Combined Defence Services

The CDS exam, short for the Combined Defence Services Examination, is the graduate-level route to a commission as an officer in the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. UPSC conducts it twice a year for admission to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA).

The latest cycle, CDS II 2026, had its written exam on 13 September 2026. The next one, CDS I 2027, is scheduled for 11 April 2027 as per the UPSC calendar. This guide covers dates, vacancies, eligibility, pattern, syllabus, selection and preparation, and keeps cycle-specific details separate from information that stays the same every year.

Table of Contents

• CDS Exam at a Glance

• Latest Update on the CDS Exam

• CDS Important Dates

• CDS Vacancy

• CDS Eligibility Criteria

• Which Academy Should You Choose?

• Application Fee and How to Apply

• CDS Exam Pattern

• CDS Syllabus Summary

• CDS Selection Process

• Stipend and Pay After Selection

• CDS Cut-Off and Result

• How to Prepare for the CDS Exam

CDS Exam

Latest Update on the CDS Exam

UPSC issued the CDS II 2026 notification on 20 May 2026, and the application window was later extended to 11 June 2026. The admit card was released on 3 September 2026, the exam took place on 13 September 2026, and the provisional answer key followed on 16 September 2026.

If you are starting now, your target is CDS I 2027. The UPSC calendar lists its notification for 2 December 2026, which leaves a little under two months before applications open and roughly six months before the written exam.

Many pages still show older cycle details, such as the CDS I 2026 schedule or earlier vacancy counts. Always match any date or number to the cycle named in the official notice.

CDS Important Dates

The CDS I 2027 dates come from the UPSC annual calendar, and UPSC states that calendar dates are tentative until the individual notification is issued. For reference, the calendar lists CDS II 2027 with notification on 12 May 2027 and exam on 19 September 2027.

CDS Vacancy

Vacancies are fixed in each notification and depend on training capacity and the requirements of the services. The CDS II 2026 notice carried 451 vacancies in total.

These figures are tentative and can change. IMA, INA and AFA are permanent commission routes open to men only, while OTA offers a short service commission to both men and women.

CDS Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility depends on the academy you choose. You can apply to more than one academy in the same form if you meet each one's conditions.

Educational Qualification

Final-year students can usually apply, but they must submit proof of passing the degree by the date stated in the notification. Missing that date makes the candidature invalid.

Age Limit (CDS II 2026)

The window moves forward with every cycle, so do not reuse the dates above for CDS I 2027. Check the date-of-birth range in the new notice before you apply.

Other Conditions

• Nationality: Indian citizens, and certain categories of persons of Indian origin as listed in the notification.

• Marital status: For IMA, INA and AFA, only unmarried men can apply. OTA has its own conditions for men and women, so read them in the notice.

• Attempts: The number of attempts is not capped as long as you stay within the age window.

• Physical and medical standards: You must meet the standards set for the service you are applying to.

Which Academy Should You Choose?

One application can cover several academies, so the real decision is the order of your preferences. The table below compares what changes with each choice.

If Mathematics is your weak area, OTA removes that paper, but it also means a short service commission and a smaller SSB weightage of 200 marks. If you are comfortable with Maths and meet the conditions, listing IMA, INA or AFA first keeps the permanent commission routes open. Your preference order also affects which academy UPSC allots when you are recommended, so decide it before you submit the form.

Two habits help at this stage. First, read the physical and medical standards of your target service early, because a fixable issue found late can cost a cycle. Second, do not wait for the notification to start the written syllabus; the papers have stayed broadly stable, and the notice mainly confirms dates, vacancies and age windows.

Application Fee and How to Apply

The fee is Rs. 200 for male candidates in the general and OBC categories. Women candidates and SC/ST candidates are exempt. Payment can be made online by card, UPI or net banking, or in cash at an SBI branch.

1. Open the official UPSC online application portal and complete the one-time registration.

2. Select the CDS examination and the academies you want to apply for.

3. Fill in personal, educational and contact details exactly as in your certificates.

4. Upload your photograph and signature as per the specifications in the notice.

5. Pay the fee if it applies to you, then choose an exam centre.

6. Review everything, submit the form and download a copy for your records.

Submit well before the last date. The portal slows down in the final days, and UPSC does not allow changes once the correction window closes.

CDS Exam Pattern

The written exam has three papers for IMA, INA and AFA and two papers for OTA. Each paper is two hours long and carries 100 marks. In CDS II 2026 the papers were held in three sessions on the same day.

Every wrong answer costs one-third of the marks assigned to that question. Worked out from the pattern, an English or GK question is worth about 0.83 marks and a wrong answer costs about 0.28, while a Maths question is worth 1 mark and a wrong answer costs about 0.33. Blind guessing therefore hurts, and careful elimination helps.

After the written exam, the SSB interview carries 300 marks for IMA, INA and AFA and 200 marks for OTA. Your final merit combines the written and SSB scores.

CDS Syllabus Summary

UPSC publishes a detailed topic list only for Mathematics. For English and General Knowledge it gives a broad description, so topic lists elsewhere are interpretations of past papers.

CDS Selection Process

1. Written exam: UPSC shortlists candidates for the SSB based on their written marks and academy preferences.

2. SSB interview: Stage I screens candidates with the Officer Intelligence Rating test and the Picture Perception and Description Test. Stage II lasts around four days and includes psychological tests, group tasks, a personal interview and a conference.

3. Document verification: Age, education and identity proofs are checked against your application.

4. Medical examination: A board of service medical officers checks fitness against the armed forces medical standards.

5. Final merit list and training: UPSC publishes the merit list, and selected candidates join their academy according to vacancies and preference.

Stipend and Pay After Selection

Officer cadets receive a stipend of Rs. 56,100 per month during training at IMA, INA, AFA and OTA. After commissioning, an officer joins as Lieutenant in Level 10 of the pay matrix, with a basic pay range of Rs. 56,100 to Rs. 1,77,500. Allowances and military service pay come on top of this, and the figures follow the pay commission rules in force, so check the notification for current amounts.

CDS Cut-Off and Result

UPSC sets minimum qualifying marks for the written exam and then fixes the cut-off for each academy based on vacancies, difficulty and overall performance. The cut-off changes every cycle, so treat last year's figure as a benchmark rather than a promise. The result and final merit list are published on the UPSC website, and shortlisted candidates receive SSB call-ups through the SSB portal.

How to Prepare for the CDS Exam

The written exam tests basics, but the paper is long and the negative marking is real. A steady routine for English, GK and Maths beats last-minute cramming.

• English: Read one editorial a day, revise grammar rules weekly and keep a list of new words with usage. Spend time on error spotting, sentence arrangement and comprehension.

• General Knowledge: Cover history of India, geography and everyday science from standard school-level books, then add six months of current affairs with short notes.

• Mathematics: Revise matriculation-level concepts first, then practise timed sets. Accuracy matters more than attempts because of negative marking.

• SSB: Start building communication, clarity and fitness habits early. Officer-like qualities develop over months, not days.

Solve previous year papers to understand the question style, then move to full-length mocks. After every mock, note wrong answers and slow questions, because that review lifts scores faster than extra tests.

The CDS exam rewards candidates who start early, stay consistent and learn from every practice test. Use the notification dates above to plan backwards from the written exam, and practise regularly on Testkart to build speed and accuracy before it arrives.