| Conducting body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Indian Military Academy, Dehradun (Permanent Commission), Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala (Executive Branch, General Service/Hydro), Air Force Academy, Hyderabad (Pre-Flying Training Course), Officers' Training Academy, Chennai: SSC (Men) Non-Technical, Officers' Training Academy, Chennai: SSC Women Non-Technical |
| Qualification | IMA and OTA: a degree from a recognised university or equivalent. Indian Naval Academy: a degree in Engineering, or B.Sc. with Physics as a core or elective subject, with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2. Air Force Academy: a degree with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2, or a Bachelor of Engineering. Final-year degree students can apply and must prove they have passed by the date set in the notice. |
| Age limit | 19–25 years on 1 July 2027 (general category) |
| Domicile | Not required |
| Selection stages | Written exam by UPSC: three papers for IMA, INA and AFA; two papers for OTA → SSB intelligence and personality test in two stages (Stage I screening, then Stage II) → CPSS for Air Force Academy candidates → Medical examination → Final merit on written plus SSB marks, with separate qualifying marks in each |
| Latest notification | Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 (Notice No. 11/2026-CDS-II) · 451 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About CDS
CDS is UPSC's exam for graduates who want to become officers through the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy or the Officers' Training Academy. CDS-II 2026 (notice no. 11/2026, dated 20 May 2026) lists 451 vacancies: 100 at IMA, 26 at INA, 32 at AFA, 275 in the OTA men's SSC course and 18 in the OTA women's SSC course. Women are considered only for Short Service Commission at OTA. Selection is a written exam followed by an SSB interview.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 19–25 years, counted on 1 July 2027.
Age relaxation
- Air Force Academy: holders of a valid DGCA Commercial Pilot Licence can be up to 26 years (born 1 July 2001 to 1 July 2007).
Qualification
IMA and OTA: a degree from a recognised university or equivalent. Indian Naval Academy: a degree in Engineering, or B.Sc. with Physics as a core or elective subject, with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2. Air Force Academy: a degree with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2, or a Bachelor of Engineering. Final-year degree students can apply and must prove they have passed by the date set in the notice.
Other conditions
- IMA and Indian Naval Academy: unmarried men aged 19 to 24, born between 1 July 2003 and 1 July 2008.
- Air Force Academy: 20 to 24 years as on 1 July 2027, born between 1 July 2003 and 1 July 2007. Candidates below 25 must be unmarried.
- OTA SSC (Men): unmarried men aged 19 to 25, born between 1 July 2002 and 1 July 2008.
- OTA SSC Women: 19 to 25, born between 1 July 2002 and 1 July 2008. Unmarried women and issueless widows or divorcees who have not remarried can apply.
- Women are considered only for OTA and should give OTA as their only choice. Men who opt for OTA along with IMA, INA or AFA must list OTA last.
- Fee: Rs 200. Female, SC and ST candidates are exempt.
Selection process
- Written exam by UPSC: three papers for IMA, INA and AFA; two papers for OTA
- SSB intelligence and personality test in two stages (Stage I screening, then Stage II)
- CPSS for Air Force Academy candidates
- Medical examination
- Final merit on written plus SSB marks, with separate qualifying marks in each
Exam pattern
Written exam for IMA, INA and AFA
Mode: Objective type; GK and Elementary Mathematics papers are bilingual · Duration: 2 hours per paper · Negative marking: One third of the marks for a question deducted per wrong answer
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| English | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 |
Written exam for OTA
Mode: Objective type · Duration: 2 hours per paper · Negative marking: One third of the marks for a question deducted per wrong answer
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| English | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 100 |
SSB interview
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Intelligence and personality test (IMA, INA, AFA) | 300 |
| Intelligence and personality test (OTA) | 200 |
CDS syllabus
English
- Understanding of English
- Workmanlike use of words
General Knowledge
- Current events
- Everyday science as an educated non-specialist would know it
- History of India
- Geography
Elementary Mathematics (matriculation level)
- Arithmetic: number system, time and distance, time and work, percentages, interest, profit and loss, ratio and proportion
- Elementary number theory: divisibility, HCF and LCM, logarithms
- Algebra: polynomials, quadratic equations, linear equations and inequations, laws of indices
- Trigonometry: ratios, identities, heights and distances
- Geometry: lines, angles, triangles, parallelograms, circles and loci
- Mensuration: areas, surface areas and volumes
- Statistics: tabulation, graphs and measures of central tendency
What they ask
Elementary Mathematics is set at matriculation level, so it tests speed and accuracy on arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, mensuration and basic statistics rather than advanced topics. English and General Knowledge are pitched at graduate level; the GK paper mixes current events with everyday science, Indian history and geography. OTA candidates skip Mathematics and take only English and GK. Each wrong answer costs one third of the question's marks, and the SSB marks equal the written marks for each course, so the interview decides a lot.
How to prepare
- If you are aiming for OTA only, put your time into English and GK, since Elementary Mathematics is not part of the OTA paper.
- For IMA, INA and AFA, revise Class 10 Maths chapters and practise with a timer, because the paper stays at matriculation level and rewards speed.
- Read a daily newspaper for current events and pair it with static Indian history and geography, the two areas the GK syllabus names.
- Solve UPSC's previous CDS papers under exam conditions and note how many wrong answers you make, given the one-third penalty.
- Prepare for the SSB alongside the written exam, as SSB marks carry the same weight as the written total for each course.
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CDS FAQs
Yes, but only for the Short Service Commission (Non-Technical) course at OTA Chennai. CDS-II 2026 has 18 such vacancies.
Sources
- UPSC notice: Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.