CDS

Overview

The Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) is held by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice a year to select candidates for pre-commission training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA, Dehradun), the Indian Naval Academy (INA, Ezhimala), the Air Force Academy (AFA, Hyderabad), and the Officers' Training Academy (OTA, Chennai, for Short Service Commission). For CDS-II 2026 (Notice No. 11/2026-CDS-II), UPSC notified a total of 451 vacancies: 100 for IMA, 26 for INA, 32 for AFA, 275 for OTA (Men) and 18 for OTA (Women), for courses commencing in July/October 2027. UPSC treats these numbers as approximate and subject to change.

Who can apply

Age and marital status differ by academy, all as on 1 July 2027 for the CDS-II 2026 cycle: for IMA and INA, unmarried men aged 19–24 (born between 1 July 2003 and 1 July 2008); for AFA, men aged 20–24 (born between 1 July 2003 and 1 July 2007), relaxable to 26 for holders of a valid Commercial Pilot Licence; for OTA (Men), unmarried men aged 19–25 (born between 1 July 2002 and 1 July 2008); for OTA (Women, Non-Technical), unmarried women, issueless widows and issueless divorcees in the same age band.

Education requirements also vary: a degree from a recognised university for IMA and OTA; an Engineering degree, or a B.Sc. with Physics as a core/elective subject (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2), for INA; and a degree with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level, or a Bachelor of Engineering, for AFA.

Selection process

CDS has two stages: a written examination, and an SSB interview (intelligence and personality test) at a Services Selection Centre for those who clear the written stage.

Exam pattern

All papers are objective type. Total written marks are 300 for IMA, INA and AFA, and 200 for OTA (no Mathematics paper); SSB interview marks are equal to the written total for each stream — 300 for IMA/INA/AFA and 200 for OTA. General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics papers are set bilingually in Hindi and English.

Marking

There is negative marking on the objective papers: one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer, and giving more than one answer to a question counts as wrong. Unattempted questions carry no penalty.

Important dates

For CDS-II 2026: the notification was issued on 20 May 2026, the online application closed on 9 June 2026, and the written examination is scheduled for 13 September 2026. CDS is conducted twice yearly (CDS-I and CDS-II), each with its own notification, application window and exam date announced separately on the UPSC website.

Fees

The examination fee is Rs 200. Female candidates and candidates from Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes are exempt from the fee; no fee exemption is available to OBC or EWS candidates. Fees, once paid, are not refunded.

How to apply

Applications are submitted online at upsconline.nic.in. Candidates first create a Universal Registration Number (URN) and complete the Common Application Form, then fill in the exam-specific module (including fee payment and centre choice) during the notified application window.

After selection

Candidates who clear the written exam and SSB interview undergo a medical examination before being allotted to their chosen academy in merit order, based on their course preference. Training at IMA, INA, AFA and OTA leads to commissioning as an officer in the Army, Navy or Air Force respectively.

Preparation tips

Since Elementary Mathematics only applies to the IMA/INA/AFA papers and not OTA, candidates applying only for OTA can focus preparation on English and General Knowledge. Because of the one-third negative marking, attempting only questions you are reasonably confident about tends to protect the overall score better than guessing across all 100 questions in a section.