (MES) are recruited through UPSC | reported |
| IOCL, NTPC | No | Own test (IOCL 2026) or GATE disciplines without architecture (NTPC) | reported |
| DMRC, NHSRCL | No | Experienced architecture posts, for example B.Arch plus 4 years | reported |
| HUDCO | No evidence | Trainee officers through its own exam; architecture not among reported disciplines | reported |
Primary adverts where marked official; secondary reports where the primary PDF could not be retrieved (UPSC PDFs returned 403).
Posts as printed in each advert; the DDA total (4 + 4 + 19 + 8 + 23 + 9 = 67) is our sum.
Where other pages get this wrong
The only recruiter we found naming the GATE AR paper in its own advert is the Airports Authority of India, with 10, 3 and 11 Junior Executive (Architecture) posts in its last three cycles. The GATE 2027 brochure’s PSU list names neither architecture nor AR.
Commonly published instead: Several guides describe GATE AR as a route to “lucrative PSU jobs” and list companies such as IOCL, NTPC, BHEL or NHAI under architecture.
Those companies recruit through GATE in engineering papers (CE, EE, ME and others) or through their own tests. Architects reach DDA, RITES, NBCC and CPWD through separate exams, usually with experience.
What this means for your GATE AR plan
Our advice, from the tables above. If a public job is the goal, treat GATE AR as one ticket to AAI plus a route to M.Arch or M.Plan, not as a general PSU exam. For AAI, register with the Council of Architecture as soon as you can, watch the age limit (27 plus relaxation on the advert’s cut-off date) and aim high: with 1.5 to 3 candidates called per post and a national field, a shortlist needs a score well above the qualifying 350. AAI does not publish its cut-off scores, so no honest page can tell you the number. For DDA, RITES, NBCC and UPSC posts, prepare for their own tests and build the experience they ask for; GATE AR preparation overlaps in content (planning, byelaws, construction, services) but the score itself is not used.
| If you want | Route | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| AAI Junior Executive (Architecture) | GATE AR score + B.Arch + Council of Architecture registration | Next AAI advert; accepted GATE years; age on its cut-off date |
| DDA planner or architect | DDA’s own computer-based test | DDA direct-recruitment notices |
| RITES or NBCC architect | Own test and interview, with 2 to 6 years’ experience | Experience requirement in each advert |
| CPWD Assistant Architect | UPSC recruitment (reported) | UPSC recruitment advertisements |
| M.Arch, M.Plan or MURP with a scholarship | GATE AR score (IITs, CCMT for NITs) or JAAP (SPAs) | See our admissions guide |
Summary of the documents above.
Practise it, don't just read it
A shortlist from AAI is decided on GATE score alone, so every mark counts. Our topic quizzes cover building materials, structural systems, climate and zoning.
The ProSyllabus GATE Architecture and Planning library has ten 10-question topic quizzes today, among them Principles of Architectural Composition, Development Control and Zoning Regulations and Housing and Slum Improvement (Part A ground), History of Architecture, Climate and Solar Geometry, Structural Systems and Analysis and Building Materials and Properties (B1 ground), and Settlement Geography and Regional Theories and Water Supply and Sanitation Services (B2 ground). Every option comes with a worked explanation.
Which PSUs recruit through GATE Architecture?
The only one we could document from its own advert is the Airports Authority of India, for Junior Executive (Architecture). It offered 10, 3 and 11 posts in its last three cycles.
What is the salary of AAI Junior Executive (Architecture)?
The E-1 scale, ₹40,000–3%–1,40,000, with a cost to company of about ₹13 lakh a year according to Advt 09/2025.
What is the age limit for AAI JE Architecture?
In Advt 09/2025 it was 27 years on 27.09.2025, relaxed by 5 years for SC and ST, 3 for OBC-NCL and 10 for PwBD.
Is there an interview for AAI JE Architecture?
No. Shortlisted candidates go through application verification, and the merit list is made on GATE score. Ties go to the older candidate.
Has AAI released a GATE 2027 recruitment for architects?
Not as of 28 September 2026. The last Architecture advert, 09/2025, accepted GATE 2023, 2024 or 2025 scores.
Do DDA, RITES or NBCC use GATE AR scores?
No. Their recent architecture and planning adverts use their own tests, and RITES and NBCC also require 2 to 6 years’ experience.
More in this series
- GATE AR 2027 syllabus: what moved where
- GATE AR marks vs score vs rank
- GATE AR previous papers, counted for 2027
- M.Arch and M.Plan admission through GATE AR
- GATE AR 2027 preparation plan
- GATE Architecture and Planning: the complete guide
- GATE Architecture and Planning 2026 paper analysis
- GATE Architecture and Planning notice board: official updates
- Parental advice for GATE Architecture and Planning
Sources
- official — Airports Authority of India — recruitment page (Advts 07/2022, 02/2024/CHQ, 09/2025/CHQ, their verification notices, 12/2026/CHQ/DR-CBT; checked 28 Sep 2026)
- official — AAI Advt 09/2025/CHQ — Junior Executive through GATE 2023/2024/2025 (JE Architecture: 11 posts; age 27 on 27.09.2025; pay E-1 ₹40,000–1,40,000)
- official — GATE 2027 Information Brochure, IIT Madras (revised 27 Sep 2026) — AR paper structure, fees, score formula, qualifying rule
- official — NBCC (India) Ltd — Advt 01/2026, Manager (Architecture & Planning)
- official — RITES Ltd — Engineering Professionals advert, Sep 2026 (Assistant Manager / Architect)
- official — Delhi Development Authority — Direct Recruitment Advt 09/2025 and CBT schedule
- official — NHAI — Deputy Manager (Technical) through GATE (CE paper)
- official — POWERGRID — Engineer Trainee through GATE 2027, advert CC/03/2026 (24 Sep 2026): EE, CE, CS, EC
- official — Engineers India Ltd — Management Trainee through GATE (CH, ME, CE, EE)
- reported — UPSC recruitment listings for Assistant Architect, CPWD (copy; upsc.gov.in PDFs returned 403)
- reported — CollegeDekho — “What is a Good Score in GATE Architecture & Planning (AR)?” (updated 5 Feb 2025; see correction)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
