CDS Exam Dates 2026 (Out) - Check UPSC CDS 1 Complete Exam Schedule

CDS Exam Dates 2026

UPSC announced the CDS 1 2026 exam dates on their official website. To know more about the CDS exam date 2026, check the table below.

CDS 1 Exam Dates 2026

CDS 2 Exam Dates 2026

Quick Links: CDS Eligibility Criteria 2026

UPSC CDS 1 2026 Exam Time Table

Will there be a CDS Exam 2026?

Yes, the CDS exam is held twice a year by the UPSC to recruit candidates into various departments in the Defence Services. In 2026, the CDS 1 will be held on April 12, 2026, and CDS 2 will be held on September 13, 2026. The notification for CDS 1 was released on December 10, 2025, and the CDS 2 notification for 2026 will be released on May 20, 2026. Candidates are advised to go through the notification for the CDS exam they wish to attempt for a comprehensive look at details related to the examination.

CDS Notification 2026 Release Date

The Union Public Service Commission released the CDS 1 notification 2026 on December 10, 2025 at upsc.gov.in. The CDS notification 2026 contains all the important exam dates for the recruitment process, application form/online registration, CDS exam syllabus, exam pattern and much more. For more information, check the upcoming CDS 2026 notification.

CDS Application Form Date 2026

The Union Public Service Commission released the CDS 1 2026 application form on December 10, 2025. Candidates were able to submit the CDS 1 application form until December 30, 2025. The UPSC CDS application form 2026 was released in online mode. The CDS 2026 application form has to be submitted at upsc.gov.in.

All eligible, qualified, and interested aspirants wanting to join the Indian Armed Forces can fill the CDS application form online. Those who successfully submit their CDS application form 2026 will get their admit card for the Combined Defence Services exam.

Quick links: CDS Selection Process 2026

What is the last date for the CDS Form 2026?

The last day to fill out the CDS 1 2026 Application Form is December 30, 2025. Candidates must be sure to fill out the CDS application forms before this date. Candidates have not been provided a window of time to correct any mistakes in the application form this time.

CDS Admit Card Release Date 2026

The UPSC will issue the CDS 1 admit card 2026 a few days before the exam, in online mode at upsc.gov.in. Candidates can use their CDS login credentials like registration and date of birth, to download the hall ticket. The UPSC CDS 1 2026 admit card is issued separately for each stage of the selection process i.e. the written exam and SSB interview. On the day of the CDS exam 2026, candidates need to carry their admit card and an original valid photo ID card with them, or else they won't be allowed to appear for the examination.

When will CDS 1 be conducted?

The Combined Defence Services is held twice every year. The CDS 1 is being held on April 12, 2026. The CDS 1 exam dates 2026 was released in the official notification and UPSC calendar. The Official advertisement for this exam was released on December 10, 2025.

CDS Question Papers 2026 Release Date

The Union Public Service Commission will release the CDS question paper online on the official website. Candidates and future aspirants can download CDS previous years' question papers from the official UPSC website. The CDS question papers 2026 help aspirants improve their preparation for the CDS exam. Practising previous year's question papers also helps them to get a real feel of the CDS 2026 exam pattern and the difficulty level of the questions asked, and the weightage of the topics.

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CDS Result Dates 2026

The UPSC CDS 2026 result will be declared in online mode. The CDS result 2026 contains the roll number of qualified candidates. Candidates who appeared for the CDS 2026 exam can check their result on the UPSC website – upsc.gov.in. The CDS result 2026 will be released in PDF format on the Commission's website.

Candidates have to clear all the stages of the CDS 2026 selection process to get inducted into any one of the three Indian Defence Services. The final CDS result 2026 features the roll numbers and names of all selected candidates for the three services separately. The CDS 2026 result is released separately for both stages of the examination.

CDS Answer Key Date 2026

The Commission has released the CDS 1 exam answer key on April 16, 2026, in online mode on the official website after the completion of all the stages of the recruitment process. As per the upcoming exam dates, the official CDS 2026 answer key is likely to be released after the exam. The answer key of the CDS 1 exam is released for all the sets A/ B/ C/ D in PDF format for all three subjects.