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Defence | UPSC

CDS 2026 cycle

UPSC's twice-a-year graduate entry for officers in the Army (IMA), Navy (INA), Air Force (AFA) and Officers Training Academy, decided by a written exam and the SSB interview.

Awaiting notification2 stages1 free mock test

Overview

Conducting body
UPSCwww.upsc.gov.in
Age limit
19 to 25 years
Application fee
₹0 to ₹200
Vacancies
To be announced
First stage duration
6 hr
Negative marking
1/3 mark per wrong answer

UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) is conducted by Union Public Service Commission. Selection runs through 2 stages: Written Examination (IMA, INA and AFA), SSB Interview.

  1. Apply online on upsconline.nic.in within the notification window.
  2. Sit the written examination — three papers for IMA/INA/AFA, two for OTA — on a single day.
  3. Clear the written cut-off set by UPSC.
  4. Attend the five-day SSB interview at an allotted board.
  5. Qualify the medical examination.
  6. Selection follows the combined merit of the written examination and the SSB.

Important dates

Important dates
EventDateStatus
Notification

UPSC conducts CDS twice a year. CDS (I) is usually notified around December (exam in April) and CDS (II) around May (exam later in the year). CDS (I) 2026 was notified on 10 December 2025. Watch upsc.gov.in for the next cycle.

To be announcedNot announced
Online application window

Applications run for about three weeks on upsconline.nic.in after the notification.

To be announcedNot announced
Written examination

An offline (OMR) written examination of three papers for IMA/INA/AFA (two for OTA), held on a single day.

To be announcedNot announced
SSB interview

Candidates who clear the written cut-off are called to a Services Selection Board over the following months.

To be announcedNot announced

Eligibility

Educational qualification

Open toGraduate

A recognised degree. For the IMA and the Officers Training Academy (OTA), a degree in any discipline. For the Indian Naval Academy (INA), a degree in Engineering. For the Air Force Academy (AFA), a degree with Physics and Mathematics at Class 12, or a degree in Engineering.

Final-year students may apply provisionally, subject to producing proof of passing by the prescribed date.

Age

19 to 25 years as on the birth-date window stated in the notification (about 19 to 24 years for IMA/INA/AFA and 19 to 25 for OTA).

Upper age relaxation

    Nationality

    A candidate must be one of the following:

    • A citizen of India, or a subject of Nepal or Bhutan, or a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from specified countries intending to settle permanently in India

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    Application fee

    CategoryFee
    General and OBC

    Examination fee of Rs 200, paid online or by SBI challan.

    		₹200
    SC, ST and female candidates

    Exempted from the examination fee as per the notification.

    		₹0

    Fees have been stable across recent cycles but are the kind of detail a notification can revise. Confirm on the official notification before paying.

    Exam pattern

    Stage by stage structure with question counts, marks, timing and the marking scheme.

    Stage 1: Written Examination (IMA, INA and AFA)

    Pen and paper
    SectionQuestionsMarks
    English120100
    General Knowledge120100
    Elementary Mathematics100100
    Total340300

    Duration: 6 hr|Negative marking: 1/3 mark per wrong answer

    • Three papers of 100 marks each, two hours per paper, for a total of 300 marks (IMA, INA and AFA).
    • For the Officers Training Academy (OTA), only English and General Knowledge are taken, for a total of 200 marks — there is no Mathematics paper.
    • Elementary Mathematics is at the matriculation (Class 10) level; English and General Knowledge are at the graduate level.
    • The papers are bilingual, in English and Hindi, except the English paper.

    Stage 2: SSB Interview

    Interview

    Duration: Varies|Negative marking: None

    • A five-day Services Selection Board assessment carrying 300 marks (200 marks for the OTA), equal in weight to the written examination.
    • Stage I is a screening (officer intelligence rating and picture perception); Stage II covers psychological tests, group testing tasks and a personal interview.
    • The final merit list combines the written and SSB scores, followed by a medical examination.

    Syllabus

    Every subject in the paper, topic by topic. Open a subject for its weightage in this exam, the full topic list and the mock tests, practice sets and notes that cover it.

