CDS 2 Exam 2025 - Application form (Released), Admit card, Exam Dates, Exam centres, Result

Upcoming Event

CDS Exam Date:14 Sep' 25 - 14 Sep' 25

Meghana Mohana KrishnanUpdated on Jul 10, 2025 09:45 AM

About CDS 2025

Union Public Service Commission will soon release the UPSC CDS 2 admit card 2025 at upsc.gov.in/ upsconline.nic.in.  The commission provided the CDS application correction window 2025 from July 7 to 9, 2025. The CDS 2 exam 2025 is scheduled to be conducted on September 14, 2025. Candidates were able to fill the UPSC CDS 2 application form 2025 from May 28 to June 20, 2025.  The application form and the UPSC CDS 2025 notification were released on the same date on the official website. 

The CDS exam 2025 is conducted for those who wish to pursue their careers as commissioned officers in the Navy, Air Force and Army after graduation or candidates appearing in their final year. There are two stages in the CDS exam 2025, written exam followed by the SSB interview. 

Candidates who qualify in written CDS exam 2025 are eligible for the Services Selection Board (SSB) Interview which includes Personality cum Psychometric tests and Intelligence interviews. Candidates who clear the UPSC CDS exam 2025 selection process will have to undergo training programmes as per their merit and preference for Army, Navy and Air Force jobs. The training of selected candidates will be done at Indian Military Academy (IMA Dehradun), Indian Naval Academy (INA Ezhimala), Air Force Academy (Hyderabad), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA Chennai). 

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CDS 2 Exam 2025 - Application form (Released), Admit card, Exam Dates, Exam centres, Result
CDS 2 Exam 2025 - Application form (Released), Admit card, Exam Dates, Exam centres, Result

CDS 2025 Highlights

Full Exam Name
Combined Defence Services Examination
Short Exam Name
CDS
Conducting Body
Union Public Service Commission
Frequency Of Conduct
Twice a year
Exam Level
Intermediate
Languages
English +1 more
Mode Of Application
online
Application Fee
Offline : 100+1 more
Mode Of Exam
offline
Mode Of Counselling
offline
Exam Duration
6 Hours
No Of Seats
483

CDS Important Dates

CDS Combined Defence Services Examination (session 2025)

Union Public Service Commission will release the result of CDS 2 exam on the official website. Candidates have to secure qualifying marks as prescribed by UPSC to qualify the written exam. Candidates who qualify for the written CDS exam are eligible to appear for an SSB interview. 

The CDS 2 exam result for the written exam and final CDS result are declared separately. The final result of CDS is calculated by adding the marks secured by candidates in written as well as SSB Interview. 

Candidates must check the CDS exam eligibility criteria like age limit, educational qualification, marital status to be eligible for the CDS exam 2025. 

Nationality

Candidates applying for CDS exam 2025 must be 

  • an Indian citizen, or
  • a subject to Nepal, or
  • Migrants from Pakistan, Burma, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, and Ethiopia or Vietnam Sri Lanka and East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, with the intention of permanently settling in India

Age

Academy Age Limit 
IMABorn not before July 2, 2002 and not later than July 1, 2007
INABorn not before July 2, 2002 and not later than July 1, 2007
AFABorn not before July 2, 2002 and not later than July 1, 2007

Educational Qualification martial status as per courses 

Courses

Marital Status

Qualification
            

Officers Training Academy (OTA - women, Non-Technical)

        
            

Unmarried and widow

        
            

Degree of a recognised university or equivalent

        
            

Officers Training Academy (OTA - men)

        
            

Unmarried 

        
            

Degree of a recognised university or equivalent

        
            

Indian Naval Academy (NA)

        
            

Unmarried

        
            

Degree in Engineering from a recognised             university/institution

        
            

Indian Military Academy (IMA)

        
            

Unmarried

        
            

Degree of a recognised university or equivalent

        
            

Air Force Academy (AFA)

        
            

Unmarried (Candidates above 25 can be married) 

        
            

Degree of a recognised university (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or Bachelor of Engineering

        


Background wave

The commission opened the CDS application correction window 2025 from July 7 to 9, 2025. The last date to submit the CDS application form 2025 was June 20, 2025 (extended date). UPSC released the CDS 2 application form today, May 28, 2025.  The UPSC CDS 2025 application form was released in online mode only. Candidates have to complete the One-Time Registration and then proceed to apply for the UPSC CDS exam 2025. Candidates are required to fill the CDS application form carefully.

