UPSC CDS 1 Exam Notification 2026 - Apply Online for 451 Posts

UPSC CDS I Recruitment 2026: Apply Online for 450+ Posts :-

UPSC CDS I Recruitment 2026: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the official notification for the Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) I 2026 under Examination Notice No. 04/2026.CDS-I, dated 10 December 2025. This examination will be conducted for admission to prestigious defence academies such as Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) for the courses commencing in January 2027 / April 2027.

The online application process is open from 10 December 2025 to 30 December 2025 (6 PM). Candidates must carefully verify their eligibility in terms of age, educational qualification and marital status. The written examination will be held on 12 April 2026, followed by SSB interviews for the successful candidates.

Job Summary:

Organization	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Exam Name	CDS I 2026
Notification No.	04/2026.CDS-I
Courses	IMA, INA, AFA, OTA
Exam Date	12 April 2026
Mode of Application	Online
Course Start	Jan 2027 / Apr 2027

Course Name	Total Vacancies
Indian Military Academy, Dehradun - 162nd (DE) Course (including 13 for NCC 'C' Certificate Army Wing holders)	100
Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala - Executive Branch (General Service)/Hydro (including 06 for NCC 'C' Certificate Naval Wing holders and 01 for Hydro)	26
Air Force Academy, Hyderabad - (Pre-Flying) Training Course 221 F(P) (including 03 for NCC 'C' Certificate Air Wing holders)	32
Officers' Training Academy, Chennai - 125th SSC (Men) (NT) (UPSC) Course	275
Officers' Training Academy, Chennai - 125th SSC Women (NT) (UPSC) Course	18
Total	451

Educational Qualification and other details:

For IMA and Officers' Training Academy, Chennai: Degree of a recognised University or equivalent
For Indian Naval Academy: Degree in Engineering from a recognised University/Institution
For Air Force Academy: Degree of a recognised University (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or Bachelor of Engineering
Candidates studying in final year/semester degree course can also apply
Professional and technical qualifications recognised by Government as equivalent are also acceptable

Please read Official Notification for Educational Qualification details.

Nationality:

Citizen of India, OR
Subject of Nepal, OR
Person of Indian origin migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African Countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia) or Vietnam with intention of permanent settlement in India

Age Limit:

For IMA: Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 02/01/2003 and not later than 01/01/2008
For Indian Naval Academy: Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 02/01/2003 and not later than 01/01/2008
For Air Force Academy: 20 to 24 years (born not earlier than 02/01/2003 and not later than 01/01/2007). Upper age limit relaxable upto 26 years for candidates holding valid Commercial Pilot Licence
For OTA (SSC Men): Unmarried male candidates born not earlier than 02/01/2002 and not later than 01/01/2008
For OTA (SSC Women): Unmarried women, issueless widows/divorcees born not earlier than 02/01/2002 and not later than 01/01/2008
Date of birth accepted only from Matriculation/Secondary School Examination Certificate
No subsequent change in date of birth allowed

(Please read Official Notification carefully for age relaxation)

Salary/Stipend

During Training: Fixed stipend of Rs. 56,100/- per month (starting pay in Level 10)
After Commissioning as Lieutenant: Pay Level 10: Rs. 56,100 - 1,77,500/-
Captain: Pay Level 10B: Rs. 61,300 - 1,93,900/-
Major: Pay Level 11: Rs. 69,400 - 2,07,200/-
Lieutenant Colonel: Pay Level 12A: Rs. 1,21,200 - 2,12,400/-
Colonel: Pay Level 13: Rs. 1,30,600 - 2,15,900/-
Military Service Pay (MSP): Rs. 15,500/- per month (fixed) from Lieutenant to Brigadier
Additional Allowances: Dearness Allowance, Dress Allowance (Rs. 20,000/- per year), Transport Allowance, Children Education Allowance (Rs. 2,250/- per month), Free Ration in kind

Application Fee

Category	Fee Amount
General/OBC Male Candidates	Rs. 200/- (Rupees Two Hundred Only)
Female Candidates	No Fee
SC/ST Candidates	No Fee

Payment Mode: Visa/Master/Rupay Credit/Debit Card/UPI Payment or Internet Banking
Fee once paid shall not be refunded under any circumstances
No fee exemption available for OBC candidates

Selection Process

Stage 1 - Written Examination: Objective type questions conducted by UPSC
For IMA/INA/AFA: Three papers - English (100 marks), General Knowledge (100 marks), Elementary Mathematics (100 marks). Total: 300 marks
For OTA: Two papers - English (100 marks), General Knowledge (100 marks). Total: 200 marks
Stage 2 - Services Selection Board (SSB) Interview: Intelligence and Personality Test
Two-stage SSB selection: Stage I (OIR tests and PP&DT), Stage II (Interview, GTO Tasks, Psychology Tests, Conference)
SSB Interview marks: Equal to written examination marks (300 for IMA/INA/AFA, 200 for OTA)
Stage 3 - Medical Examination: Special Medical Board at designated Armed Forces Medical Services Hospitals
Candidates must secure minimum qualifying marks in both written exam and SSB test
Final selection based on combined marks (Written + SSB) subject to medical fitness
Negative marking: 0.33 marks deduction for each wrong answer

How to Apply? :

Interested and eligible candidates can apply online official website.

Step 1: Visit official website https://upsconline.nic.in
Step 2: Create Account and generate Universal Registration Number (URN)
Step 3: Fill Common Application Form (CAF) with personal details
Step 4: Upload recent photograph and capture live photo
Step 5: Fill Examination Specific Module with preferences for Services (IMA/INA/AFA/OTA)
Step 6: Upload required documents (Date of Birth proof, Educational certificates, etc.)
Step 7: Select Examination Centre from available options
Step 8: Pay application fee online (if applicable) through Credit/Debit Card/UPI/Net Banking
Step 9: Submit application and note down Application Number
Step 10: Take printout of application for future reference
Important: No corrections allowed after submission of application
Note: Candidates already in Government Service must inform their Head of Office/Department
Note: Candidates serving in Armed Forces must inform Commanding Officer and submit NOC at SSB

Important Dates:

Event	Date
Notification Release Date	10/12/2025
Online Application Start Date	10/12/2025
Last Date for Online Application	30/12/2025 (up to 06:00 PM)
Examination Date	12/04/2026
Written Result Declaration	May 2026 (Tentative)
Course Commencement (IMA/INA/AFA)	January 2027
Course Commencement (OTA)	April 2027

Important Links

Notification: Click Here

Apply: Click Here

Official website: Click Here

Note: Before applying Candidates are suggested to please always check once and confirm the above detail with the official website and Notification/Advertisement.