UPSC CDS / OTA Notification Combined Defence Services

The UPSC CDS 2026 recruitment is conducted in two cycles - CDS I and CDS II. Candidates should keep track of the notification, application, admit card, examination, and result dates for both sessions to avoid missing any important deadlines. The table below provides the key dates for the CDS 2026 recruitment cycle.

Note: UPSC later extended the CDS II 2026 application deadline to 11 June 2026. Candidates should always refer to the latest UPSC notice for updated deadlines.

The candidates can download the official UPSC CDS Notification PDF and get the comprehensive details about eligibility criteria, age limit, the number of vacancies, exam pattern, syllabus, selection process, application process, physical standard requirements, and other important guidelines. The notification is released separately by UPSC for both CDS I and CDS II on the official portal of the commission. Before proceeding with the application form, the candidates must read the notification carefully to know more details related to their application process and also the eligibility criteria as well.

CDS 1 Notification PDF

CDS 2 Notification PDF

UPSC CDS 2026 notification states vacancies for admission into Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA). Vacancy distribution academy wise for UPSC CDS exam guides for the total number of candidates who will be selected for joining based on the written exam, SSB Interview and the Medical Examination. Applicants should apply for academy preferences cautiously during application as criteria of eligibility for each academy is different from others.

Note - The aforesaid vacancies are purely tentative and likely to be varied in accordance with the needs of the respective Service Headquarters. The number of vacancies may be amended by the Commission, if necessary, even before the finalisation of the selection process.

The UPSC CDS 2026 eligibility criteria specifies the nationality, age limit, education qualification, and marriage status of eligible candidates to apply for the exam. Eligibility differs as per the academy of their choice (IMA, INA, AFA and OTA). Aspirants must read the eligibility criteria in full and must ensure they fulfill all the criteria to avoid any form of disqualification even after selection at any stage.

The applicant must be:

• A citizen of India, or
• A subject of Nepal/Bhutan, or
• A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 with the intention of permanent settlement, or
• A person of Indian origin who has migrated from specified countries with the intention of permanently settling in India.

• IMA / INA / AFA: Candidates must be unmarried at the time of commencement of training.
• OTA (Men & Women): Candidates must be unmarried.
• OTA Women: Widows or divorcees (without encumbrances and not remarried) may also be eligible, subject to UPSC conditions.

Note - Candidates should ensure that they meet all the other eligibility criteria mentioned in the UPSC CDS 2026 official notification. All these criteria are scrutinized at the time of document verification as well as during the SSB interview.

The CDS OTA Notification 2026 is released by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for candidates seeking admission to the Officers' Training Academy (OTA), Chennai.

OTA has the provision to get admitted into the Short Service Commission(SSC) in the Indian Army for male and female aspirants.

Those candidates who apply only for OTA, have to clear a two-paper written examination in contrast to IMA, INA, and AFA who have an exam pattern of different subjects.

Following the written examination, those who qualify will be screened for the SSB Interview, medical examination, and eventually, final selection.

Note: The number of vacancies is tentative and may be revised by UPSC or the Service Headquarters before the recruitment process is completed.

Candidates applying exclusively for OTA are required to appear for only two objective-type papers:

There is no Mathematics paper for OTA candidates, making it a preferred choice for graduates from all academic streams.

1/3rd marks will be deducted for each wrong answer(there is a provision for negative marks) after the written examination for OTA selected candidates an SSB of 200 marks of 5 days is conducted too so selection weights of written + SSB will be 200+200=400.

OTA eligibility pertaining to female candidates are - Candidates appearing for OTA (Short Service Commission) entry and there will only one preference as OTA, therefore can not be submitted for IMA, INA and AFA entry.

PW women applicants are allowed only for OTA (Short service Commission entry), in IMA, INA & AFA only Male candidates are admitted. Women are also exempted from payment of the application fee just like SC & ST candidates.

Candidates nominated via OTA are commissioned into the Indian Army as Lieutenants (LT) in the Short Service Commission (SSC) and draw pay, Military Service Pay (MSP), and all allowances and benefits admissible as per the pay matrix of Army officers applicable at the time of joining the Army.

OTA continues to be among the preferred options for graduate candidates aspiring to join the Indian Army as commissioned officers through Short Service Commission (SSC), but retain the option to aim for a Permanent Commission in due course.

The UPSC CDS examination is online-based and an easy application form through the official UPSC website. Below is the exact step-by-step procedure, that should ensure you apply correctly:

Before applying, ensure you have the following files prepared according to the UPSC specifications:

• Scanned Photograph: JPG format, size between 20 KB to 300 KB (clear background).
• Scanned Signature: JPG format, size between 20 KB to 300 KB (black or blue ink).
• Photo ID Proof: PDF format (Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Voter ID, Passport, or Driving License). Note: You must carry this exact ID to the exam hall.