    English Language

    • Grammar and usage
    • Vocabulary, synonyms and antonyms
    • Sentence improvement and ordering
    • Comprehension
    English Language guide & weightage →

    General Awareness

    • Current events of national and international importance
    • History and the Indian freedom movement
    • Geography of India and the world
    • Indian polity and the Constitution
    • Economics and general science
    • Defence and static general knowledge
    General Awareness guide & weightage →

    Mathematics

    • Arithmetic: number system, HCF/LCM, percentage, ratio, average, interest
    • Algebra and basic set theory
    • Trigonometry
    • Geometry and mensuration
    • Statistics: mean, median, mode and graphs
    Mathematics guide & weightage →

    How to apply

    1. Register on the UPSC portal

      Complete the One Time Registration (OTR) on upsconline.nic.in, then fill the CDS application with your personal and educational details.

    2. Choose your academy preferences

      Indicate your order of preference among the IMA, INA, AFA and OTA, subject to the degree and Class 12 subject conditions for each.

    3. Pay the fee and submit

      Pay the Rs 200 fee (where applicable), upload your photograph and signature, and submit before the deadline.

    Documents to keep ready

    • Class 10 certificate for date of birth
    • Degree certificate or provisional certificate
    • Class 12 marksheet (for AFA, to show Physics and Mathematics)
    • Photo identity proof such as Aadhaar
    • Recent passport-size photograph and signature matching the uploads

    Salary and job profile

    Pay and allowances

    Pay scale:
    Stipend during training, then Level 10 of the Defence Pay Matrix on commissioning
    Initial basic pay:
    To be announced
    Approximate in-hand:
    To be announced

    Allowances

    • Military Service Pay
    • Dearness Allowance
    • Field, high-altitude and other posting-based allowances

    Perks

    • Free medical care for self and dependants
    • Subsidised accommodation and messing
    • Pension and gratuity on retirement (for permanent commission)
    • Canteen and travel concessions

    Cadets receive a fixed stipend during training. On commissioning as a Lieutenant (or equivalent), pay is at Level 10 (starting about Rs 56,100) plus Military Service Pay and allowances. Confirm current figures from the official notification.

    What the job involves

    • Train at the IMA (Dehradun), INA (Ezhimala), AFA (Hyderabad) or OTA (Chennai) after selection.
    • Commission as an officer in the Army, Navy or Air Force — a permanent commission through IMA/INA/AFA and a short service commission through OTA.
    • Lead troops and hold command, staff and instructional appointments through a career.
    • Opportunities for specialisation and higher command.

    Free mock tests

    Written to this exam's pattern, with the same interface, sectional locking and marking scheme you will face on exam day.

    • CDS: 27-question practice mock

      27 questions | 27 min

      Start

    Study material

    हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

    How to prepare for CDS

    • Elementary Mathematics is only Class 10 level, so it is the most scoring paper for IMA/INA/AFA — master arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, geometry and mensuration and aim for a high, accurate score.
    • General Knowledge is broad; build history, polity, geography, economy and general science steadily and add a daily current-affairs habit through the cycle.
    • English rewards vocabulary and grammar practice — synonyms, antonyms, spotting errors and comprehension — done a little each day.
    • Respect the one-third negative marking: attempt what you are reasonably sure of and leave genuine blanks.
    • OTA aspirants can skip Mathematics but must push English and GK harder, since only two papers decide the written score.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the difference between the IMA/INA/AFA and OTA entries?

    IMA, INA and AFA lead to a permanent commission and require all three written papers (English, GK and Elementary Mathematics). The OTA leads to a short service commission and takes only English and General Knowledge — there is no Mathematics paper.

    Do I need Mathematics for CDS?

    You sit the Elementary Mathematics paper (Class 10 level) for the IMA, INA and AFA. For the OTA, there is no Mathematics paper, but for the AFA you also need Physics and Mathematics at Class 12.

    Can women apply for CDS?

    Yes. Women candidates are eligible for the OTA and, as notified, for the other academies. Check the specific entry and vacancy details in the notification.

    How is CDS negative marking applied?

    One third of the marks for a question is deducted for a wrong answer, in every paper. Unattempted questions carry no penalty.

    Last verified 23 August 2026(33 days ago, by editorial)

    Not yet confirmed for this cycle: status, the schedule, the vacancy count and the application fee. Where we have a figure from previous cycles we show it and label it as expected; where we do not, the page says "to be announced". Check the official source below before you rely on any of it.

    Official sources

    Found something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it, citing the source.