Documents Required While Filling CDS Application Form 

  • Active Email – ID
  • Matriculation certificate
  • Scanned signature
  • Scanned photograph
  • One photo identity proof like an Aadhar card/ Voter card/ PAN card/ Passport/ Driving license

Steps to Fill UPSC CDS Application Form

  • Open the UPSC official website - upsc.gov.in.

  • Click on the ‘Apply Online link’ available on the web page.

  • Online One-Time Registration (OTR)- If the applicants are not completed the One Time Registration, They have to complete it by providing some basic details such as personal and contact details.

  • Login by using valid login credentials Email ID and OTP/Password or Mobile number and  OTP/Password or OTR ID and OTP/Password.

  • Candidates have to fill out the UPSC CDS 2025 application form in two parts which include filling in other details, fee payment, uploading of scanned documents, signature, photo identity card document and selection of preferred exam centre.

  • Check all the details furnished in the UPSC CDS application form 2025 thoroughly and edit the details if needed. 

  • Once submitted, Applicants will not be able to make changes to their UPSC CDS application form 2025.

  • After submission, a registration number will be generated. Candidates have to download it as a pdf file and take a printout for future reference.

CDS Application Fee

Category CDS Application Fee
General & OBCRs.200
SC, ST & Female Candidates No Fee


Documents Required at Exam CDS 2025

Combined Defence Services Examination 2025

Admit card
Aadhar card
Voter card
PAN card
Passport
Driving license
Any other photo ID card issued by the state/central government

CDS 2025 Exam Centers

StateCity
Tripura
Agartala
Gujarat
Ahmedabad
Mizoram
Aizawl
Uttar Pradesh
Allahabad
Bareilly
Lucknow
Karnataka
Bangalore
Dharwad
Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal
Punjab
Chandigarh
Tamil Nadu
Chennai
Madurai
Odisha
Cuttack
Sambalpur
Uttarakhand
Dehradun
Delhi
Delhi
Sikkim
Gangtok
Telangana
Hyderabad
Manipur
Imphal
Rajasthan
Jaipur
Udaipur
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu
Srinagar
Assam
Jorhat
Kerala
Kochi
Thiruvananthapuram
Nagaland
Kohima
West Bengal
Kolkata
Maharashtra
Mumbai
Nagpur
Goa
Panaji
Bihar
Patna
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Port Blair
Chhattisgarh
Raipur
Jharkhand
Ranchi
Meghalaya
Shillong
Himachal Pradesh
Shimla
Andhra Pradesh
Tirupati
Visakhapatnam
Arunachal Pradesh
Itanagar

UPSC prescribed the CDS exam pattern 2025 in the official notification. There are two stages in the CDS exam 2025- written and SSB interviews. The written CDS exam 2025 is conducted in pen and paper mode. As per the CDS exam pattern, candidates who apply for Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Indian Military Academy courses have to appear for three subjects - English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics while candidates who have opted for Officers' Training Academy have to appear for two subjects – English and General Knowledge. 

CDS Exam Pattern – Written Exam

Structure of CDS exam pattern for admission to Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Indian Military Academy.                                                                                                                        

            

Subject

        
            

Maximum Marks

        
            

Duration

        
            

Elementary Mathematics

        
            

100

        
            

2 hours

        
            

English             

        
            

100

        
            

2 hours

        
            

General Knowledge

        
            

100

        
            

2 hours

        


Structure of exam pattern for admission to Officers’ Training Academy

            

Subject

        
            

Maximum Marks

        
            

Duration

        
General Knowledge        1002 hours
            

English             

        
            

100

        
            

2 hours

        


CDS Exam Pattern – SSB Interview

Stages

Tests

Stage-I

Screening Test

Verbal and non-verbal tests.

