UPSC CDS 2026 Application Correction in URN Profile is live Now. Application Form last date was till 30th December 2025. 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
UPSC CDS 2026 Notifications – Correction Open (URN Profile)
CDS 1 2026 Correction in Universal Registration Number (URN) profile has been started. This is only one time edit/modification facility. Check here for application form details.
CDS 1 2026 Registration can be done till 30th December 2025. Check here for application form details.
CDS Top News: CDS 1 2026 Notification Out: Apply Link & Exam Details Here
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 apply for the CDS 2026 exam? Well, link available from 10th December 2025. Check registration details below.
- No Correction Facility is provided for CDS 1 2026. So Fill the application carefully
- 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
| Exam Name | CDS 2026 |
| Full Name | Combine Defense Services Examination |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Exam Level | National Level |
| Exam Mode | Offline Mode |
| Frequency of Exam | Twice a year |
| Application Mode | Online Mode |
| Website | upsc.gov.in |
CDS 2026 Exam Dates
Here, applicants can check the complete CDS Exam Dates 2026:
| Event | Dates 2026 (Announced) | |
| CDS I | CDS II | |
| Released of notification | 10th December 2025 | 20th May 2026 |
| Online application form | 10th December 2025 | 20th May 2026 |
| Last date to apply | 30th December 2025 (6:00 PM) | 9th June 2026 |
| Correction facility | 1st week of January 2026 | 4th week of June 2026 |
| Issue of admit card | 1st week of April 2026 | September 2026 |
| CDS 2026 Exam | 12th April 2026 | 13th September 2026 |
| Answer key available | 2nd week of April 2026 | September 2026 |
| Result announcement | Last week of April 2026 | October 2026 |
CDS 2026 Application Form
Check section below to know complete CDS 2026 application form details:
- Application form of UPSC CDS 2026 exam has been released on 10th December 2025 for Paper I and for paper 2, it will be available on 20th May 2026.
- Students 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 Universal Registration.
- 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 can be paid via online mode.
- Online payment options include credit card, debit cards, UPI, and net banking.
- Application fee is Rs.200/- for General & OBC category and Female/SC/ST candidates will be exempted from paying the fee.
CDS 2026 Application Correction
UPSC will not provide any correction facility in the application form. CDS application correction 2026 facility may be available via online mode only. Registered candidates may be able to modify the CDS-I application form details in first week of January 2026.
A one time facility is provided to candidates for updating or modifying their details filled in URN (Universal Registration Number) profile. Rectification in CDS-II application form may 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:
| CDS Courses | Age Limit |
| Indian Military Academy | 19 to 24 years (2nd January 2003 to 1st January 2008) |
| Indian Naval Academy | 19 to 24 years (2nd January 2003 to 1st January 2008) |
| Air Force Academy | 20 to 24 years (2nd January 2003 to 1st January 2007) |
| Officers’ Training Academy (Men) | 19 to 25 years (2nd January 2002 to 1st January 2008) |
| Officers Training Academy (Women, Non-Technical) | 19 to 25 years (2nd January 2002 to 1st January 2008) |
- Educational Qualification: Students must have obtained the following qualification to be eligible for CDS 2026:
| Training Institutes | Qualification |
| For I.M.A. and Officers Training Academy, Chennai | Candidates must have completed graduation from a recognized University or equivalent |
| For Indian Naval Academy | One must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from a recognized University/Institution |
| For Air Force Academy | Students must possess a bachelor’s degree in any field (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or Bachelor of Engineering from a recognized University |
- 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:
| Subjects | Total Questions | |
| In IMA, INA & AFA Exam | In OTA Exam | |
| English | 100 | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 | – |
| General Knowledge | 100 | 100 |
| Total Questions | 300 Questions | 200 Questions |
CDS 2026 Syllabus
CDS syllabus 2026 include Elementary Mathematics of Matriculation level and other subjects at the graduation level. The syllabus for Mathematics cover key topics including arithmetics, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, mensurations, statistics etc.
The English section assess candidate’s understanding and practical use of words, whereas the General Knowledge section 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, Surat 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.
Also Check >> CDS Answer Key 2026
CDS 2026 Result
The Union Public Service Commission will release the CDS 2026 in PDF format. Candidates will be able to download their CDS 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 CDS 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.
I am currently pursuing a five year course, presently in its 5th Semester. Am I eligible to sit for CDS, even as for a trial attempt?
Hello Tarasha, you must hold a bachelor degree or appearing in the final year to be eligible for CDS exam.
Thanks Ankita
I am a BSC computer science student and will complete my degree in 2026 I scored below 50% in my 12th standard in physics and math’s, can I apply for Air force academy through AFCAT for Flying branch and for Air force through CDS
Regards
Abbhishek Kurhe
Hello Abhishek, yes you are eligible to apply for CDS exam (Air Force Academy).
I am engineering graduate 25 year old running 26 but I don’t have score 60 % in math’s can I eligible for cds-1 OTA Non-technical
If your DOB falls under as not earlier than 2nd July, 2002 and not later than 1st July, 2008 you will be eligible to apply.