UPSC requires a mandatory One-Time Registration before you can apply for any exam. Skip to step 3 if you have already created an OTR profile. Go to the official website: upsconline.nic.in.

• Click on "One-Time Registration (OTR) for Examinations of UPSC".
• Select the "New Registration" tab.
• Fill in your basic details matching your Class 10th certificate (Name, Gender, Date of Birth, Parents' Names, Mobile Number, and Email ID).
• Verify your details and submit. Enter the OTPs sent to your registered mobile number and email.
• Create a secure password to generate your OTR ID.
• OTR information is digitally available anytime anywhere.

Once registered, log back into the portal using your Email ID, Mobile Number, or OTR ID along with an OTP or your password.

• Navigate to the "Latest Notification" tab on your dashboard.
• Look for the active Combined Defence Services Examination link and click "Apply Now".
• Fill Personal & Educational Details: Enter your qualification status, address, and the specific details of the Photo ID card you are uploading.
• Choose Service Preferences: Rank your preferred academies (IMA, INA, AFA, OTA) by entering numbers (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4). If you are not eligible or do not wish to apply for a specific academy, enter 0.
• Review your information carefully, check the declaration box, and click Submit to finish Part-I. Your registration ID will be generated.

Recent passport sized photos, signature, photo identity proof and other documents mentioned in the notification should be uploaded in the specified size and format.

The prescribed application fee should be submitted using the payment modes as prescribed by the institute/university available online, if any. The candidates exempted from the fee payment are requested to claim exemption accordingly.

• The fee is ₹200 for General/OBC male candidates.
• SC, ST, and all Female candidates are fee-exempted.
• You can pay online via Net Banking, Debit/Credit Card, UPI, or offline via an SBI Bank Challan.

Choose your preferred examination centre from the available list. Centres are allotted on a first-apply, first-allot basis, subject to availability.

Carefully preview the completed application form. Verify all details, submit the application, and note the application number generated after successful submission. Read the final declaration, click "I Agree", and click Submit.

After final submission, download or print a copy of your completed application form and fee receipt for future reference during the SSB interview and selection stages.

Indian Military Academy(IMA), Indian Naval Academy(INA), and Air Force Academy(AFA) - The eligible aspirants for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), and Air Force Academy (AFA) can write three objective papers and for the Officers' Training Academy (OTA), the candidates must write only two papers in the UPSC CDS 2026 examination. All the papers will be conducted for 2 hours and 100 marks each. The exam will be conducted in offline mode by filling in the OMR answer sheet.

*Elementary Mathematics is applicable only to candidates applying for IMA, INA, and AFA.

• All papers shall comprise Objective type MCQs only
• One third (0.33) marks shall be deducted for each wrong answer.
• No marks shall be deducted for un-answered questions.

To improve candidate identification, UPSC has added face authentication in examination processes. Candidates might be called for face authentication at the examination center besides document verification and photo identification. In order to facilitate the examination process candidates need to carry their admit card and the photo identity proof that has been mentioned in the notification.

The UPSC CDS Syllabus 2026 is set by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the same aims to test the knowledge and competence of the applicants with regard to the languages, general awareness and mathematics. As a whole there will be 3 papers for the candidates aspiring for the IMA, INA, and AFA, but only 2 papers for the candidates aspiring for OTA. You should be familiar with the syllabus so that you may plan your studies properly, along with paying attention to high weightage subjects. Let's look at the subject-wise description of the UPSC CDS Syllabus 2026.

Candidates can download the official CDS syllabus PDF from the UPSC notification, which contains the complete paper-wise syllabus, examination scheme, and standard of questions for all subjects. Official Syllabus PDF: Refer to Appendix-I of the latest UPSC CDS Notification.

UPSC CDS II 2026 Notification (Appendix-I Syllabus)

A combined defence services (CDS) entry form process for selections requires candidates to have not just strong academic ground, physical fitness and intelligence and logical power of mind. The whole CDS entry process, in a broad view, has been jointly administered by UPSC and Services Selection Board (SSB) at stages of your selection procedure. Here is exactly how the selection cycle unfolds, broken down stage by stage.

UPSC conducts it twice a year. It's an offline(pen-and-paper), objective test and depends upon the branch to branch, it also has a sectional cutoff of 20%.