PPDT

Stage-II

Psychological Test

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Word Association Test (WAT)

Situation Reaction Test (SRT)

Self Description Test (SD)

Group Testing Officers Test

GD

GPE

PGT

HGT

IOT

Command Task

Snake race/ Group Obstacle Race

Individual lecture

FGT

Personal Interview


Conference

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CDS 2025 Syllabus

CDS Combined Defence Services Examination Syllabus

Elementary mathematics: Unit 01


Arithmetic
  • Number system-natural numbers, integers, rational, and real numbers
  • Fundamental operations, addition, substraction, multiplication, division, square roots, decimal fractions
  • Unitary method, time and distance, time and work, percentages, applications to simple and compound interest, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, variation
  • Elementary number theory-division algorithm
  • Prime and composite numbers
  • Tests of divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 11
  • Multiples and factors
  • Factorisation theorem
  • H.C.F. and L.C.M.
  • Euclidean algorithm
  • Logarithms to base 10, laws of logarithms, use of logarithmic tables

Elementary mathematics: Unit 02


Algebra
  • Basic operations, simple factors, remainder theorem, H.C.F., L.C.M., theory of polynomials, solutions of quadratic equations, relation between its roots and coefficients (only real roots to be considered)
  • Simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns-analytical and graphical solutions
  • Simultaneous linear inequations in two variables and their solutions
  • Practical problems leading to two simultaneous linear equations or inequations in two variables or quadratic equations in one variable and their solutions
  • Set language and set notation, rational expressions and conditional identities, laws of indices

Elementary mathematics: Unit 03


Trigonometry
  • Sine ×, cosine ×, Tangent × when 0° < × < 90° values of sin ×, cos × and tan ×, for × = 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°, simple trigonometric identities
  • Use of trigonometric tables
  • Simple cases of heights and distances

Elementary mathematics: Unit 04


Geometry
  • Lines and angles, plane and plane figures, theorems on (i) properties of angles at a point, (ii) parallel lines, (iii) sides and angles of a triangle, (iv) congruency of triangles, (v) similar triangles, (vi) concurrence of medians and altitudes
  • Theorems on (vii) properties of angles, sides and diagonals of a parallelogram, rectangle, and square, (viii) circles and its properties including tangents and normals, (ix) loci

Elementary mathematics: Unit 05


Mensuration
  • Areas of squares, rectangles, parallelograms, triangle, and circle
  • Areas of figures which can be split up into these figures (field book), surface area and volume of cuboids, lateral surface and volume of right circular cones and cylinders, surface area and volume of spheres

Elementary mathematics: Unit 06


Statistics
  • Collection and tabulation of statistical data, graphical representation frequency polygons, histograms, bar charts, pie charts etc.
  • Measures of central tendency

To score well in the written exam of CDS, candidates must know the preparation tips and strategies. Candidates must know the importance of solving the previous years’ question papers, timely revision, time management, etc. which are the key elements of preparation.

Union Public Service Commission will soon issue the UPSC CDS 2 2025 admit card in online mode. The CDS 2 admit card 2025 will be available for download at upsc.gov.in. Candidates can download the CDS exam admit card until the examination date. In order to download the CDS admit card 2025, candidates can either log in using their roll number or registration number. The CDS 2 2025 admit card will be available for candidates who have successfully filled and submitted the application form. 

