CDS 1 Notification 2026 Out for 451 Vacancies, Exam Date, Online Form Starts

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Combined Defence Service Examination twice a year for candidates who are looking for admission to the Indian Air Force, Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy. For the year 2026, CDS 1 Notification 2026 for courses commencing in January 2027 has been released on 10th December 2025. Interested candidates who hold the required eligibility for the CDS 1 exam have to apply online for the UPSC CDS 1 Exam 2026 from the official website www.upsc.gov.in.

CDS 1 Notification 2026 Out

The detailed CDS 1 Notification 2026 PDF for Combined Defence Service Examination (I), 2026 (Including SSC Women (Non-Technical) Course) has been released by UPSC on 10th December 2025. The notification PDF contains all important details such as vacancy, eligibility criteria, application procedure, selection process, etc. Candidates interested in applying for the CDS 1 exam are advised to thoroughly review the advertisement PDF to ensure their eligibility and to know other details regarding the exam. 

Click to Download CDS 1 Notification 2026 (Official PDF)

UPSC CDS 1 Exam 2026- Summary

The Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) is a national-level defence exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the recruitment of officer cadets in the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers Training Academy (OTA). The UPSC CDS exam is held twice a year in April and September, and the selection process includes the written exam and interview. 

CDS Exam 2026- Important Dates

The complete schedule for CDS 2026 Exam has already been released with UPSC Calendar 2026. The registration process for UPSC CDS 1 2026 will commence from 10th to 30th December 2025 and for CDS 2 2026 will be conducted from 20th May to 9th June 2026.   

UPSC CDS 1 Vacancy 2026

For the CDS 1 Exam, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will release more than 450 vacancies for the Indian Air Force, Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, and Officer’s Training Academy. 

UPSC CDS 1 Exam 2026 Eligibility Criteria

The candidates must meet the UPSC CDS 2026 Eligibility Criteria as set by the Union Public Service Commission for defence recruitment. Check detailed eligibility (nationality, education, age, marital status, sex) from below.

CDS Nationality

A candidate should hold The Citizenship of India, subject of Nepal/Bhutan, or a Tibetan refugee who had been migrated to India before January 01, 1962, with the intention of Permanent Settle, or An individual of Indian Origin who migrated from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, Zaire & Vietnam for permanent settle purpose in India.

CDS Education Qualification

For I.M.A. and Officers’ Training Academy - The candidate should have a graduation degree (any subject) from a recognized University or equivalent.

For Indian Naval Academy- The candidate should have completed their Graduation in Engineering from a recognized University/Institution.

For Air Force Academy- The candidate should hold a bachelor's degree from a recognized University (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or a Bachelor of Engineering.

CDS Age Limit (as on 01/01/2027)

The age limit for the candidates who will be applying for CDS 1 Exam will be as follows;

(i) For IMA- Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2nd January 2003 and not later than 1st January 2008 only are eligible

(ii) For Indian Naval Academy- Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2nd January 2003 and not later than 1st January 2008 only are eligible.

(iii) For Air Force Academy- 20 to 24 years, i.e., born not earlier than 2nd January 2003 and not later than 1st January 2007.

CDS Marital Status & Sex

• For the Indian Military Academy, and Indian Naval Academy, only Unmarried males are eligible to apply for the CDS 1 Exam

• For the Indian Air Force Academy, both married and unmarried males can apply, however, marriage during the training is not permitted

• For Officer Training Academy, unmarried males & females can apply for the CDS 1 Exam.

CDS Physical Standards 

Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to the Combined Defence Services Examination (1), 2026 

• The minimum acceptable height for male cadidates is 157 cm.
• For the Navy candidates height is 157 cm, for the Air Force is 162.5 and for female candidates is 152 cm.
• Gorkhas and candidates belonging to the Hills of the North Eastern region of India, Garhwal and Kumaon, required a minimum height is 152 cm.
• Tribals from the Ladhakh Region and Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands' and Extra talented sports candidates minimum required rights is 155 Cm
• Body Mass Index (BMI) should be below 25.
• The ratio of the waist and hip should be below 0.9 for males and 0.8 for females.
• Waist Circumference should be less than 90 cm for males and 80 cm for females.

