UPSC CDS 2 Notification 2026: Exam Date, Eligibility & Application Form

The UPSC CDS 2 Notification 2026 will be released soon by the Union Public Service Commission. This exam is conducted twice a year, mainly in April and September. Students might see the UPSC CDS 2 notification coming out on 20th May 2026 tentatively.

UPSC CDS 2 is conducted to recruit talented and skilled aspirants for admission to Air Force Academy, Hyderabad, Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, and Officers Training Academy, Chennai courses.

Applicants must fulfil the eligibility criteria and other important instructions. The exam consists of two phases: the written examination and the SSB interview.

In this blog, you will find:

• UPSC CDS 2 Notification Exam 2026
• UPSC CDS 2 eligibility
• UPSC CDS 2 application fee
• UPSC CDS 2 syllabus
• UPSC CDS 2 exam pattern

UPSC CDS 2 Notification 2026 Date

CDS 2 Eligibility Criteria 2026

Students need to fulfil the following eligibility criteria to be able to sit for the exam:

1. Nationality

Candidates must be unmarried and either an Indian citizen or a subject of Nepal.

2. Age Limit

• For the Indian Military Academy: students must be unmarried males born not earlier than 2nd July 2003 and not later than 1st July 2008.
• For the Indian Naval Academy: Male students must be unmarried and born not earlier than 2nd July 2003 and not later than 1st July 2008.
• For Air Force Academy: Students should be between 20 and 24 years old as of 1st July 2027. Born not earlier than 2nd July 2003 and not later than 1st July 2007. The upper age limit is relaxed to 26. They must have a valid and current Commercial Pilot License issued by DGCA (India).

Note: Students under 25 should be unmarried. Marriage is not allowed during training. Married candidates above 25 are eligible to apply for this exam, but they will not be provided married accommodation outside of the premises during training.

• For the Officer’s Training Academy: (SSC course for men) Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 2nd July 2002 and not later than 1st July 2008.
• For the Officer’s Training Academy (SSC Women Non-Technical course): Women must be unmarried and born not earlier than 2nd July 2002 and not later than 1st July 2008.

Note: Male divorcee candidates cannot be treated as unmarried males for admission in IMA/INA/AFA/OTA. Hence, they cannot apply for these courses.

3. Educational Qualifications:

• To apply for the I.M.A. and Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai: students must have a degree or equivalent from a recognized university.
• For Indian Naval Academy: Students must have a degree in Engineering from a recognized university.
• For Air Force Academy: Students must have a degree in Engineering from a recognized college or university. They also have studied Mathematics and Physics in Class 12.

Note: If students are studying in the final year/semester of graduation, then they can also apply. They need to submit proof of passing graduation at the time of the beginning of the course.

UPSC CDS Syllabus 2026

The syllabus for UPSC CDS 2026 is given here. By reading it, you will get admission to the Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military Academy, and Air Force Academy. The syllabus includes English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics, while the syllabus for admission to the Officer’s Training Academy mainly focuses on English and General Knowledge subjects. Below are the details of each subject.

Maths Syllabus

CDS OTA Syllabus

Exam Pattern for UPSC CDS

For IMA, INA and AFA

For OTA

Basic Guidelines

• Mode of Exam: Offline (pen and paper-based).
• Duration: 6 hours for IMA, INA, and AFA While 4 hours for OTA.
• Marking scheme: One mark for a correct answer while 1/3 of the mark will be deducted for incorrect answers.

UPSC CDS 2 notification 2026 apply online

To fill out the application form, candidates must visit the official website, upsconline.nic.in. Applicants also need to register at the One Time Registration platform available on the Commission’s website.

Then, they can fill out the exam form. Remember that OTR can only be registered once and can be done anytime throughout the year.

If students are registered, they can proceed directly to fill out the form.

Application Fee

Students in the General or OBC category must pay Rs. 200 via Visa/Master/Rupay Credit/Debit Card/UPI Payment or by using the Internet banking facility of any Bank.

Note: Female/SC/ST students are exempted from paying a fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for CDS 2 2026?
Female students must not be born before 2nd Jan 2002 or after 1st Jan 2008 to become eligible for OTA. Meanwhile, male students generally must not be born before 2nd Jan 2002 or after 1st Jan 2007 (varies by academy). They must have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university.

What is the salary of a CDS officer?
The Combined Defence Services as Lieutenants salary ranges from Rs. 56,100 to Rs. 1, 77,500. Note that these salary figures can vary depending on the officer’s rank.

What is the last date of UPSC CDS 2?
UPSC CDS 2 exam date will be released on May 20, 2026. And students can fill out the form till June 09, 2026.

How many attempts are there for CDS?
What number of times you can sit for the CDS is not mentioned by the officials. However, a notification says that you can appear for exam as many times as your age allows. So, it’s about your age, not the particular numbers to sit for the CDS exam.

At Last

UPSC keeps notifying about its latest posts on its official portal. It includes UPSC CDS 2 Notification 2026, which covers from number of posts to application process. So, if you want to appear in UPSC CDS and become officer, follow this guide as it’s a one stop solution for all your queries about UPSC CDS exam.