UPSC CDS 2026
Combined Defence Services Examination (IMA, INA, AFA, OTA) — संपूर्ण आधिकारिक गाइड: अधिसूचना, सिलेबस, आयु पात्रता, वेतन और कट-ऑफ विश्लेषण।
UPSC CDS II & NDA II September 2026: Last 10 Days Revision Blueprint & SSB Shortlisting Benchmarks
With admit cards released on September 2 and 3, 2026, Rukmani Yadav shares the high-yield revision checklist for English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics before the September 14 test.
पूरी गाइड पढ़ें →Official UPSC CDS Portals & Candidate Document Preparation
SarkariPaper strictly directs aspirants to primary government commission portals for online registration, fee payment, and official corrigenda. Use our client-side tools below to prepare required photo and signature dimensions before applying.
UPSC CDS 2026 अवलोकन
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination is the premier graduate-entry military officer selection conducted twice a year (CDS I & CDS II) by the Union Public Service Commission to induct commissioned officers into the Indian Military Academy (IMA Dehradun), Indian Naval Academy (INA Ezhimala), Air Force Academy (AFA Hyderabad), and Officers Training Academy (OTA Chennai).
UPSC CDS 2026 has declared approximately 457 vacancies for male and female graduate candidates. The examination consists of a Written Test (English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics for IMA/INA/AFA totaling 300 marks; English and GK for OTA totaling 200 marks), followed by an intensive 5-day Services Selection Board (SSB) Interview assessing psychological resilience, group leadership, and military officer qualities (300/200 marks), culminating in stringent Armed Forces Medical Standards.
Commissioned officers start as Lieutenants in the Army, Sub-Lieutenants in the Navy, or Flying Officers in the Air Force at Pay Level 10 (₹56,100 basic pay) with an initial in-hand monthly remuneration of ₹75,000–₹1,05,000, boosted by Military Service Pay (MSP of ₹15,500/month), flying allowance, field hardship allowance, and premier cantonment housing privileges.
UPSC CDS 2026 महत्वपूर्ण तिथियां
| अधिसूचना जारी | 1 मई 2026 |
| आवेदन प्रारंभ | 15 मई 2026 |
| आवेदन अंतिम तिथि | 4 जून 2026 |
| परीक्षा तिथि (टियर 1) | 1 सितंबर 2026 |
| आधिकारिक वेबसाइट | https://upsc.gov.in |
UPSC CDS पात्रता मानदंड 2026
शैक्षिक योग्यता
IMA / OTA: Degree of a recognized University; INA: Degree in Engineering; AFA: Degree with Physics & Maths at 10+2 OR B.E./B.Tech
आयु सीमा
19–25 वर्ष (1 जनवरी 2026 को)
IMA: 19–24 yrs; INA: 19–24 yrs; AFA: 20–24 yrs; OTA: 19–25 yrs (Unmarried candidates for IMA/INA/AFA; Male & Female for OTA)
राष्ट्रीयता
Indian Citizen / Subject of Nepal or Bhutan
Check Your UPSC CDS Eligibility
Official Norms: IMA: 19–24 yrs; INA: 19–24 yrs; AFA: 20–24 yrs; OTA: 19–25 yrs (Unmarried candidates for IMA/INA/AFA; Male & Female for OTA)
UPSC CDS चयन प्रक्रिया
Written Examination (IMA/INA/AFA: 3 papers, 300 marks; OTA: 2 papers, 200 marks)
SSB Interview (5-day testing: Screening, Psychological Tests, GTO Tasks, Personal Interview & Conference)
Special & Detailed Armed Forces Medical Board Examination
Final Merit List based on Written Marks + SSB Score
UPSC CDS परीक्षा पैटर्न 2026
Written Examination (IMA / INA / AFA)
| विषय | प्रश्न | अंक |
|---|---|---|
| English | 120 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 120 | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 | 100 |
| कुल | 340 | 300 |
Written Examination (OTA Only)
| विषय | प्रश्न | अंक |
|---|---|---|
| English | 120 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 120 | 100 |
| कुल | 240 | 200 |
UPSC CDS सिलेबस 2026
पूरा सिलेबस →English
General Knowledge
Elementary Mathematics
UPSC CDS का विषयवार सिलेबस PDF डाउनलोड करें →Premium (₹199/वर्ष)
UPSC CDS पद — कौन सा सबसे अच्छा?
UPSC CDS में 3+ पद उपलब्ध हैं। फॉर्म भरने से पहले अपना लक्षित पद चुनने में यह तुलना मदद करेगी।
| पद | वेतन | प्रमोशन |
|---|---|---|
Lieutenant (Indian Army via IMA/OTA) Pay Level 10 (Group A) सर्वश्रेष्ठ | ₹75,000 – ₹1,00,000 | तेज़ |
Sub-Lieutenant (Indian Navy via INA) Pay Level 10 (Group A) | ₹75,000 – ₹1,05,000 | तेज़ |
Flying Officer (Indian Air Force via AFA) Pay Level 10 (Group A) | ₹85,000 – ₹1,20,000 | तेज़ |
UPSC CDS वेतन संरचना
वेतन पद, शहर श्रेणी (X/Y/Z) और DA दर के अनुसार भिन्न होता है।
UPSC CDS कट-ऑफ अंक
सभी कट-ऑफ →Check Your Selection Probability
Input your raw marks & shift details for instant normalized score estimate and category rank band prediction.
UPSC CDS 2025 टियर 1 कट-ऑफ
पद-वार विस्तृत कट-ऑफ (2015–2026) के लिएSarkariPaper Premium →
UPSC CDS तैयारी रणनीति
चरण 1: आधार तैयारी (माह 1–2)
- ›English is the highest scoring paper — practice error spotting, ordering of sentences, and reading comprehension daily
- ›Study Indian Polity (Laxmikanth) and Modern History (Spectrum) for GK section
- ›For IMA/AFA: practice 50 Mathematics questions daily covering Trigonometry and Geometry
- ›Read national and international defence news daily
चरण 2: मॉक टेस्ट अभ्यास (माह 3+)
- ›Practice Picture Perception & Discussion Test (PPDT) and Word Association Test (WAT)
- ›Begin daily jogging (3–5 km), push-ups, and pull-ups to build physical endurance for GTO tasks
- ›Form study groups for group discussion (GD) and lecturette practice on current affairs
- ›Attempt previous 10 CDS written papers under timed conditions
UPSC CDS अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले प्रश्न
Is Mathematics required for UPSC CDS OTA (Officers Training Academy)?▼
Can female candidates apply for UPSC CDS?▼
What is the starting salary of a Lieutenant commissioned via CDS?▼
Rukmani Yadav
✓ Verified ExpertUPSC & State PSC Research Lead · 9+ Years in Civil Services & Administrative Research
Rukmani is an expert on constitutional recruitment commissions including UPSC Civil Services, NDA, CDS, and State Public Service Commissions (HPSC, UPPSC, BPSC, MPPSC, RPSC). She tracks Gazette notifications and administrative cadre rules.