CDS 2026: Exam Dates (Out), Notification, Application, Eligibility

CDS 2026 Exam Dates have been announced. Combined Defence Service (CDS) is a national level entrance exam regulated by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) twice in a year. 

UPSC has announced the CDS I & II exam dates…check below to know schedule…

CDS 2026 Exam Dates | CDS 2026 Application Form | CDS Eligibility 

CDS 2026 Notifications – Exam Dates Out

 CDS 2026 Exam Dates have been announced for both sessions. The exam will be held on 12th April 2026 (CDS 1) and 13th September 2026 (CDS 2). Check complete schedule below.

This exam is held for selecting candidates for positions in the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Indian Navy by providing training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Office Training Academy (OTA).

All You Need To Know About CDS 2026 Exam:

• Do you know, CDS 2026 exam dates have been announced via online mode. Check complete schedule below. 
• Wanna know the application date of the CDS 2026 exam? Well it will be releasing from 10th December 2025. Check registration details below. 
• Searching for the best preparation tips for cracking the CDS 2026 exam? Let’s check tips & tricks below. 
• Are you the one who scored 60% marks in the qualifying exam and still confused about eligibility criteria? Don’t worry, let’s explore eligibility below. 

Confused? Ask us below.

Through this article, students can get complete details related to CDS 2026 including application form, exam dates, eligibility criteria, syllabus, pattern etc.

CDS 2026 Overview

CDS 2026 Exam Dates

Here, applicants can check the complete CDS Exam Dates 2026:

CDS 2026 Application Form

Check section below to know complete CDS 2026 application form details: 

• Application form of UPSC CDS 2026 exam will be released on 10th December 2025 for Paper I and on 20th May 2026 for Paper II.
• Students will need to fill the application form via online mode only.
• Prior to applying, candidates must meet the specified eligibility criteria.
• Students must enter their basic details such as name, mobile number, email ID etc during One Time Registration (OTR).
• Complete the application form with personal & qualifications details and select the preferences of training institutes.
• A scanned image of required documents must be uploaded in the prescribed format to avoid rejection.
• Print the completed application form and keep it safe for future reference during the admission process.

Application Fee:

• Registration fee for CDS 2026 exam will be transferred via both online & offline modes.
• For offline payment, deposit the fee in cash at any SBI branch. 
• if paying via “Pay by Cash,” one should print the system-generated pay-in slip and submit it with their payment at the SBI branch counter.
• Online payment options will include credit card, debit cards, UPI, and net banking.
• Application fee will be Rs.200/- for General & OBC category and Female/SC/ST candidates will be exempted from paying the fee.

CDS 2026 Application Correction

CDS application correction 2026 facility will be available via online mode only.  Registered candidates will be able to modify the CDS-I application form details in first week of January 2026.

Rectification in CDS-II application form will be done till fourth week of June 2026. The window to rectify the application details will be opened for a limited time frame and no correction will be possible afterwards. 

CDS 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Applicants are required to meet the given CDS Eligibility Criteria 2026 before applying:

• Nationality: Unmarried students who are either a citizen of India, a subject of Nepal, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African Countries with the intention of permanent settlement in India.
• Age Limit: Candidates must ensure to meet the age requirements, as specified below:

• Educational Qualification: Students must have obtained the following qualification to be eligible for CDS 2026:

• Appearing: Candidates those appearing for their qualifying examinations will also be eligible to apply for CDS 2026.
• Physical Fitness: Candidates must meet the specific physical fitness standards to be eligible.

CDS 2026 Exam Pattern

Students must go through the CDS Exam Pattern 2026 as mentioned:

• Exam Mode: CDS 2026 Exam will be held through offline mode.
• Duration: Students will be allotted 2 hours to answer each exam paper.
• Medium: The language of exam paper will be both English & Hindi.
• Question Types: Questions asked in CDS Exam will be Objective Type only.
• Total Questions: Question paper for IMA, INA and AFA exam will consist of 300 questions and 200 questions for OTA.
• Marking Scheme: Each correct answer will be given 1 mark and there will be a negative marking of ⅓ marks for each incorrect answer.

Check the detailed CDS 2026 marking scheme below: 

CDS 2026 Syllabus

CDS syllabus 2026 will include Elementary Mathematics of Matriculation level and other subjects at the graduation level. The syllabus for Mathematics will cover key topics including arithmetics, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, mensurations, statistics etc.

The English section will assess candidate’s understanding and practical use of words, whereas the General Knowledge section will cover current events & everyday observations, including Indian history and geography.

CDS 2026 Preparation Tips

Here we have mentioned the best tips and tricks to crack CDS 2026 exam: 

• Make a proper study plan as per the syllabus and exam pattern. 
• Try to solve previous year questions paper & mock test to identify the high-weightage topics. 
•  Divide your time equally among all the topics asked in CDS 2026 exam. 
• For last minute revision, prepare a short note and revise them regularly.  
• Take some help from internet and best books for CDS 2026 preparation. 
• Do not forget to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

CDS 2026 Exam Centre

CDS Exam Center 2026 will be located in various cities across the country including Agartala, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Faridabad, Gaya, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow, Madurai, Nagpur, Panaji, Raipur, Sambalpur, Thane, Udaipur, Varanasi, Warangal  etc.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

CDS 2026 Admit Card 

CDS 2026 admit card will be released via online mode, no offline method will be provided to download it. Candidates will have to visit the website of UPSC to download the hall ticket. Details such as registration ID or roll number and date of birth will be required to download the hall ticket. 

Important information will be mentioned in the admit card such as name, roll number, exam center, date, time, reporting time, signature, etc. It will be mandatory to keep the hardcopy of the admit card safe till the selection procedure. On the day of exam, students will have to carry the hardcopy of admit card along with the valid Photo ID. 

CDS 2026 Result

The Union Public Service Commission will release the CDS 2026 in PDF format. Candidates will be able to download their result via online mode from the website. It will consist with the list of the roll number of candidates who will successfully clear the CDS 2026 exam. 

Those candidates who will score higher than the cut off marks will be considered eligible for further SSB Interview round. After clearing the SSB Interview for 5 days, shortlisted candidates will get admission to prestigious IMA, INA, AFA and officers training Academy (OTA). 

CDS 2026 Selection Procedure 

In the CDS 2026 selection procedure, there will be two stages which candidates need to clear i.e a written exam and SSB Interview. The complete selection process will be released by the authority via online mode. 

CDS 2026 written exam is held to test the candidates aptitude and reasoning ability. Moreover, SSB round of the CDS exam is held to test the candidates psychological aptitude and mental condition. Aspirants will have to clear all stages of CDS 2026 selection to get selected as commissioned officers in Navy, Air Force, and Indian Army. 

CDS 2026 SSB Interview 

Qualified candidates in the selection procedure will be eligible to participate in further SSB Interview rounds. After clearing the SSB interview, candidates will be selected for various posts. This stage of CDS selection will be conducted over a period of 5 days to test the candidate’s intelligence, physical strength, personality, and more.

Two will be there in SSB round. Stage 1 will have an officer Intelligence rating (OIR) test and picture perception description test (PP & DT). There will be an Interview, Group testing Officer Tasks, Psychology test and the conference in stage 2. 

Applicants are advised to keep visiting the website to get latest updates related to CDS 2026. As the authority has released the exam dates of CDS 2026 exam. We have mentioned the complete information above in the article. 

If there are any other queries related to CDS 2026, candidates can feel free to ask us by leaving their queries in the given comment box.