CDS 2026 Notification — Dates, Eligibility & Apply Link: Vacancy

CDS 2026 Notification — this page consolidates the durable, evergreen structure of the CDS recruitment cycle so that candidates can plan their preparation and application without juggling unverified rumours from social media. The cycle-specific application window, fee, vacancy break-up and exam dates for CDS 2026 are the ones printed in the official Union Public Service Commission notification PDF on upsc.gov.in; check the official notification for exact dates, vacancy counts and post-wise reservation.

About CDS

The Combined Defence Services (CDS) Examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) typically twice a year to recruit officers for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA) — for Short Service Commission, with separate notifications and cut-offs for each academy.

CDS is conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Notifications for every cycle are published on the official portal upsc.gov.in along with the abridged advertisement that appears in the Employment News. This page mirrors the structure of an official CDS notification — eligibility, age, fee, selection stages, exam pattern and timeline — so that candidates can quickly cross-reference each clause before starting the online application.

Latest 2026 status

If the official CDS 2026 notification PDF is already live on upsc.gov.in, the verified application window, fee and exam date appear in the live-updates section below this article. If no 2026 notification has been released yet, treat any date floating on social media as tentative; this page is updated only when Union Public Service Commission publishes the official advertisement.

Posts recruited through CDS

CDS typically recruits for the following posts/services. The exact basket of posts in any particular cycle depends on indents from the user departments and is restated in the official notification.

• Cadet — Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun
• Cadet — Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala
• Flight Cadet — Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad
• Gentlemen Cadet / Lady Cadet — Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai (Short Service Commission)

Eligibility overview

CDS is open to Indian citizens who satisfy the educational qualification — typically a recognised graduate degree for IMA and OTA, an engineering degree for AFA and a recognised graduate degree with Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level for INA. Marital-status and age conditions vary across academies. Check the official UPSC notification for the exact eligibility for each academy.

Always read the eligibility paragraph in the official CDS notification verbatim — the educational qualification, the recognising authority of the certifying body and the cut-off date for age and qualification are non-negotiable.

Selection process

CDS follows a structured, multi-stage selection process:

1. Written Examination conducted by UPSC
2. Services Selection Board (SSB) — Stage I (Screening) and Stage II (Psychology, GTO and Personal Interview)
3. Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (for Air Force candidates)
4. Medical Examination by the Service Medical Board
5. All-India Merit List and Joining

Each stage is qualifying for the next. The exact weightage of stages and the formula for the final merit list are defined in the official notification for the cycle and may vary slightly between cycles.

Application process overview

1. Open upsc.gov.in during the application window and read the detailed CDS notification PDF along with the abridged advertisement.
2. Register using a valid email ID and mobile number (one-time registration on the UPSC portal where applicable).
3. Fill the CDS application form with personal, educational, communication and category details exactly as they appear on official certificates.
4. Upload your photograph, signature and any post-specific documents in the prescribed format and size.
5. Pay the application fee online (UPI / Net Banking / Debit / Credit Card). Check the official notification for the exact fee applicable to your category in the current cycle.
6. Submit the form and save the confirmation page, registration number and password — these are reused for admit-card download and result lookup later.

Salary, posting and benefits overview

CDS cadets receive a stipend during the training period. On commissioning, officers are placed at the prevailing defence Pay Level (currently Pay Level 10 for Lieutenant/equivalent ranks), with Military Service Pay, Dearness Allowance and post-specific allowances such as flying, submarine and field allowance, plus the Group Insurance Scheme and pension benefits. Verify exact figures with the latest official notification and the defence service pay rules.

In addition to monetary compensation, CDS recruitment opens up a structured Government of India career with defined promotion channels, pension/contributory pension under the prevailing rules, medical cover for self and dependents, leave entitlements and job security. Posting locations and transfer policy vary by post and cadre — refer to the recruitment notice and the cadre-specific service rules for details.

Documents required

• Class 10 mark sheet/certificate (proof of date of birth).
• Class 12 mark sheet/certificate, where required by the post.
• Graduation/diploma/professional degree certificates and consolidated mark sheets, as applicable.
• Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS) in the prescribed Government of India format.
• PwBD certificate from a notified medical authority, where applicable.
• Ex-Servicemen discharge or service certificate, where applicable.
• Valid photo identification — Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID or Passport.
• Recent passport-size photograph and signature scans in the dimensions specified by the notification.

How to verify any update for CDS

The single authoritative source for CDS updates is the official Union Public Service Commission portal at upsc.gov.in. Every paragraph on this page is written from the long-term, evergreen structure of CDS — the post profile, the selection process and the broad shape of the syllabus and exam pattern. Specifics such as the exact application window, the cycle-wise vacancy count, the precise application fee, the cut-off marks, the venue allotment, the answer key release schedule and the final result date are always cycle-specific. For those, open the latest official notification PDF on upsc.gov.in and read the relevant clause directly.

We refresh this page when Union Public Service Commission publishes new CDS information so that the structural details here stay aligned with the latest official guidance. We do not publish unverified release dates, leaked answer keys, rumoured vacancy splits or unofficial cut-off claims. If a date is uncertain, this page will say so plainly and point you to the official notification rather than guess.

Things to avoid while preparing for CDS

• Do not rely on a single coaching prediction for the application window or the exam date — the only binding source is the official UPSC notification on upsc.gov.in.
• Do not assume that age relaxation, fee or syllabus weightage from a previous cycle automatically applies to the current cycle. Reservation clauses and fee structures are restated in every notification.
• Do not trust unofficial answer keys, leaked papers or social-media cut-off claims; the official answer key window is the only safe input for raw-score estimation.
• Do not delay document collection. Class 10, Class 12, graduation, category, EWS, PwBD and ID proofs in the prescribed format should be ready before the application window opens — a missing certificate at verification can lead to disqualification.
• Do not skip the official mock test on the UPSC portal before the computer-based stage — familiarity with the testing interface saves crucial minutes on exam day.

Related UPSC pages

Use the related links below to navigate between the eligibility, syllabus, exam-pattern, admit-card and result pages for CDS and other Defence Recruitment pages on this site. All of these pages follow the same evergreen, verification-first structure.