Union Public Service Commission released the UPSC CDS 2 2026 notification on May 20, 2026, on the official website upsconline.nic.in/upsc.gov.in. UPSC CDS 2 notification 2026 provides information about the CDS exam, like exam eligibility criteria, syllabus, and exam pattern, in the official UPSC CDS notification 2026. The Union Public Services Commission conducts the CDS exam twice a year. The UPSC CDS 2 notification can be downloaded in PDF format.
CDS 2 Notification PDF 2026 - Click here
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Candidates are encouraged to go through the CDS 2026 notification thoroughly and acquaint themselves with all the details regarding the exam. Twice a year, the CDS exam is held with the purpose of shortlisting eligible candidates for various courses under the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy. Below, we go through all the details presented in the CDS for candidates’ reference.
From the following table, candidates can check all the important CDS exam dates 2026. Candidates are advised to keep track of all the dates so that they don’t miss any events.
CDS 2 Events | CDS 2 2026 Date |
UPSC CDS 2 notification | May 20, 2026 |
CDS 2 application form starts | May 20, 2026 |
Last date to register for CDS | June 11, 2026 |
Admit card release date | To be announced |
CDS exam 2026 | September 13, 2026 |
CDS 1 Events | CDS 1 2026 Date |
CDS 1 notification | December 10, 2025 |
CDS 2026 application form | December 10, 2025 |
Last CDS 1 2026 Registration date | December 30, 2025 |
Application form correction window | To be announced |
Admit card release date | April 2, 2026 |
CDS 1 exam date 2026 | April 12, 2026 |
UPSC will soon activate the UPSC CDS 2 application correction window 2026 on the official website. Earlier, the exam authority extended the CDS 2 application form last date till June 11, 2026. The commission activated the CDS 2 2026 application form online link on May 20, 2026.
While filling out the application form, candidates have to fill in their details and academic information, select the CDS 2026 exam centre and pay the application fee. Candidates who successfully submit their application form will get their CDS 2026 admit card.
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The Union Public Service Commission specified the CDS 2026 eligibility criteria in the official notification. The CDS exam eligibility consists of the CDS exam age limit, nationality, academic qualification, and physical standards required to fill in the application form. The detailed CDS exam eligibility is mentioned in the notification.
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Union Public Service Commission mentioned the details regarding the CDS selection process 2026 in the official notification. As per the selection process, there are two stages in the exam – the written exam and the SSB interview. Candidates who clear the written exam are called to appear in the SSB interview round, which is a 5-day affair.
The written exam tests a candidate's aptitude and reasoning abilities, while SSB tests psychological aptitude and mental condition. Candidates have to clear both these stages to be commissioned officers in the Indian defence forces.
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The CDS 2 notification 2026 consists of the exam pattern prescribed by UPSC. The CDS 2 2026 exam pattern consists of the stages of the exam, time duration, marking scheme, subjects which need to be studied, etc. Candidates must refer to the CDS exam pattern while preparing for the exam, as the CDS question paper 2026 is based entirely on it. From the following tables, Candidates can check the CDS exam pattern.
Subject | Duration | Maximum marks |
English | 2 hours | 100 |
General Knowledge | 2 hours | 100 |
Elementary Mathematics | 2 hours | 100 |
Subject | Duration | Maximum marks |
English | 2 hours | 100 |
General Knowledge | 2 hours | 100 |
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Apart from the exam pattern, the notification also consists of the CDS syllabus. UPSC prescribed the official CDS 2026 exam syllabus, which consists of the subjects, topics and sub-topics which candidates need to study in order to clear the exam. Candidates must streamline the CDS exam syllabus with the exam pattern to form their preparation strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Candidates who meet the CDS eligibility criteria are eligible to apply for the CDS 2 exam 2026.
Candidates can apply for the CDS 2 exam 2026 from May 20 to June 11, 2026.
Yes, females are eligible for CDS but only for OTA (Officers Training Academy).
The CDS 2025 notification was released on May 20, 2026.
Candidates can apply for the CDS 2 2026 exam by visiting the official website and following the steps mentioned there.
There are two stages in the CDS exam - written test and SSB interview.
Yes, there is a negative marking of ⅓ mark in the CDS 2 written test.
On Question asked by student community
Hey there,
Yes — you may have a chance in CDS OTA 2027, but most likely only for CDS (I) 2027.
You were born 16 June 2002.
Hello, for CDS OTA (II) 2027, candidates must be born between 2 July 2001 and 1 July 2007 as per the latest CDS II age criteria. Since your date of birth is 27 May 2003, you fall within this age range and meet the age requirement.
For more details check
Hello Student,
For CDS OTA, the usual age limit for women is 19–25 years. A candidate born on 27 May 2003 would be around 24 years old in 2027 and is likely to fall within the age limit. However, the exact eligibility depends on the DOB range specified in the
Hello, with a date of birth of 02 October 2002, you are eligible for the CDS OTA entry for CDS II 2026, as the prescribed age range is 02 January 2001 to 01 January 2007.
Dear Candidate,
If your 10th marks are below the minimum eligibility required for Army GD, you may apply for the 10th marks improvement examination, if permitted by your board. After successfully improving your marks and obtaining the revised marksheet, you can use it for future recruitment, provided it is accepted
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