CDS Exam Dates 2026 (Out) - Check UPSC CDS 1 Complete Exam Schedule
Upcoming Event
CDS Exam Date:12 Apr' 26 - 12 Apr' 26
The Union Public Service Commission released the UPSC CDS 2026 notification on December 10, 2025, at upsc.gov.in/upsconline.nic.in. The UPSC CDS 1 application form 2026 link has been activated along with the notification on the same day. The last day to fill out the UPSC CDS 1 application form is December 30, 2025. The commission announced the UPSC CDS 1 exam date 2026 on the official website. As per the notification, the UPSC CDS 2026 exam date for CDS 1 is April 12, 2026. In the UPSC CDS exam date notice, the exam is only conducted for one day.
This Story also Contains
- CDS Exam Dates 2026
- UPSC CDS 1 2026 Exam Time Table
- Will there be CDS Exam 2026?
- CDS Notification 2026 Release Date
- CDS Application Form Date 2026
- What is the last date for CDS Form 2026?
- CDS Admit Card Release Date 2026
- When will CDS 1 be conducted?
- CDS Question Papers 2026 Release Date
- CDS Result Dates 2026
- CDS Answer Key Date 2026
Candidates are recommended to check the website often to know about the latest CDS 2026 exam dates. Interested candidates can check their eligibility before applying for the UPSC CDS exam. The CDS 1 exam will be conducted across the country at various exam centres. The CDS exam 2026 will be conducted in offline mode. Check all the latest updates related to the CDS 1 exam dates in this article below.
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 2026 Events | CDS 1 2026 Exam dates |
CDS Notification 2026 | December 10, 2025 |
CDS 2026 Application Form date | December 10, 2025 |
Last date for CDS Application Form | December 10, 2025 |
| CDS application form correction facility | TBA |
CDS1 2026 admit card release date | TBA |
CDS 1 2026 Exam date | April 12, 2026 |
| CDS 1 result date | TBA |
CDS 2 Exam Dates 2026
CDS 2026 Events | CDS 2 2026 Exam dates |
CDS Notification 2026 | May 20, 2026 |
CDS 2026 Application Form date | May 20, 2026 |
Last date for CDS Application Form | June 9, 2026 |
| CDS application form correction facility | TBA |
CDS2 2026 admit card release date | TBA |
CDS 22026 Exam date | September 13, 2026 |
| CDS 2 result date | TBA |
Quick Links: CDS Eligibility Criteria 2026
UPSC CDS 1 2026 Exam Time Table
| Date | Time | Subject |
| April 12, 2026 | 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM | ENGLISH |
| 12:30 PM to 02:30 PM | GENERAL KNOWLEDGE | |
| 04:00 PM TO 06:00 PM | ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS |
Will there be CDS Exam 2026?
Yes, the CDS exam is held twice a year by the UPSC with the goal of recruiting candidates into various departments in the Defence Services. In 2026, the CDS 1 will be held on April 12, 2026, and CDS 2 is going to be held on September 13, 2026. The notification for CDS 1 was released on December 10, 2025, and the CDS 2 notification 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 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.
Check Here List of Other Government Exams
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 will release the CDS 1 exam answer key 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 CDS 1 exam will be released for all the sets A/ B/ C/ D in PDF format for all three subjects.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the motive of CDS 2026 exam? For what is it conducted?
A:
CDS exam is conducted to recruit candidates for the three defence services i.e. Indian Army, Air Force and Navy.
Q: What is the mode of CDS 2026 examination?
A:
CDS exam is conducted in offline mode for all the stages of the selection process.
Q: How many papers are there in the CDS 2026 written exam?
A:
The CDS written exam has two to three papers depending on the course the candidate apply for. For more details, candidates can check CDS exam pattern 2026.
Q: What are the different stages of the CDS exam 2026 ?
A:
CDS 2026 exam has two stages - Written exam and SSB interview.
Q: When will the CDS 1 2026 admit card be released?
A:
The CDS admit card 2026 release date will be announced on the official website.
Q: When will the result of CDS 2026 be released?
A:
The CDS 1 result 2026 will be released in online mode at upsc.gov.in.
Q: What is the date of UPSC CDS exam 2?
A:
The CDS 2 exam 2025 will be conducted on September 13, 2025.
Q: Is CDS held twice a year?
A:
Yes, the UPSC CDS exam is held twice a year.
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Questions related to CDS
On Question asked by student community
Have a question related to CDS ?
Choosing the best CDS coaching in Lucknow really depends on what kind of learning environment you’re looking for. Some students prefer centres with strict discipline and regular mock tests, while others focus more on experienced faculty or smaller batch sizes. From what I’ve observed and heard from fellow aspirants, Shield Defence Academy is one of the institutes worth considering—they maintain consistent classes, focus on basics, and their test series is fairly well-structured.
Hello aspirant,
No, after tenth grade, you are not eligible to take the CDS exam. Candidates must hold a bachelor's degree in order to sit for the CDS exam. It is intended for people who are in their last year of graduation or who have finished their college education. You must finish your 12th grade before you can graduate if you recently passed the 10th. You can then apply for the CDS exam to become an officer in the Indian Armed Forces.
Thank you
Hey! Since your date of birth is 07 Nov 2006 and you will complete graduation in 2029, here’s how many chances you’ll get for CDS (INA, IMA, AFA) and AFCAT:
For CDS exams, the age limit is usually 19–24 years.
For AFCAT, Flying Branch requires 20–24 years and Ground Duty goes up to 26 years.
By 2029, you will be around 22–23 years old, so you’ll be perfectly eligible at that time. Since CDS requires a graduate degree, you can only start applying after 2029 once you finish graduation. From that year onwards, you’ll have around 2–3 years window where you can appear for CDS (IMA, INA, AFA) as well as AFCAT.
Dear Candidate,
You are eligible for CDS 2026, but for IMA, INA and AFA post, you must be born between 2 Jan 2003 – 1 Jan 2008.
For OTA ( male and female ), all 2003 born candidates are eligible.
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
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