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Civil Services / AdministrativeUPSC CDS
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
- Domain
- Civil Services / Administrative
- Level
- National
- Type
- Govt
- Application closes
- 11 Jun 2026, 6:00 pm IST
Eligibility for your profile
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Exam snapshot
Overview
Conducting body
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
What you get
Officers in Indian Army, Navy & Air Force through OTA/IMA/INA/AFA
Latest content cycle
2026
Application window
20 May 2026 → 11 Jun 2026, 6:00 pm IST
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Plan with confidence
Complete exam guide
Eligibility, pattern, syllabus, dates and official resources in one structured view.
EligibilityPending verification
Planning reference — verify the current detailed notice
CDS is not one common eligibility route. Academy choice changes the age window, sex and marital-status rule, degree requirement, written papers, training and commission type.
| Entry / academy | Age | Date-of-birth window | Sex / marital condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy | 19–24 years | 1 July 2003–1 July 2008 | Unmarried male candidates |
| Indian Naval Academy | 19–24 years | 1 July 2003–1 July 2008 | Unmarried male candidates |
| Air Force Academy | 20–24 years on 1 July 2027; up to 26 with valid current DGCA Commercial Pilot Licence | 1 July 2003–1 July 2007; CPL route starts 1 July 2001 | Below 25 must be unmarried; married candidates aged 25+ face the training restrictions stated in the notice |
| OTA — SSC Men | 19–25 years | 1 July 2002–1 July 2008 | Unmarried male candidates |
| OTA — SSC Women Non-Technical | 19–25 years | 1 July 2002–1 July 2008 | Unmarried women, or eligible issueless widows/divorcees who have not remarried |
Nationality
citizen of India · subject of Nepal · specified person of Indian origin with a Government of India eligibility certificate where required
Final-year candidates
Yes
Physical standards
Academy- and service-specific physical and medical standards in Appendix III apply; Air Force and Naval Aviation routes also involve pilot-aptitude conditions.
| Post / scope | Minimum education | Streams / conditions | Final year |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMA | Recognised university degree or equivalent | Any recognised degree | Allowed |
| OTA | Recognised university degree or equivalent | Any recognised degree | Allowed |
| Indian Naval Academy | Engineering degree or eligible BSc | Degree in Engineering, BSc with Physics as core/elective plus Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 | Allowed |
| Air Force Academy | Degree / Bachelor of Engineering | Recognised degree with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2, Bachelor of Engineering | Allowed |
Exam patternPending verification
Qualification pathway
Academy-specific written paper, then common selection stages
Final selection or admission still depends on the published cutoff or merit list and any applicable counselling, document, medical, preference and vacancy rules.
IMA / INA / AFA route
- 1
Written - IMA/INA/AFA
Choose this routeThree separate two-hour papers. General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics are bilingual in Hindi and English.
Exam Date: 2026-09-13
- 2
Services Selection Board
RequiredTwo-stage psychological aptitude, intelligence and personality assessment. Interview marks equal the written maximum for the academy: 300 for IMA/INA/AFA and 200 for OTA.
- 3
Medical Examination
Required
OTA route
- 1
Written - OTA
Choose this routeOTA candidates take English and General Knowledge only; Elementary Mathematics is not part of the OTA written examination.
Exam Date: 2026-09-13
- 2
Services Selection Board
RequiredTwo-stage psychological aptitude, intelligence and personality assessment. Interview marks equal the written maximum for the academy: 300 for IMA/INA/AFA and 200 for OTA.
- 3
Medical Examination
Required
Paper and stage details
What each stage contains
Written - IMA/INA/AFA
objective writtenQuestions
Not stated
Maximum marks
300
Duration
360 min
Subject distribution
- English — 2 hours · 100 marks
- General Knowledge — 2 hours · 100 marks
- Elementary Mathematics — 2 hours · 100 marks
Marking rule
Objective papers with negative marking: one-third of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for a wrong or multiple-marked answer; no penalty for an unattempted question.
Three separate two-hour papers. General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics are bilingual in Hindi and English.
Written - OTA
objective writtenQuestions
Not stated
Maximum marks
200
Duration
240 min
Subject distribution
- English — 2 hours · 100 marks
- General Knowledge — 2 hours · 100 marks
Marking rule
Objective papers with negative marking: one-third of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for a wrong or multiple-marked answer; no penalty for an unattempted question.
OTA candidates take English and General Knowledge only; Elementary Mathematics is not part of the OTA written examination.
Services Selection Board
assessment and interviewQuestions
Not stated
Maximum marks
Not stated
Duration
Not stated
Two-stage psychological aptitude, intelligence and personality assessment. Interview marks equal the written maximum for the academy: 300 for IMA/INA/AFA and 200 for OTA.
Medical Examination
medicalQuestions
Not stated
Maximum marks
Not stated
Duration
Not stated
SyllabusPending verification
Showing all 92 topics, across all 5 subjects and 16 chapters.
