Exams247

UPSC CDS-II Recruitment 2026 : Answer Key

Conducted By: UPSC
Post Date/Update : November 6, 2026 12:18 pm
Short Notice :-

Union Public Service Commission has released the Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026 under Examination Notice No. 11/2026-CDS-II dated 20.05.2026 for admission to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA). A total of 451 vacancies are available. 

Important Dates & Application Fee
Important Dates
  • Online Apply :- 20.05.2026
  • Last Date :- 11 Jun 2026
  • Fee Payment Last Date :- 11 Jun 2026
  • Admit Card :- 03 Sep 2026
  • Exam Date :- 13 Sep 2026
    		•
    Application Fee
    • General/OBC/EWS Male Candidates: ₹200
    • Female Candidates: ₹0
    • SC Candidates: ₹0
    • ST Candidates: ₹0
    • OBC/EWS candidates को fee exemption नहीं है।
    • Fee payment Net Banking, Visa/Master/Rupay Credit/Debit Card या UPI से किया जा सकता है।
    • एक बार जमा की गई fee refund नहीं होगी। 
    Eligibility / Qualification Details

    For Indian Military Academy (IMA): Degree from a recognized University or equivalent.

    For Indian Naval Academy (INA): Degree in Engineering from a recognized University/Institution.

    For Air Force Academy (AFA): Degree from a recognized University with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level, or Bachelor of Engineering/Bachelor of Technology.

    For Officers’ Training Academy (OTA): Degree from a recognized University or equivalent. Final-year/semester students may also apply subject to the conditions specified in the notification.
    Age Limit Details
    • IMA- Date of Birth: 01 July 2003 से 01 July 2008 के बीच
    • Indian Naval Academy- Date of Birth: 01 July 2003 से 01 July 2008 के बीच
    • Air Force Academy- Date of Birth: 01 July 2003 से 01 July 2007 के बीच, Valid/current Commercial Pilot Licence (DGCA India) रखने वाले candidates के लिए upper age 26 years तक
    • OTA – SSC Men- Date of Birth: 01 July 2002 से 01 July 2008 के बीच
    • OTA – SSC Women-  Date of Birth: 01 July 2002 से 01 July 2008 के बीच
    Vacancy Details Total: 451 Posts
    Post Name Total Post Qualification
    Indian Military Academy (IMA) 100 किसी recognised University से Degree या equivalent qualification. Candidate को prescribed age और other eligibility conditions पूरी करनी होंगी. केवल unmarried male candidates eligible हैं.
    Indian Naval Academy (INA) 32 Engineering में Degree या B.Sc. में Physics को core/elective subject के रूप में पढ़ा होना चाहिए. 10+2 level पर Physics और Mathematics होना आवश्यक है. केवल unmarried male candidates eligible हैं.
    Air Force Academy (AFA) 26 Recognised University से Degree जिसमें 10+2 level पर Physics और Mathematics हों या Bachelor of Engineering. निर्धारित age और physical standards पूरा करना आवश्यक है.
    Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) 293 किसी recognised University से Degree या equivalent qualification. SSC Men और SSC Women के लिए notification में अलग eligibility conditions दी गई हैं.
    How to Apply
    Candidates had to apply online through the UPSC online application system. The application process included registration, filling the application form, uploading the required documents/photograph/signature and payment of the prescribed fee wherever applicable.
    Important Links + PDFs
    Download Answerkey: 👉 Click Here
    Official Website: 👉 Click Here
    Download Notification :- 👉 Click Here
    Download Admit Card: 👉 Click Here
    Apply Online: 👉 Click Here
    Other Details

    The CDS-II 2026 examination covers officer-entry courses at IMA, INA, AFA and OTA. IMA/INA/AFA candidates take three written papers, while OTA candidates take English and General Knowledge only. Written marks and SSB marks carry equal weight for the respective course: 300 + 300 for IMA/INA/AFA and 200 + 200 for OTA.

    The UPSC official examination page currently records the notification date as 20.05.2026, examination date as 13.09.2026, and last date for receipt of applications as 11.06.2026 at 6:00 PM.

    Pay Scale / Salary:
    During training, the stipend is ₹56,100/- per month. On commissioning, officers are placed in Pay Level 10 of the Defence Pay Matrix, with basic pay starting at ₹56,100/-, along with applicable Military Service Pay and other allowances as per rules.

    Eligibility / Course Requirement:
    Candidates must satisfy the academy-specific educational, age, nationality, marital-status and physical/medical requirements prescribed by UPSC. IMA/INA/AFA and OTA have different eligibility conditions, so candidates should check the applicable course before applying.

    Selection Process:
    The selection process consists of:

    Written Examination → SSB Interview/Intelligence & Personality Test → Medical Examination → Final Merit/Selection.

    Candidates qualifying in the written examination are called for the Services Selection Board (SSB) process.

    Exam Pattern:
    For IMA / INA / AFA, the written examination consists of three objective papers:

    English – 100 Marks – 2 Hours
    General Knowledge – 100 Marks – 2 Hours
    Elementary Mathematics – 100 Marks – 2 Hours

    Total: 300 Marks.

    For OTA, there are two papers:

    English – 100 Marks – 2 Hours
    General Knowledge – 100 Marks – 2 Hours

    Total: 200 Marks.

    All papers are objective type. General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics papers are bilingual in Hindi and English, while the English paper is in English only. One-third of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for a wrong answer.

    Syllabus:
    English: Grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, usage of words and understanding of English.

    General Knowledge: Current Affairs, History, Geography, Polity, Economy, General Science, Defence-related awareness and other general knowledge topics.

    Elementary Mathematics: Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Mensuration, Statistics and other topics prescribed by UPSC. The Mathematics paper is applicable to IMA, INA and AFA candidates and is based on the prescribed school/matriculation level.

    Reservation / Horizontal Reservation:

    Reservation and other applicable benefits are provided according to Government of India rules and the conditions mentioned in the UPSC notification. Course-wise vacancies also include specified NCC 'C' Certificate vacancies where applicable.

    Importanat Note:-  Exams247.in provides recruitment information for educational and informational purposes. Candidates should read the official UPSC notification carefully and verify all eligibility conditions, dates, vacancies, physical/medical standards and other instructions from the official UPSC website before relying on the information.