Check the official UPSC CDS 2026 calendar for CDS 1 & 2 exam dates, academy-wise vacancies, eligibility, detailed syllabus, and step-by-step application guide.
UPSC CDS Calendar 2026: CDS 1 & CDS 2 Exam Dates
📅 CDS 1 2026 Schedule
Official Notification Release:
10th December 2025
Online Application Window:
10 Dec – 30 Dec 2025
Application Fee Deadline:
30th December 2025 (18:00 Hrs)
CDS 1 Exam Date:
12th April 2026 (Sunday)
📅 CDS 2 2026 Schedule
Official Notification Release:
20th May 2026
Online Application Window:
20 May – 9 June 2026
Form Correction Window:
June 2026 (7 Days Window)
CDS 2 Exam Date:
13th September 2026 (Sunday)
UPSC CDS Posts & Total Vacancies 2026
💼 Overall Vacancy Matrix
Total Declared Vacancies:
451 Posts (Per Exam Cycle)
Post Categories:
Commissioned Officers (Group A)
Participating Academies:
IMA, INA, AFA, OTA
Entry Medium:
Permanent & Short Service Commission
👑 Academy-Wise Breakdown
Indian Military Academy (IMA):
100 Vacancies
Indian Naval Academy (INA):
26 Vacancies
Air Force Academy (AFA):
32 Vacancies
OTA (Men & Women):
275 (Men) + 18 (Women) Vacancies
Detailed Candidate Eligibility Criteria
👤 Age Limit & Marital Status
IMA & INA (Unmarried Males):
19 to 24 Years
AFA (Unmarried Males):
20 to 24 Years
OTA (Unmarried Males & Females):
19 to 25 Years
Commercial Pilot License Relaxation:
Up to 26 Years (For AFA Only)
🎓 Required Educational Qualifications
IMA & OTA:
Bachelor’s Degree in Any Discipline
Indian Naval Academy (INA):
Degree in Engineering
Air Force Academy (AFA):
Degree (Physics/Maths at 10+2) OR B.Tech
Final Year Students:
Eligible to Apply (Conditional)
CDS Form Filling: Dimensions & Image Upload Rules
📸 Photo & Signature Dimensions
Mandatory File Format:
JPG or JPEG format only
File Size Limits:
20 KB to 300 KB
Required Dimensions:
Min 350×350 Pixels, Max 1000×1000 Pixels
Resize Images Quickly:
Use our Free Exam Image Resizer Tool to automatically adjust your signature and photograph to strictly match UPSC’s KB and dimension guidelines in seconds!
⚠️ UPSC OTR Strict Image Rules
Recent Photograph:
Must not be older than 10 days
Name & Date Imprint:
Must be written on the photograph
Facial Coverage:
Face should occupy 3/4th of the space
Appearance Consistency:
Must match face at exam (Beard, specs, etc.)
UPSC CDS Salary 2026: Post-Wise Pay Scale Breakdown
💰 Training Stipend & Starting Pay
Stipend During Cadet Training:
₹56,100 Per Month
Starting Rank (Lieutenant):
Level 10 (₹56,100 – ₹1,77,500)
Captain Rank Pay:
Level 10B (₹61,300 – ₹1,93,900)
Major Rank Pay:
Level 11 (₹69,400 – ₹2,07,200)
💵 Special Military Allowances
Military Service Pay (MSP):
₹15,500 Per Month (Fixed)
Flying Allowance (AFA):
₹25,000 Per Month
Field Area Allowance:
₹10,500 to ₹16,900 Per Month
Uniform & Dearness Allowance:
Granted as per prevailing Govt rules
Comprehensive CDS Syllabus & Exam Pattern
📝 Written Exam Marking Scheme
IMA, INA, AFA Exam:
3 Subjects (300 Total Marks)
OTA Exam Format:
2 Subjects (200 Total Marks)
Duration per Subject:
2 Hours (120 Minutes)
Negative Marking Penalties:
-0.33 Marks Deducted per Error
📚 Core Syllabus Subjects
Boost your General Knowledge preparation with our comprehensive Microeconomics Notes for UPSC State PSC and excel in these primary fields:
General English (Reading, Grammar, Vocab)
Current Affairs & Defence Updates
History, Geography & Polity
