The Combined Defence Services Examination-II 2026 notification has been published by the UPSC on its official web page for induction into the different defence academies. A total of 451 posts are being filled under this recruitment notice and it comprises the posts under IMA, INA, AFA and OTA. Only eligible candidates who are Graduates from any recognized university or holds a degree in Engineering or B.Sc with Physics and Mathematics may apply to the different posts based on their respective eligibility.

The online application form for the UPSC CDS-II started on 15 May 2026 and candidates may submit the final application till 11 June 2026, 06:00 pm. General/OBC candidates are required to pay an amount of Rs.200 as application fee but female/ SC/ST candidates are exempted from it. One of the key features of this examination is that the details of the recommended candidates who made it to the final interview stage will be available to various public and private sector organizations so that chances for their employment may be increased. The complete detail of the UPSC CDS-II Notification 2026, its eligibility, salary, vacancy and guidelines may be viewed before applying online.

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination-II Recruitment 2026

Advt. No: 11/2026-CDS-II | Read Short Details Notification

www.indiasarkarinaukri.com

Important Dates

Application Fees

•Notification Release Date: 20 May 2026

•Apply online Start Date: 20 May 2026

•Apply online Last date: 11 June 2026 (Upto 06:00 P.M.)- Extended

•Date of Examination: 13 September 2026

•General/EWS/OBC: Rs. 200/-

•SC /ST/PwBD: NIL (Fully Exempted)

•Payment Mode: Online via Net Banking, Visa/Master/Rupay Credit/Debit Card, or UPI

UPSC CDS II Notification 2026: Age Limit

•Minimum Age (IMA, INA, OTA): 19 Years

•Minimum Age (AFA): 20 Years

•Maximum Age (IMA, INA, AFA): 24 Years

•Maximum Age (OTA): 25 Years

•Maximum Age (AFA with CPL): 26 Years

Marital Status & Special Rules:

•IMA & INA: Must be unmarried male candidates.
•AFA: Candidates below 25 years must be unmarried; marriage is not permitted during training.
•OTA (Men): Must be unmarried male candidates.
•OTA (Women): Unmarried women, issueless widows who have not remarried, and issueless divorcees who have not remarried are eligible.
•Note: Male divorcees/widowers are not treated as unmarried and are not eligible for admission to any course

UPSC CDS II Recruitment 2026: Eligibility Criteria & Qualifications
Discipline / Academy	UPSC CDS- II Eligibility
Indian Military Academy (IMA) & Officers' Training Academy (OTA)	•Candidates must possess a Degree of a recognised University or equivalent in India.
Indian Naval Academy (INA)	•Candidates must possess a Degree in Engineering or B.Sc. with Physics as core or elective subject (with Physics and Mathematics in 10+2 level).
Air Force Academy (AFA)	•Candidates must possess a Degree of a recognised University (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or a Bachelor of Engineering.
Final Year Students	•Candidates studying in the final year/semester Degree course can also apply, provided they submit proof of passing by the stipulated dates.

UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination-II Recruitment 2026: Vacancy Details
Course Name	Academy	Total Vacancies
163rd (DE) Course (July 2027)	Indian Military Academy, Dehradun	100 (incl. 13 reserved for NCC 'C' Army Wing)
Executive Branch Course (July 2027)	Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala	26 (incl. 06 for NCC 'C' Naval Wing and 01 for Hydro)
222 F(P) Pre-Flying Course (July 2027)	Air Force Academy, Hyderabad	32 (incl. 03 for NCC 'C' Air Wing)
126th SSC (Men) (NT) (Oct 2027)	Officers' Training Academy, Chennai	275
126th SSC Women (NT) (Oct 2027)	Officers' Training Academy, Chennai	18
GRAND TOTAL		451

UPSC CDS II Recruitment 2026: Salary, Pay Matrix & Benefits
Category	Details
Stipend during Training	Rs. 56,100/- p.m. (Starting pay in Level 10) at IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA.
Pay Scale on Commission	Level 10 (Rs. 56,100 - 1,77,500) for Lieutenant rank.
Military Service Pay (MSP)	Rs. 15,500 p.m. fixed for officers from Lieutenant to Brigadier.
Allowances	Dearness Allowance, Dress allowance (Rs 20,000/year), Free Ration, Transport Allowance, and Children Education Allowance.
Insurance Benefit	Cadets are insured for Rs. 1.25 Cr under the Army/Air Force Group Insurance Funds.

UPSC CDS II Recruitment 2026: Exam Pattern & Scheme

For Admission to IMA, INA, and AFA:
Subject	Duration	Maximum Marks
English (Code 11)	2 Hours	100
General Knowledge (Code 12)	2 Hours	100
Elementary Mathematics (Code 13)	2 Hours	100

For Admission to Officers' Training Academy (OTA):
Subject	Duration	Maximum Marks
English (Code 11)	2 Hours	100
General Knowledge (Code 12)	2 Hours	100

Negative Marking: For every wrong answer, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as a penalty.

UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination-II Recruitment 2026: Physical Standards on Arrival

Candidates reporting to the Indian Military Academy (IMA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA) are required to meet the following minimum physical standards on arrival:

Activity	Officer Cadet (Women)	Officer Cadet (Men)
2.4 Km Run	13 Minutes	10 Minutes 30 Seconds
Push Up	40	15
Pull Up	06	02
Sit Up	30	25
Squats	Two Sets of 30 Repetitions	Two Sets of 30 Repetitions
Lunges	Two Sets of 10 Repetitions	Two Sets of 10 Repetitions
Swimming	Should know fundamentals	Should know fundamentals

Also Read >> Indian Air Force AFCAT 02/2026 Recruitment 2026

UPSC CDS Examination-II Recruitment 2026: Centres of Examination
Region / State	UPSC CDS-II 2026 Exam Centres
North India	Agra, Ajmer, Aligarh, Almora, Alwar, Bareilly, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Delhi, Dharamshala, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Gurugram, Gwalior, Jaipur, Jammu, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Kargil, Leh, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Meerut, Mandi, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Shimla, Srinagar, Srinagar (Uttarakhand), Udaipur, Varanasi
South India	Ananthapuramu, Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Dharwad, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kozhikode (Calicut), Madurai, Mysuru, Puducherry, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirapalli, Tirupati, Vellore, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Hanumakonda (Warangal Urban)
East India	Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Gaya, Kolkata, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Sambalpur, Siliguri
West India	Ahmedabad, Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Indore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nasik, Navi Mumbai, Panaji (Goa), Pune, Rajkot, Surat, Thane
North-East India	Agartala, Aizawl, Bilaspur, Dispur, Gangtok, Imphal, Itanagar, Jorhat, Kohima, Shillong
Other Centres	Bhopal, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Jabalpur, Kargil, Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair)

UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination-II Recruitment 2026: Selection & Shortlisting Process

· Written Examination Will Be Objective Type Based On OMR Sheet With 0.33 Marks Negative Marking For Every Wrong Answer.

· For IMA, INA And AFA: English (100 Marks), General Knowledge (100 Marks) And Elementary Mathematics (100 Marks).

· For OTA: English (100 Marks) And General Knowledge (100 Marks).

· SSB Interview Will Include Two Stages Such As OIR, PP&DT, Interview, Psychology Test, Group Tasks And Conference.

· In Case Of Equal Marks, Higher Written Marks, General Knowledge Marks And Senior Age Will Be Given Preference.

· Candidates Must Be Physically And Medically Fit According To Armed Forces Guidelines.

How to Apply Online for UPSC CDS II Recruitment 2026

•Visit the Official Website: Access the official website of the Commission by visiting the link http://upsconline.nic.in/.

•User Registration: Register yourself to create a Universal Registration Number (URN), which is universal for all UPSC examinations.

•Application Filling: Fill up the Common Application Form (CAF) and the Examination Specific Module Form. Remember to provide the Aadhaar Card as your identification proof for easy authentication.

•Document Upload: Upload a scanned photograph, upload a photograph clicked instantly, and upload your signature written thrice on a white sheet using black ink.

•Exercise your Preferences: Mention your preference academies in the correct order, and remember that there shall be no scope for change in preferences in future.

•Submission of Forms: Complete the submission process before June 11, 2026. It must be remembered that withdrawal of application form shall not be possible after submission.

IMPORTANT LINKS

Link Details	Visit Now
WhatsApp Channel	Follow Link
Telegram Channel	Follow Link
Apply Online Direct Link	Click Here
Last Date Extended Official Notice PDF	Click Here
Download Official Notification PDF	Click Here
UPSC Official Website Link	Click Here

FAQs

Q1. UPSC CDS-II Recruitment 2026, Number of vacant posts?

A1. UPSC has issued Combined Defence Services Examination-II for the filling of 451 vacancies in top defence academies like IMA, INA, AFA & OTA.

Q2. Online applications for the CDS-II Exam is closed. The last date for submitting applications?

A2. The online application window is open, and candidates can submit their forms till 11th June 2026, up to 06:00 P.M.

Q3. Age limit and eligibility criterion for the UPSC CDS-II?

A3. Need for university degree for all, a specialized engineering degree or B.Sc degree required for the Navy and Air Force, age limits from 19 to 25 according to the academy and need to be unmarried for all.

Q4. Describe the selection procedure and examination pattern.

A4. The selection will be made through a Written Examination, which is objective in nature and it’s based on English, General Knowledge, Elementary Mathematics (Maths not applicable for OTA) , and then followed by a tough 4-5 day SSB interview which is mainly based on intelligence and personality.

Q5. Is there any negative marking in UPSC CDS II Exam?

A5. Yes, for wrong answer you will lose the marks. One-third (0.33) marks allotted to the question will be deducted.

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Important Dates

Application Fees

UPSC CDS II Notification 2026: Age Limit

UPSC CDS II Recruitment 2026: Eligibility Criteria & Qualifications

UPSC Combined Defence Services Examination-II Recruitment 2026: Vacancy Details

UPSC CDS II Recruitment 2026: Salary, Pay Matrix & Benefits

UPSC CDS II Recruitment 2026 Notification Out for 451 Vacancies, Apply Online

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