Combined Defence Services Examination
Registration opens
~Dec 2026
Provisional
Estimate from the UPSC 2027 exam calendar (released 20 May 2026), which lists the CDS (I) 2027 notification for 2 Dec 2026. The detailed notification is not out yet; UPSC says calendar dates are liable to alteration.
Exam date
11 Apr 2027
Application fee
₹200(₹0 SC/ST/reserved)
Provisional - CDS 2 2026 fee
Official website
https://upsc.gov.inCDS is UPSC's entrance exam - held twice a year - for bachelor's degree holders seeking a commission as an officer via the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Officers' Training Academy (OTA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), or Air Force Academy (AFA). Unlike NDA (12th-pass entry, training starts right after school), CDS candidates already hold or are finishing a bachelor's degree.
Mode
Offline, pen-and-paper (OMR-based)
Duration
2 hours per paper
Marking scheme
+1 correct / -0.33 incorrect
Written exam qualifiers go through the 5-day SSB (Services Selection Board) interview - psychological tests, group tasks, and a personal interview - followed by a medical exam. Final merit combines written score with SSB marks; only SSB-recommended, medically-fit candidates are commissioned.
The official notification for this cycle hasn’t been released yet, so there’s nothing to verify against - everything above is an estimate based on past years. Always confirm on the official website once it’s released.
CDS 1 2027
Opens ~Dec 2026 · Provisional
