Union Public Service Commission · Defence & police
Combined Defence Services Examination
Officers for the Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Officers’ Training Academy. CDS (II) 2026 had 451 vacancies.
- Posts
- 451
- Stages
- Written → SSB interview → Medical
Latest: CDS (II) 2026: written result 19 Oct 2026 (exam 13 Sep 2026). CDS (I) 2027: notice 2 Dec 2026, exam 11 Apr 2027.
Official notification and PDFs
Checked 14 Nov 2026Each link opens the file on UPSC's own website.
- ResultCDS (II) 2026 written result (PDF) ↗19 Oct 2026
- NoticeCDS (II) 2026 timetable (PDF) ↗10 Aug 2026
- AdvertisementCDS (II) 2026 notice (PDF) ↗20 May 2026
Exam pattern
Negative marking: One-third of the marks of a question is deducted for each wrong answer. The SSB interview follows the written exam.
Mains
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Time | Counts for merit? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | — | 100 | 2 hours | Yes |
| General Knowledge | — | 100 | 2 hours | Yes |
| Elementary MathematicsNot for OTA candidates | — | 100 | 2 hours | Yes |
| Merit marks from this stage | 300 |
Previous year papers
- PYQsCDS (II) 2026: English (PDF) ↗
- PYQsCDS (II) 2026: General Knowledge (PDF) ↗
- PYQsCDS (II) 2026: Elementary Mathematics (PDF) ↗
- PYQsPrevious question papers, all years (UPSC page) ↗
Pick "CDS" in the list on the UPSC page to see every year's question booklet.
10 questions · 10 min · −⅓ per wrong
Indian Polity: Constitution basics (Test 1)
Ten core questions on the Preamble, Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Parliament, asked across every state PSC.
10 questions · 10 min · −⅓ per wrongModern India and the freedom struggle (Test 1)
Ten questions from 1857 to 1947, a high-weight area in every state PSC Prelims.
Dates from the UPSC calendar
Full calendar →| Adv. no. | Post | Posts | Stages | Exam dates | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notified 2 Dec 2026 | CDS (I) 2027 | — | Written + SSB | 11 Apr 2027 | Last date 22 Dec 2026 |