UPSC CDS 2026
Combined Defence Services Examination (IMA, INA, AFA, OTA) — Complete Official Handbook: Notification, Syllabus, Age Eligibility, Salary Hierarchy & Cut-Off Analysis.
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.
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 Overview
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 Important Dates
| Notification Release | 1 May 2026 |
| Application Opens | 15 May 2026 |
| Application Last Date | 4 June 2026 |
| Tier 1 Exam Date | 1 September 2026 |
| Official Website | https://upsc.gov.in |
UPSC CDS Eligibility Criteria 2026
Educational Qualification
IMA / OTA: Degree of a recognized University; INA: Degree in Engineering; AFA: Degree with Physics & Maths at 10+2 OR B.E./B.Tech
Age Limit
19–25 years (as on 1st January 2026)
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)
Nationality
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 Selection Process
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 Exam Pattern 2026
Written Examination (IMA / INA / AFA)
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English | 120 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 120 | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 | 100 |
| Total | 340 | 300 |
Written Examination (OTA Only)
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English | 120 | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 120 | 100 |
| Total | 240 | 200 |
UPSC CDS Syllabus 2026
Full Syllabus →English
General Knowledge
Elementary Mathematics
Download the complete UPSC CDS topic-wise syllabus PDF →Premium (₹199/yr)
UPSC CDS Posts — Which is Best?
UPSC CDS offers 3+ posts across different departments. Here's a comparison to help you decide your target post before filling the form.
| Post | Salary | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
Lieutenant (Indian Army via IMA/OTA) Pay Level 10 (Group A) TOP PICK | ₹75,000 – ₹1,00,000 | fast |
Sub-Lieutenant (Indian Navy via INA) Pay Level 10 (Group A) | ₹75,000 – ₹1,05,000 | fast |
Flying Officer (Indian Air Force via AFA) Pay Level 10 (Group A) | ₹85,000 – ₹1,20,000 | fast |
UPSC CDS Salary Structure
Salary varies based on post, city tier (X/Y/Z) for HRA, and DA rate. Figures above are indicative for 2026 DA rates.
UPSC CDS Cut-off Marks & Predictor
All Cut-offs →Check Your Selection Probability
Input your raw marks & shift details for instant normalized score estimate and category rank band prediction.
UPSC CDS 2025 Tier 1 Cut-off
Cut-offs vary by post. Detailed post-wise cut-offs (2015–2026) available withSarkariPaper Premium →
UPSC CDS Preparation Strategy
Phase 1: English & Static GK Mastery (Month 1–3)
- ›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
Phase 2: SSB Psychology & Physical Conditioning (Month 4–6)
- ›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 Frequently Asked Questions
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.