CDS Exam Dates 2026 (Out): Check Pre & Post Exam Schedule

CDS 2026 Exam Dates for both sessions has been released. As per the announced dates by UPSC, the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam I will be held on April 12, 2026, and CDS II will be held on September 13, 2026.

Dreaming of joining the Defence Forces in 2026? Exam Schedule Out Now.

CDS 2026 Notifications – Exam Date 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 other dates below.

CDS exam is held offline in PBT format. UPSC conducts the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam. The exam will be held twice a year in the month of April and September 2025.

Combined Defence Services (CDS) Exam is a national-level exam. It is conducted to recruit officers for all three defense forces (Indian Army, Indian Air Force, & Indian Navy).

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The candidates who will be selected through the CDS exam 2026 will be trained in their selected academies i.e. Indian Military Academy, Officers Training Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Indian Air Force Academy. In this article, we have shared all the details regarding CDS 2026 Exam dates from application events to counselling.

CDS 2026 Exam Dates

Check out the below-mentioned details for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) 2026 exam dates: 

CDS 2026 Pre Exam Dates

The notification for the CDS I 2026 exam will be released on December 10, 2025, and for CDS II 2026 on May 20, 2026. Applications for both exams can be submitted online.

The application form for CDS I 2026 will be available on December 10, 2025, and for CDS II 2026 on May 20, 2026. The last date to submit the application fees for CDS I 2026 will be 30th December 2025, and for CDS II 2026, is June 9th, 2026.

The application correction window for CDS I 2026 will be available until January 2026, and for CDS II 2026, it will be available fromJuly 2026. The admit cards for the exams will be released from first week of April 2026 and first week of September 2026, respectively.

CDS 2026 Post Exam Dates

The CDS I 2026 Exam will be scheduled for April 12, 2026, and the CDS II Exam for September 13, 2026. The UPSC will release the results for CDS I in April 2026, and for CDS II, it will be announced in October 2026.

Applicants who pass the CDS examination will be called for the SSB by the respective selection boards: the Service Selection Board (SSB), Air Force Selection Board (AFSB), and Naval Selection Board (NSB).

CDS 2026 Exam Overview

The CDS selection process consists of two stages: a written exam and an SSB Interview. Candidates who pass the written exam will be invited to participate in the SSB Interview round.

CDS 2026 Registration

Here are the details related to Common Defence Service (CDS) 2026 registration and form filling:

Registrations for CDS I 2026 will be started on December 10, 2025 and CDS 2 2026 will start from 20th May 2026. The application will be filled out online and Male candidates from the General and OBC categories have to pay Rs. 200 as application fees.

Females and candidates belonging to SC/ST categories are exempted from the payment of fees. Candidates have to submit details such as educational qualifications, communicational details, and personal details in the application form.

Along with documents candidates also have to upload scanned passport-size photographs and signatures in the required format. In this article, we have shared all the information related to CDS 2026 exam dates. Candidates aspiring to become officers in defense forces can find details related to pre and post-exam dates and exam patterns.

If you have any queries related to CDS 2026 Exam Dates, ask in the comment section below.