CDS Previous Year Question Paper PDFs- Click to Check

CDS 1 2026 Application Form

Along with the release of the CDS 1 Notification PDF, the CDS 1 2026 online application process has been started 10th December 2025 at the official website www.upsc.gov.in. The aspirants interested in the vacancies must apply well before the last date to avoid any last-minute hassle. The online application window will remain active till 30th December 2025. 

CDS Application Form 2026 - Click Here to Check Details 

CDS 1 Exam 2026 Application Fee

The examination fee for the CDS 1 2026 Exam is Rs. 200/- for all categories except SC/ST/Females (exempted from fee payment). The payment can be done through online/offline mode (Net Banking, Mastercard/Debit Card or cash deposit in any branch of SBI Bank.

UPSC CDS Exam 2026 Selection Procedure

The recruitment of AFA, IMA, INA & Officers Training Academy posts will be conducted based on:

Stage 1: Written Exam- The UPSC will conduct the CDS written exam to shortlist candidates for the interview exam. The written exam consists of objective-type questions only. Subjects asked in the exam from of General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics.

Stage 2: SSB Interview/Personality Test- Candidates who are declared successful in the written exam will be called to appear for an intelligence and personality test at the Service Selection Board based on their preferred service. This stage assesses candidates’ leadership qualities, officer-like attributes, and suitability for a career in the defense forces. The exam will be in two stages. Stage 1 includes tests such as officer intelligence rating, picture perception, and description. Stage 2 involves a psychological test, an interview, group testing tasks, and a conference.

Stage 3: Document Verification- Candidates will be called to provide original documents for verification, including educational certificates, age proof, and other relevant documents as submitted during the application process.

Stage 4: Medical Examination- Candidates who clear the interview/personality test undergo Medical examinations are carried out meticulously by the Armed Forces Medical Services. The medical examination ensures that the candidate is in good physical and mental health and free from any disease/syndrome/disability. 

CDS 1 Exam 2026 Exam Pattern

The candidates have to clear the CDS Written Examination to get selected for the interview round. Check the exam pattern for each position below.

• There will be Multiple-Choice Questions in each paper

• The question paper for General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics will be set in Hindi as well as in English.

• There will be a penalty of 1/3 marks for a wrong answer

• Duration of each exam is separate i.e. 2 hours.

Note The maximum marks allotted to the written examination and to the interviews will be equal for each course i.e. the maximum marks allotted to the written examination and to the interviews will be 300, 300, 300 and 200 each for admission to the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officers’ Training Academy respectively.

UPSC CDS 2026 Exam Syllabus

The aspirants preparing for the CDS Exam must be familiar with the detailed syllabus and must prepare according to that only. The standard of Elementary Mathematics in the CDS Exam will be of Matriculation level. However, for other subjects, the difficulty level will of graduation level. A syllabus is important so that candidates do not miss out on any important topic for the upcoming UPSC CDS Exam. To ace the exam, click on the below link and get the detailed syllabus for Combined Defence Services Examination.

Check Detailed CDS Syllabus 2026

CDS Salary 2026

Candidates appointed for various service posts under the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination will be offered an attractive monthly salary as fixed by the author. Apart from the salary candidates will provided various allowances like Dearness Allowance, Kit maintenance allowance, Uniform allowance, Transport Allowance etc. The pay scale of Army Officers and equivalent ranks in the Air Force and Navy are as follows. 

CDS 2026 Admit Card 

The admit card for the CDS exam 2026 will be released 10 days before the exam date for the written exam. The candidates must download their call letter much before the exam date to avoid the last-minute rush. It is mandatory to carry the hard copy of the admit card to the exam hall.

UPSC CDS 2026 Cut Off

UPSC releases cut-off marks for the CDS Exam on its official website. The candidates must score the minimum qualifying marks (i.e. 20 marks minimum in each subject) and for selection must score more than the cut-off marks. UPSC releases CDS written exam cut-off and final cut-off separately. Check the previous year's cut-off marks for your reference.

CDS 1 2026 Exam Centre

The Combined Defence Services Examination- 2 will be held at various centres. The candidate has to choose their preferred centre while filling out their CDS 1 application form. Below are the centres that were notified in the previous notification; any additions or subtractions to the centres will be notified here.