English
Grammar and Usage
- Parts of speech
- Tenses
- Subject-verb agreement
- Articles and prepositions
- Error detection
- Sentence improvement
- Ordering of words
Vocabulary and Comprehension
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Idioms and phrases
- One-word substitution
- Cloze test
- Reading comprehension
- Ordering of sentences
General Knowledge
Current Events
- National affairs
- International affairs
- Defence
- Economy
- Science and technology
- Sports and awards
History and Culture
- Ancient India
- Medieval India
- Modern India
- Freedom movement
- Art and culture
Geography
- Physical geography
- Indian geography
- World geography
- Environment and ecology
Polity and Economy
- Constitution
- Governance
- Rights and institutions
- Indian economy
- Government programmes
General Science
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Health and environment
- Everyday science
Elementary Mathematics
Arithmetic
- Number system
- Fundamental operations
- Unitary method
- Time and distance
- Time and work
- Percentage
- Interest
- Profit and loss
- Ratio and proportion
- Variation
Algebra
- Basic operations
- Linear equations
- Quadratic equations
- Set language
- Rational expressions
- Laws of indices
Trigonometry
- Sine, cosine and tangent
- Standard values
- Identities
- Height and distance
Geometry
- Lines and angles
- Triangles
- Congruency and similarity
- Circles
- Loci
- Quadrilaterals
Mensuration
- Plane figures
- Surface area
- Volume
- Geometrical solids
Statistics
- Data collection
- Frequency polygons
- Histograms
- Bar and pie charts
- Measures of central tendency
SSB Preparation
Screening and Psychology
- OIR
- Picture perception and discussion
- TAT
- WAT
- SRT
- Self-description
GTO and Interview
- Group discussion
- Planning exercise
- Outdoor group tasks
- Lecturette
- Command task
- Personal interview
- Conference
Physical and Medical Readiness
Readiness
- Running and stamina
- Strength and mobility
- Body composition
- Vision and hearing awareness
- Documentation
- Injury prevention
Important datesPending verification
2026 cycle
Next confirmed event
Exam Date: 2026-09-13
UPSC's current notification archive records 11 June 2026 at 18:00 as the closing date; use the live archive for any post-notification deadline revision.
What happens next
Confirmed upcoming schedule
Exam Date
Upcoming2026-09-13
Full published timeline2 completed · 0 awaiting dates⌄
Application Window
Completed2026-05-20 → 2026-06-11T18:00:00+05:30
Notification Date
Completed2026-05-20
Job profile & salaryPending verification
Total Vacancies
451
Training Stipend Reference
₹56,100 per month is the published fixed stipend for the specified cadet or flight-cadet training period; academy-specific terms in the notice control
| Academy | Vacancies | Course | Training | Commission | Written Plus SSB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy, Dehradun | 100 | 163rd DE Course, July 2027 | About 18 months | Permanent Commission as Lieutenant after successful training | 300 + 300 marks |
| Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala | 26 | July 2027 course | As prescribed by the Indian Naval Academy | Naval officer after successful academy and commissioning requirements | 300 + 300 marks |
| Air Force Academy, Hyderabad | 32 | 222 F(P), July 2027 | Pre-flying and branch training as prescribed by the IAF | Flying Officer after successful training, subject to flying aptitude and medical rules | 300 + 300 marks |
| Officers Training Academy — SSC Men | 275 | 126th SSC (Men) NT, October 2027 | About 49 weeks | Short Service Commission as Lieutenant after successful training | 200 + 200 marks |
| Officers Training Academy — SSC Women | 18 | 126th SSC Women NT, October 2027 | About 49 weeks | Short Service Commission as Lieutenant after successful training | 200 + 200 marks |
CutoffsPending verification
UPSC publishes academy-wise historical cutoffs. No predicted CDS II 2026 cutoff is presented as official.
Previous-year papersPending verification
Books & study sourcesNot loaded
Official & trusted free resourcesOfficial link available
| Name | Purpose | Url |
|---|---|---|
| CDS II 2026 notification | Controlling source for academy eligibility, vacancies, pattern, syllabus, medical rules and training | Open ↗ |
| UPSC previous papers | Official English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics paper archive | Open ↗ |
| UPSC answer keys | Official final answer-key archive | Open ↗ |
| UPSC cutoff marks | Official academy-wise historical cutoff archive | Open ↗ |
| UPSC application portal | Official URN, Common Application Form and examination module | Open ↗ |
| Join Indian Army | Required registration and SSB call-up information for Army-first qualified candidates | Open ↗ |
How to applyOfficial link available
- 1Choose the academy route first, then verify its exact birth window, sex and marital-status rule, degree requirement and medical standard in the CDS II 2026 notice.
- 2Create or unlock the UPSC Universal Registration Number profile and complete the Common Application Form on the official portal.
- 3Upload date-of-birth, education, live-photo, photograph and three-signature materials exactly as instructed.
- 4Enter academy preferences carefully. IMA, INA, AFA and OTA eligibility and written-paper requirements are not interchangeable.
- 5Choose an available examination centre early; most centres have capacity limits.
- 6Pay ₹200 unless covered by the female-candidate, SC or ST exemption stated in the notice.
- 7Save the final application and status. UPSC's current archive records the CDS II 2026 application deadline as 11 June 2026 at 18:00, so this cycle is closed.
FAQsPending verification
When is CDS II 2026?
UPSC schedules the one-day written examination for 13 September 2026. The notice lists July 2027 courses for IMA, INA and AFA and October 2027 courses for OTA.
Does every CDS candidate take Mathematics?
No. IMA, INA and AFA candidates take English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics. OTA candidates take English and General Knowledge only.
Can final-year degree students apply?
Yes, but only candidates studying in the final year or semester may use this concession. They must carry the prescribed bonafide and original documents for SSB and submit passing proof by the academy-specific deadline.
Can women apply for every academy through CDS II 2026?
The notified women’s route is the OTA SSC Women Non-Technical course. IMA, INA and the listed Air Force Academy route in this notice have their own sex and marital-status conditions.
How many vacancies are notified?
The notice lists 451 approximate vacancies: IMA 100, INA 26, AFA 32, OTA SSC Men 275 and OTA SSC Women 18.
Does passing the written examination guarantee an academy seat?
No. Final selection depends on the combined written and SSB merit, medical fitness, academy eligibility, submitted preferences and available vacancies.
Final eligibility and dates are always subject to the latest official notification. Content marked “Pending verification” is not presented as verified advice.