Details on the CDS Admit Card 2025

  • Candidate’s name
  • Scanned signature and colour photograph
  • Registration number
  • Candidate’s category
  • Examination date
  • Reporting time
  • Address of examination centre
  • Examination timing

UPSC releases the official answer key of CDS 2 exam on the official website. The CDS 2 answer key will be available subject wise for all test booklets. Candidates can check the number of correct and incorrect answers marked by them with the help of answer key. There are some coaching institutes who release the unofficial answer key after the completion of the CDS exam 2025 on the same day. 

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will release the cut off of CDS exam 2025 after the selection process is over. Candidates who score equal or more than cut off released by UPSC are eligible SSB Interview. The CDS cut off marks of written test for is calculated out of the total score of 300 for INA, IFA  and IMA, and 200 for OTA (Men & Women). The final cut off will be released in by UPSC later. 

Documents Required at CDS 2025 counselling

Combined Defence Services Examination 2025

Call letter
Matriculation/secondary school examination certificate or equivalent
Degree/provisional degree certificate/marks sheet

The CDS2 selection process 2025 is of two stages - written exam and SSB interview. In the first stage - CDS written exam, candidates are required to appear in three papers for admission in the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force and two papers for admission in Officers’ Training Academy. The next stage is the SSB interview. 

General Information

Contact Number:

011-23385271 + 2 more

Relevant Links:

Official Website Link Click Here, + 2 more

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: When will the CDS 2 application be released?
A:

UPSC released the CDS 2025 application form on May 28, 2025.

Q: How many CDS vacacnies have been announced?
A:

The number of CDS 2 vacancies are a total of 483.

Q: What is the CDS 2 exam date?
A:

The CDS 2 exam 2025 is going to be conducted on September 14, 2025.

Q: What is the age limit to apply for the CDS exam?
A:

Candidates between the age group of 20 years to 24 years can apply for the CDS exam.

Q: What is the educational qulification required for the CDS exam?
A:

Bachelors degree is must to apply for the CDS examination.

Q: Can girls apply for CDS exam?
A:

Yes, girls too can apply for CDS exam. Girls are considered for OTA and allotted Short Service Commission in non-Technical cadre.

Q: What are passing marks for CDS exam?
A:

The written exam of CDS is conducted for 300 marks and candidates must score a minimum of 20% of the total marks i.e. 60. Candidates need to qualify in all three papers of the CDS exam.

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Questions related to CDS

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CDS ?

Hi dear candidate,

The age limit for various roles in CDS are:

1) IMA: 19 to 24 years of age, 8 to 9 attempts.

2) INA: 19 to 24 years of age, 8 to 9 attempts.

3) OTA: 19 TO 25 years of age, 10 to 11 attempts.

This is all considering your DOB as of 26 Oct, 2005 as you are 19 years old in Aug 2025.

Know more at:

CDS Exam Dates 2025 (Out) - Check UPSC CDS 2 Complete Exam Schedule

CDS Selection Process 2025 - Written Exam, SSB Interview, DV, Pay Scale

BEST OF LUCK

Yes, you will be eligible for CDS-1 2027 under OTA (SSC Women – Non-Technical Course). The age limit for OTA is 19–25 years (you must be born between 2nd Jan 2001 and 1st Jan 2007). Since your date of birth is 4 July 2002, you will be 24 years old at that time, so you fall within the required age range.

But you will not be eligible for IMA, INA or AFA, because their upper age limit is 24 years, and by 2027 you will cross that limit.


As per the CDS OTA eligibility criteria, for female candidates applying to the Officers Training Academy (OTA), the age limit is 19 to 25 years (unmarried females only).

Since your date of birth is 16th June 2005, you will turn:

21 years old in June 2026,

25 years old in June 2030.

CDS exam is conducted twice every year, so you’ll be eligible from the year you complete graduation (2026) till you turn 25 in 2030.

Your eligible attempts:

CDS 2 2026

CDS 1 2027

CDS 2 2027

CDS 1 2028

CDS 2 2028

CDS 1 2029

CDS 2 2029

CDS 1 2030 (maybe last)

So, you will have around 7 to 8 attempts to appear for CDS OTA before you cross the maximum age limit.