UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2026: Admit Card, Exam Date, Result, Answer Key, Syllabus
Updated
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) — Combined Defence Services Examination · संयुक्त रक्षा सेवा परीक्षा (CDS) — is conducted by Union Public Service Commission. As of , applications for UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2026 closed on . Source: upsc.gov.in.
Held twice a year by UPSC for graduates seeking admission to the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officers' Training Academy (Short Service Commission), followed by an SSB interview.
Applications closed 9 Jun 2026.
Latest updates
Checked today on upsc.gov.inUPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2026 quick answers
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) important links
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Admit Card 2026
Admit cards released so far, from upsc.gov.in. Each row opens the official notice.
| Released | Admit card | Status |
|---|---|---|
| — | e — Admit Card: Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 · Official page | Out |
How to download the UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) admit card
- Download the e-Admit Card from upsconline.nic.in; no paper admit card is sent.
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Exam Date 2026
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Online application | 20 May – 9 Jun 2026 Till 6:00 PM on 09.06.2026. PDF p.1 | Done |
| e-Admit Card | Not announced Released on upsconline.nic.in, per press note of 03.09.2026. | Done |
| Written exam | 13 Sept 2026 PDF p.1 | Done |
| Written result | 19 Oct 2026 8956 candidates qualified for the SSB interview. PDF p.1 | Done |
| SSB interviews and final result | Not announced | Not yet |
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Result 2026 and result date
Result declared —. Written Result: Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026
| Cycle | Last exam | Result | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12 Apr 2026 | 8 May 2026 | 26 days |
| 2026 | 13 Sept 2026 | 19 Oct 2026 | 36 days |
Looking for an earlier result? UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Result 2016 · Result 2015 · Result 2014
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Vacancy 2026: 451 posts
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Age Limit and Eligibility 2026
19–25 years
IMA and INA: 19-24 years (born not earlier than 1 July 2003 and not later than 1 July 2008). AFA: 20-24 years as on 1 July 2027 (up to 26 with a DGCA Commercial Pilot Licence). OTA (men and women): 19-25 years (born not earlier than 1 July 2002 and not later than 1 July 2008). IMA/INA/OTA men must be unmarried; OTA women may be unmarried, or issueless widows/divorcees who have not remarried.
Source: Examination Notice No. 11/2026-CDS-II: Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 · PDF p.8 ↗Qualification: IMA and OTA: degree of a recognised university or equivalent. Indian Naval Academy: degree in Engineering, or B.Sc. with Physics (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2). Air Force Academy: degree with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2, or Bachelor of Engineering. Final-year students may apply. Fee: ₹200. Female, SC and ST candidates are exempted; OBC and EWS pay the full fee. PDF p.9
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern
| Subject | Qs / Marks |
|---|---|
| English (Code 11) | — / 100 |
| General Knowledge (Code 12) | — / 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics (Code 13) | — / 100 |
| Subject | Qs / Marks |
|---|---|
| English (Code 11) | — / 100 |
| General Knowledge (Code 12) | — / 100 |
Selection process: Written exam (objective) → SSB Intelligence and Personality Test → Medical examination.
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Salary per Month
| Post | Pay level | Basic pay | Basic + DA 63% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant (or equivalent in Navy / Air Force) | Level 10 | ₹56,100 | ₹91,443 |
| Captain | 10B | — | — |
| Major | Level 11 | ₹67,700 | ₹1,10,351 |
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Cut Off by year
| Year | IMA | INA | AFA | OTA (Men) | OTA (Women) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 124.11 | 109.23 | 132.51 | 80.01 | 98.06 |
| 2024 | 117 | 90 | 126 | 81 | 81 |
| Year | IMA | INA | AFA | OTA (Men) | OTA (Women) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 249.61 | 238.5 | 263.67 | 162.84 | 193.01 |
| 2024 | 241 | 220 | 248 | 161 | 166 |
Official cut-off documents
- date from file namePDF · 260 KB ↗
- CutOffMarks CDSE II 2023OutUPSCdate from file nameEnglish PDF · 39 KB ↗हिंदी PDF · 46 KB ↗
- Cut-off CDSE I 23OutUPSCdate from file nameEnglish PDF · 52 KB ↗हिंदी PDF · 142 KB ↗
- Cut Off Mks CDS II 2022OutUPSCdate from file namePDF · 37 KB ↗
- Cut Off Mks CDS II 2022 HnOutUPSCdate from file namePDF · 45 KB ↗
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Previous Year Question Papers
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Answer Key 2026
No 2026 answer key on upsc.gov.in yet. UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Answer Key 2024 · Answer keys →
UPSC official website and login
UPSC’s only official website is upsc.gov.in (old address: upsconline.nic.in). Every PDF link here opens there directly.
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2026: questions people ask
Is the UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2026 notification out?
Yes, the UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2026 cycle is under way. Latest: Applications closed 9 Jun 2026.
When was the latest UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Result released?
The latest UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Result is dated on site by May 2016 on upsc.gov.in: "Wr CDS i 2016 f". Its official PDF is linked on this page.
What is the UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) salary per month?
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) posts are at pay Level 10–11: entry basic pay ₹56,100 – ₹67,700 per month under the 7th CPC, plus DA, HRA and allowances.
What is the age limit for UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS)?
19–25 years, as per the official notification.
How many vacancies are there in UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2026?
451 posts as per the official notice (IMA Dehradun (163rd DE) 100, Indian Naval Academy 26, Air Force Academy (222 F(P)) 32, OTA Chennai SSC (Men) 126th 275, OTA Chennai SSC (Women) 126th 18).
Where can I find previous UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) cut-offs?
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) cut-offs from 2013–2025 are listed by year on this page: 40 official documents, each linked to the PDF on upsc.gov.in.
What is the full form of UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS)?
UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) stands for Combined Defence Services Examination, conducted by Union Public Service Commission.
What is the official website of UPSC?
The only official website of UPSC is upsc.gov.in. Always apply and download there; other sites asking for money are not official.
More UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) updates
- Question paper · Combined Defence Services (CDS) · 2026Question paperUPSCofficial datePDF ↗
- Question paper · Combined Defence Services (CDS) · 2026Question paperUPSCofficial datePDF ↗
- Question paper · Combined Defence Services (CDS) · 2025Question paperUPSCofficial datePDF ↗
- Question paper · Combined Defence Services (CDS) · 2025Question paperUPSCofficial datePDF ↗
- Question paper · Combined Defence Services (CDS) · 2025Question paperUPSCofficial datePDF ↗
- Question paper · Combined Defence Services (CDS) · 2025Question paperUPSCofficial datePDF ↗
- Question paper · Combined Defence Services (CDS) · 2025Question paperUPSCofficial datePDF ↗
- Question paper · Combined Defence Services (CDS) · 2025Question paperUPSCofficial datePDF ↗
- UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Answer Key 2024AnsKey CDS I 2024 ElementaryMathsOutAnswer keyUPSCdate from file namePDF · 22.3 MB ↗
- AnsKey CDS I 2024OutAnswer keyUPSCdate from file namePDF · 20.8 MB ↗
Older documents have been removed from the commission website; we show the Internet Archive copy of the same official link.
Apply only on the commission’s official portal. Sites charging to fill forms are scams.