Union Public Service CommissionVerified Official Gazette

Applications Closed

UPSC CDS (I) 2026: Combined Defence Services Examination for IMA, INA, AFA & OTA

Advt No: 02/2026.CDS-I•Published Date: 2026-11-12•Official Portal: UPSC

Apply Online Directly Download Official PDF Check My Eligibility

Section 1

Recruitment Overview

Official Summary

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) invites unmarried graduates for admission to Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers Training Academy.

Recruiting BodyUnion Public Service CommissionUPSC

Advertisement No.02/2026.CDS-IOfficial Gazette

Application ModeonlineOnline Portal

Job CategoryUPSC RecruitmentAll India

Section 2

Eligibility Checker

Deterministic Rules

Instant Age & Degree Audit

Launch Tool

Test your exact date of birth, reservation category (OBC/SC/ST/PwD), and degree aggregate against gazette clauses.

Age: 19 - 25 Years (Category relaxations apply)

Education: Graduate / Relevant Specified Degree

Audit Engine: 100% Deterministic Verified Rules

Section 3

Important Dates

Schedule

1. Notification Released2026-11-12Official Release

2. Application Starts2025-12-10Portal Active

3. Last Date to Apply2025-12-30Strict 23:59 IST Cut-Off

4. Fee Payment Deadline2026-12-09Online Gateway

5. Admit Card Release2027-04-05Intimated Online

6. Examination Date2026-04-12Tentative CBT

Section 4

Application Fee & Payment

Tariff

Gen / OBC / EWS₹200Online Processing

SC / ST / PwD₹0100% Exempt

All Female₹0Exempted

Accepted Payment Gateways:

Net Banking, Debit/Credit Cards (Visa/Master/Rupay), UPI (GPay/PhonePe), or SBI Cash Challan.

Section 5

Age Limit & Relaxation

Benchmark

Prescribed Age Range19 - 25 YearsGeneral / UR Category

Age Cut-Off Date2027-01-01Determined on deadline

Upper Age Relaxations:

OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)+3 Years

SC / ST Candidates+5 Years

PwD (Differently Abled)+10 Years

Ex-Servicemen (ESM)+3 Years

Section 6

Salary & Pay Scale

7th CPC

Official Pay MatrixLieutenant Rank Level-10 (₹56,100 - ₹1,77,500) + Military Service Pay ₹15,500/moPer 7th Central Pay Commission

Gross In-Hand₹52,000+ / mo

Dearness (DA)50% of Basic

House Rent (HRA)9% - 27% City

AllowancesTA, CGHS, NPS

Section 7

Vacancy Distribution

457 Total Posts

Post Name	Posts	Age
Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun	100	19 to 24 Years
Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala	32	19 to 24 Years
Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad	32	20 to 24 Years
Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai (Men & Women)	293	19 to 25 Years

Section 8

Educational Qualification

Degrees

Essential Educational Qualification Benchmark

Candidate must possess a Bachelor's Degree in any discipline from a recognized University or Institute established by an Act of Parliament (UGC Act, 1956).

Final Year: May apply if degree acquired before DV.

Equivalence: B.E, B.Tech, MCA recognized as equivalent.

Section 9

Post-wise Eligibility

Cadre Rules

Post #1100 Vacancies

Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun

Degree of a recognized University or equivalent.

Post #232 Vacancies

Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala

Degree in Engineering from a recognized University/Institution.

Post #332 Vacancies

Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad

Degree of a recognized University (with Physics & Maths at 10+2) or Bachelor of Engineering.

Post #4293 Vacancies

Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai (Men & Women)

Degree of a recognized University or equivalent.

Section 10

Selection Process

Stages

1Tier-1 CBT

Online Computer Based Qualifying Test.

2Tier-2 Mains

Comprehensive merit-scoring examination.

3Skill Test

Typing / Data Entry speed where required.

4DV & Medical

Certificate verification and fitness check.

Section 11

Examination Pattern

Structure

ModeComputer Based (CBT)

Duration60 Minutes

Questions100 MCQs (200 M)

Negative Mark-0.50 per wrong

Medium: Bilingual (English & Hindi) except English comprehension.

Section 12

Syllabus & Subjects

Curriculum

1. Reasoning

Analogies, Venn Diagrams, Syllogisms, Series, Coding.

2. General Awareness

Current Affairs, Polity, History, Science, Economy.

3. Quantitative

Percentages, Ratio, Profit/Loss, Algebra, Geometry.

4. English

Comprehension, Spotting Errors, Vocabulary, Idioms.

Section 13

Documents Checklist

Checklist

Photo: Recent color (20-50 KB).

Signature: Black ink (10-20 KB).

ID Card: Aadhaar / PAN / Voter ID.

10th Marksheet: Proof of DOB.

Graduation: Degree certificates.

Caste Proof: SC/ST/OBC/EWS format.

Section 14

How to Apply Online

Steps

One-Time Registration (OTR)Create an account on the official portal with verified mobile and email.

Fill Application FormSelect UPSC CDS (I) 2026: Combined Defence Services Examination for IMA, INA, AFA & OTA, choose examination centers, and enter academic scores.

Upload DocumentsUpload scanned photo, signature, and category certificates per size specs.

Fee Payment & ConfirmationPay online fee and download the acknowledgment application slip.

Section 15

Official Notification & Links

Direct Verified Access

Apply Online Portal GatewayOfficial Candidate Registration

Click Here to Apply

Download Official Notification PDFComplete Gazetted Notification

Download Official PDF

Official Commission Portalhttps://upsc.gov.in

Visit Website

Notice an error or outdated link? Report a correction to our editorial team.