General Science (Physics, Chemistry, Bio)
Economics & Indian Economy
Elementary Mathematics (Arithmetic, Algebra)
Trigonometry & Geometry (Excluding OTA)
Statistics & Mensuration (Excluding OTA)
CDS Cut Off 2026: Expected Target Scores & SSB
🎯 Expected Safe Score (Written Exam)
Air Force Academy (AFA):
145 – 155+ Marks (Out of 300)
Indian Military Academy (IMA):
135 – 145+ Marks (Out of 300)
Indian Naval Academy (INA):
125 – 135+ Marks (Out of 300)
OTA (Men & Women):
100 – 110+ Marks (Out of 200)
🎖️ Services Selection Board (SSB) Interview
SSB Interview Duration:
5 Days Process
Stage 1 Testing:
OIR Test & PP&DT (Screening)
Stage 2 Testing:
Psychology, GTO Tasks, Interview
Final Merit List Selection:
Written Exam Marks + SSB Marks
UPSC CDS Selection Process 2026 (All Stages)
🛡️ Stage 1 & 2: Written Test & SSB
Stage 1 (Written Exam):
Offline OMR based objective test
Stage 2 (SSB Interview):
5-Day Intelligence & Personality Test
SSB Stage 1 (Screening):
OIR Test & PP&DT (Picture Perception)
SSB Stage 2 (Psych/GTO):
Psychological Tests, GTO Tasks & Interview
🩺 Stage 3 & 4: Medical & Merit List
Stage 3 (Medical Exam):
Strict Military Medical Standards Test
Medical Duration:
Takes 4 to 6 days at Military Hospitals
Final Merit List Preparation:
Written Marks + SSB Marks Combined
Document Verification:
Original Degrees & IDs checked post-SSB
Detailed CDS Exam Pattern 2026 Breakdown
⚔️ Pattern for IMA, INA & AFA
Total Papers:
3 (English, GK, Elementary Maths)
Total Marks & Questions:
300 Marks (340 Total Questions)
Duration per Paper:
2 Hours each (6 Hours Total)
SSB Interview Marks:
300 Marks
🛡️ Pattern for OTA (Men & Women)
Total Papers:
2 (English & General Knowledge)
Maths Required?:
No Maths paper for OTA
Total Marks & Questions:
200 Marks (240 Total Questions)
SSB Interview Marks:
200 Marks
UPSC CDS Topic-Wise Syllabus 2026
📖 English & General Knowledge
English Grammar Focus:
Spotting Errors, Sentence Arrangement
English Vocab Focus:
Synonyms, Antonyms, Idioms & Phrases
GK – Core Subjects:
History, Polity, Geography, General Science
Pro Tip for GK Economy:
Master the Economics section with our Complete Microeconomics Notes for UPSC to easily tackle GDP, banking, and inflation questions.
GK – Dynamic Portion:
Last 12 Months Current Affairs & Defence News
📐 Elementary Mathematics (Class 10 Level)
Arithmetic & Algebra:
Number System, Time & Work, LCM/HCF
Geometry:
Lines, Angles, Triangles, Circles theorems
Trigonometry:
Sine/Cosine ratios, Heights & Distances
Mensuration:
Area & Volume of 2D/3D figures
Statistics:
Mean, Median, Mode, Histograms, Pie Charts
How to Apply for UPSC CDS 2026: Step-by-Step
🖥️ UPSC OTR (One Time Registration)
What is OTR?:
Mandatory one-time profile creation on UPSC portal
OTR Modification:
Allowed only ONCE in a lifetime
Application Fee (General/OBC):
₹200/- (Payable online or via SBI Challan)
Fee Exemption:
SC, ST, and ALL Female candidates are exempt
📝 Application Form Filling Steps
Step 1 (Login):
Log in to upsconline.nic.in using OTR credentials
Step 2 (Part-I):
Select CDS Exam, verify details, choose academy preferences
Step 3 (Part-II):
Pay the fee, select exam centre location
Step 4 (Image Upload):
Upload strictly formatted Photo, Signature & ID Proof
Avoid Form Rejection:
Don’t risk rejection due to wrong file size. Use our One-Click Exam Image Resizer before uploading to Part-II.