CDS 1 Exam 2025 - Application form (Out), Eligibility, Vacancy, Syllabus
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CDS Application Date:10 Dec' 25 - 30 Dec' 25
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About CDS 2026
The Union Public Service Commission has released the UPSC CDS 1 2026 notification, which was released on December 10, 2025. The commission also activated the UPSC application form 2025 link on the same day. The last day to fill out the UPSC CDS 1 application form is December 30, 2025 at upsconline.nic.in. The commission has also announced the UPSC CDS 1 exam date 2026 on the official website. As per the exam date, the UPSC CDS 1 exam 2025 is going to be conducted on April 12, 2026.
The application form and the UPSC CDS 2026 notification were released on the same date on the official website. The CDS exam 2026 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 2026: a written exam followed by the SSB interview.
Candidates who qualify in the written CDS exam 2026 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 2026 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 2026 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 2026)
The Union Public Service Commission will release the UPSC CDS 1 result 2026 on the official website. The CDS 1 2026 result can be downloaded from the official website, upsc.gov.in. Candidates have to secure qualifying marks as prescribed by UPSC to qualify for the written exam. Candidates who qualify for the written CDS exam are eligible to appear for an SSB interview.
The CDS 1 exam result for the written exam and the final CDS result are declared separately. The final result of CDS is calculated by adding the marks secured by candidates in the written as well as the SSB interviews.
Candidates must check the CDS exam eligibility criteria like age limit, educational qualification, marital status to be eligible for the CDS exam 2026.
Nationality
Candidates applying for CDS exam 2026 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 |
| IMA | Born not before July 2, 2002 and not later than July 1, 2007 |
| INA | Born not before July 2, 2002 and not later than July 1, 2007 |
| AFA | Born 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 |
The Union Public Service Commission activated the UPSC CDS 1 application form 2026 link 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 UPSC CDS 2026 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 2026. 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 2026 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 2026 thoroughly and edit the details if needed.
Once submitted, Applicants will not be able to make changes to their UPSC CDS application form 2026.
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 & OBC | Rs.200 |
| SC, ST & Female Candidates | No Fee |
Documents Required at Exam CDS 2026
Combined Defence Services Examination 2026
CDS 2026 Exam Centers
| State | City |
| 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 2026 in the official notification. There are two stages in the CDS exam 2026- written and SSB interviews. The written CDS exam 2026 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 | 100 | 2 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 | ||
CDS 2026 Syllabus
CDS Combined Defence Services Examination Syllabus
Arithmetic
Algebra
Trigonometry
Geometry
Mensuration
Statistics
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.
The Union Public Service Commission will issue the UPSC CDS 1 2026 admit card in online mode. The CDS 1 admit card 2026 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 1 admit card 2026, candidates can either log in using their roll number or registration number. The CDS 1 2026 admit card is available for candidates who have successfully filled and submitted the application form.
Details on the CDS Admit Card 2026
- 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 1 exam on the official website. The CDS 1 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 2026 on the same day.
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will release the cut off of the CDS exam 2026 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 2026 counselling
Combined Defence Services Examination 2026
The CDS 1 selection process 2026 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 HereFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the CDS 2 exam date?
A:
The CDS 2 exam 2025 was conducted today, September 13, 2026.
Q: When will the CDS 1 application be released?
A:
UPSC released the CDS 2026 application form on December 10, 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.
Q: How many CDS vacacnies have been announced?
A:
The number of CDS 1 vacancies is a total of 451.
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Ongoing Dates
Application Date
10 Dec, 2025 - 30 Dec, 2025
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.
Applications for Admissions are open.
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