UPSC CDS 2 2026 Exam Date & Admit Card — 451 Posts
UPSC CDS (II) 2026 written exam on 13 September 2026 for 451 IMA, INA, AFA and OTA vacancies. Admit card, shift timings and exam-day rules.
Download Admit Card ↗Complete Details
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Notification Released | 20 May 2026 | Done |
| Online Application Opened | 20 May 2026 | Done |
| Last Date to Apply (extended) | 11 June 2026 | Closed |
| e-Admit Card Release | Ahead of the exam, on upsc.gov.in | Active |
| Written Exam | 13 September 2026 | Upcoming |
| Written Result | To be announced by UPSC | Tba |
| SSB Interview | After written result | Tba |
Who was eligible for CDS (II) 2026
| Academy | Qualification | Age band | Marital status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMA — Indian Military Academy | Degree from a recognised university | 19 to 24 years | Unmarried male |
| INA — Indian Naval Academy | Engineering degree | 19 to 24 years | Unmarried male |
| AFA — Air Force Academy | Degree with Physics & Mathematics at 10+2, or Engineering degree | 20 to 24 years | Unmarried |
| OTA — Men (SSC Non-Technical) | Degree from a recognised university | 19 to 25 years | Unmarried male |
| OTA — Women (SSC Non-Technical) | Degree from a recognised university | 19 to 25 years | Unmarried women, and issueless widows / divorcees as defined by UPSC |
Age is calculated against a fixed date-of-birth window printed in the notification, not against your application date. For AFA, candidates holding a valid and current Commercial Pilot Licence issued by the DGCA get a relaxed upper age limit.
Candidates in their final year of graduation were permitted to apply, subject to producing proof of passing by the deadline UPSC specifies.
Academy-wise seat distribution
| Academy | Course | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Military Academy, Dehradun | Regular Course | 100 |
| Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala | Executive (General Service) / Hydro | 26 |
| Air Force Academy, Hyderabad | Pre-Flying Training Course | 32 |
| Officers Training Academy, Chennai — Men | Short Service Commission (Non-Technical) | 275 |
| Officers Training Academy, Chennai — Women | Short Service Commission (Non-Technical) | 18 |
| Total | — | 451 |
These figures are tentative and may be revised by Services Headquarters at any point during the selection cycle.
Read the split, not the total: OTA accounts for 293 of the 451 seats — nearly two-thirds — and OTA candidates write only two papers instead of three. The permanent-commission academies (IMA, INA, AFA) together offer just 158 seats and are the genuinely competitive part of this exam.
Selection Process & Exam Pattern
- Written Examination — 13 September 2026
- SSB Interview — a five-day Services Selection Board process (Stage I screening, then Stage II)
- Medical examination
- Final merit list and academy allotment
Paper structure and timings on 13 September 2026
| Session | Paper | Timing | Marks | Who sits it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM | 100 | All candidates |
| 2 | General Knowledge | 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM | 100 | All candidates |
| 3 | Elementary Mathematics | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | 100 | IMA, INA and AFA candidates only |
- IMA / INA / AFA total: 300 marks across three papers, followed by a 300-mark SSB.
- OTA total: 200 marks across two papers, followed by a 200-mark SSB.
- Negative marking: one-third of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer.
- Each paper is two hours. Confirm your own paper list and reporting time on your e-Admit Card.
Where the exam is really won: the SSB carries the same weight as the entire written paper. A candidate who scrapes through the written and performs strongly at the SSB regularly outranks a high written scorer.
Applications are closed — your checklist for exam day
The CDS (II) 2026 window ran from 20 May to 11 June 2026 after an extension, and cannot be reopened. What remains:
- Download the e-Admit Card from upsc.gov.in using your Registration ID or Roll Number with your date of birth.
- Verify the paper list on it immediately. If you applied for OTA only, it should show two papers. If you applied for IMA, INA or AFA, it should show three. A mismatch has to be reported to UPSC at once — not on exam morning.
- Check your name, photograph, signature, date of birth and centre. UPSC allows a short window to report discrepancies and it closes before the exam.
- Print in colour on A4 and carry a spare copy plus the original photo ID whose number you entered at registration.
- Plan the full day if you are sitting three papers. The last session ends at 6:00 PM and there is a gap of roughly ninety minutes between sessions with no facility to leave and return freely — carry water and food.
- Reach the centre well before the gate-closing time printed on the admit card. UPSC does not admit latecomers.
Barred inside the hall
Mobile phones, smart watches, fitness bands, Bluetooth devices, calculators and any other electronic item. UPSC provides no cloakroom, so leave them behind entirely. Take a black ballpoint pen.
Full Details
Written Exam on 13 September 2026 — Shift Timings, Admit Card Download and the Paper Rule OTA Candidates Must Check
The Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 is fixed for Sunday, 13 September 2026, in offline pen-and-paper mode across 41 centres. Applications closed on 11 June 2026 after an extension, and 451 vacancies are on offer across the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officers Training Academy. The e-Admit Card is issued on upsc.gov.in — UPSC sends nothing by post or email.
Quick Highlights Dashboard
| Who is recruiting? | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
|---|---|
| Which exam? | Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 |
| Academies covered | IMA Dehradun · INA Ezhimala · AFA Hyderabad · OTA Chennai |
| How many seats? | 451 (tentative — revisable by Services HQ) |
| Written exam date | 13 September 2026 (Sunday) |
| Application status | 🔴 CLOSED — extended window ended 11 June 2026 |
| Exam centres | 41 across India |
| Admit card | upsc.gov.in — Registration ID / Roll Number + date of birth |
The shift schedule, and the mistake OTA candidates make
CDS (II) 2026 runs in three sessions on the same day: English from 9:00 to 11:00 AM, General Knowledge from 12:30 to 2:30 PM, and Elementary Mathematics from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. But candidates who applied only for OTA sit two papers, not three — English and General Knowledge — and are done by 2:30 PM. Every year a number of OTA-only candidates either turn up for the Mathematics session they were never scheduled for, or assume the exam ends at 11:00. Read the papers listed on your own admit card and plan the day around that.
Official links
- Download the e-Admit Card from the UPSC Official Website (upsc.gov.in) — the link is titled for the Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026.
- UPSC Online Application Portal (upsconline.nic.in) — registration records and support only; applications are closed.
Important Links
Frequently Asked Questions
No. OTA candidates sit only English (9:00–11:00 AM) and General Knowledge (12:30–2:30 PM). The Mathematics session is for IMA, INA and AFA candidates. Your admit card lists exactly which papers you are scheduled for — go by that.
No. They are separate UPSC examinations held on the same date, and your admit card is issued only for the one you registered for. You have to write off one of them for this cycle.
No. UPSC publishes them as tentative and Services Headquarters can revise them during the cycle. The number that binds is the one in the final vacancy intimation, not the notification.
Yes, UPSC permitted final-year candidates to apply, on condition that proof of passing is submitted by the date fixed in the notification. If the degree is not produced in time, candidature is cancelled at the SSB or documentation stage.
Equally. IMA, INA and AFA candidates face a 300-mark SSB against a 300-mark written exam; OTA candidates face a 200-mark SSB against a 200-mark written exam. Roughly half your final score is decided after the written paper.
No. UPSC allots centres on a first-apply-first-served basis and does not entertain change requests once allotment is done. Arrange travel for the centre printed on the card.
Yes. One-third of the marks for a question is deducted for each wrong answer, in every paper. With only 100 marks per paper, a run of guesses in General Knowledge can cost more than an entire section.