For IMA, INA and AFA - Total 3 Papers - 300 Marks

• English : 2 Hours - 100 Marks
• General Knowledge : 2 Hours - 100 Marks
• Elementary Mathematics : 2 Hours - 100 Marks

For Officers' Training Academy (OTA): 2 papers | 200 total marks

• English: 2 hours - 100 Marks
• General Knowledge: 2 hours - 100 Marks

Marking Scheme: Guessing incurs a penalty. The number of marks to each question shall be deducted at a rate of one-third (0.33) from the score if the question has been answered wrongly and a full credit if the question is correctly answered. Unanswered questions receive no credit or penalty. Those who secure the prescribed cut-off are shortlisted for the SSB Interview.

Shortlisted candidates are called for Services Selection Board (SSB) Interview. SSB is an interview process that lasts for five days in which all aspects of a candidate like

• intelligence,
• personality,
• ability to express,
• capacity of command,
• presence of mind,
• ability to take the decision,
• Psychologically fit for the defence services,

These officers like qualities etc are examined through a set of psychological tests, group discussions, and personal interviews.

Recommended candidates directly enter special medical boards at selected Armed Forces Hospitals and take around 4-7 working days.

• If they have permanent dynamic issues like flat feet or knock knees, deviations of the spine or the eye power mismatch to a significant extent it is reviewed.
• If declared temporarily unfit( i.e., overweight, underweight etc or having minor problems), then an RMB (Review Medical Board) is ordered and you are given about 42 days to challenge it or rectify it.

Once declared medically fit, your dossiers are sent back to UPSC. Final Score = Written Exam Marks + SSB Interview Marks.

• Merit Formula - Your written exam marks and the overall aggregate marks of SSB assessment (both SSB marks as well as the interview score will be summed up for the overall merit of a candidate and will be arranged in descending order of merit. Only a medical fit candidate will be considered for merit listing.
• If your name lands inside the absolute vacancy numbers for that term's course at your preferred academy (IMA, INA, AFA, or OTA), you are issued an official joining instruction letter to begin your training.

Candidates placed in the merit list are offered admission to the allotted training academy.

Candidates selected through the UPSC Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination undergo rigorous pre-commission training at their allotted academies - Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), or Officers' Training Academy (OTA). During the entire training period, Officer Cadets receive a fixed stipend of ₹56,100 per month (Pay Level 10). After successful completion of training, they are commissioned as Lieutenant (Army), Sub-Lieutenant (Navy), or Flying Officer (Air Force) and become eligible for regular pay, Military Service Pay (MSP), and other admissible allowances.

In addition to the Basic Pay, Commissioned Officers are also eligible for MSP, DA, HRA (if applicable), TA and various allowances as per the rules of the Government of India and the posting location.

The minimum marks to be achieved in the UPSC CDS exam in order to pass to the next level of the selection procedure are known as the UPSC CDS cut-off. The cut-offs for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers' Training Academy (OTA) are all declared differently. The candidates need to achieve the minimum cut-off to be eligible to take the SSB Interview, and then again meet the overall cut-off after considering their written test scores and the SSB scores. Past cut-offs may also help you decide on a target score.

Note - The data given above are for Written examination cut-off only. The final cut-off is always published by UPSC once the SSB Interview process is completed and the final Merit list is declared. There is no fixed cut-off as it changes year after year based on exam complexity, availability of vacancy, performance of candidates.

To crack UPSC CDS examination, the candidates have to follow a strategic study plan with adequate practice and revision. They have to make a comprehensive approach towards it to understand the UPSC CDS exam pattern and latest syllabus, build up their knowledge and skills, and enhance accuracy and speed of the preparation by practising mock tests and past year question papers. Along with the CDS Written Examination, aspirants must also focus on their SSB Interview preparation, communication and personal skill and physical Fitness.

• Understand the latest CDS syllabus and exam pattern before starting your preparation.
• Create a realistic study timetable and allocate time to each subject every day.
• Build strong fundamentals using standard reference books and NCERTs where applicable.
• Solve previous years' question papers to understand the question pattern and difficulty level.
• Attempt full-length mock tests regularly to improve time management and accuracy.
• Revise important formulas, grammar rules, current affairs, and static GK frequently.
• Read a quality newspaper daily to strengthen General Knowledge and English.
• Start preparing for the SSB Interview by improving communication, leadership qualities, and physical fitness.

Preparation Strategy - Those preparing for OTA exams have to emphasize mostly on English and General Knowledge but IMA, INA and AFA applicants need to put the same amount of effort on Elementary Mathematics along with these two. With the right practice and revision including mock tests, you will definitely enhance your possibility of selection in the written exam and eventually in the SSB interview.