UPSC CDS II 2026 written exam result declared for 451 posts

In short

The UPSC declared the CDS II 2026 written examination result on October 19, 2026, for 451 vacancies.
Candidates can check their results on the official website, upsc.gov.in.
The written examination was conducted on September 13, 2026, following an application window from May 20 to June 11, 2026.
Qualified candidates will proceed to the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview, followed by document verification and a medical examination.
The 451 posts are distributed across the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy for men and women.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the results for the Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) II 2026 written examination on October 19, 2026. This declaration is for candidates seeking admission to various courses at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Officers’ Training Academy (OTA).

A total of 451 vacancies were advertised under recruitment notification number 11/2026-CDS-II. Candidates who have qualified in the written examination are now eligible to proceed to the next stages of the selection process, which include the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview or personality test, document verification, and medical examination.

Examination Schedule and Key Dates

The application window for the CDS II 2026 examination opened on May 20, 2026, and closed on June 11, 2026. Admit cards for the written examination were made available on September 03, 2026. The examination itself was conducted on September 13, 2026, with the answer key released shortly thereafter on September 16, 2026.

The declaration of the written examination results on October 19, 2026, marks a significant step for aspirants. The official website, upsc.gov.in, is the designated portal for candidates to check their results and access further information regarding the selection process.

CDS II 2026 Important Dates
Event	Date
Online Apply Start On	20 May 2026
Registration Last Date	11 June 2026 (06:00 PM)
Last Date Pay Exam Fee	11 June 2026
Admit Card Available	03 September 2026
Exam Held on	13 September 2026
Answer Key Released on	16 September 2026
Written Result	19 October 2026

Vacancy Distribution and Eligibility Criteria

The 451 vacancies are distributed across five course categories. The Indian Military Academy (IMA) has 100 posts, the Indian Naval Academy (INA) has 26 posts, and the Air Force Academy (AFA) has 32 posts. For the Officers’ Training Academy, there are 275 posts for men and 18 posts for women.

Eligibility criteria vary by academy. For IMA and OTA courses, a graduation in any discipline is required. INA applicants need a BTech degree or a BSc with Physics, along with Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level. AFA applicants must hold a degree with Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level or a BTech qualification. Age restrictions also apply, with specific birth date ranges for each academy.

Course-wise Vacancies for CDS II 2026
Course Name	Total Posts
Indian Military Academy (IMA)	100
Indian Naval Academy (INA)	26
Air Force Academy (AFA)	32
Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) Men	275
Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) Women	18

Age Eligibility for CDS II 2026
Academy	Birth Date Range
IMA and INA (unmarried male)	July 1, 2003, and July 1, 2008
AFA	July 1, 2003, and July 1, 2007
OTA Men and Women	July 1, 2002, to July 1, 2008

Examination Pattern and Selection Process

The written examination for IMA, INA, and AFA comprised three papers: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics, each carrying 100 marks. For OTA, there were two papers: English and General Knowledge. A negative marking of one-third of the marks was applied for every wrong answer in objective papers, and candidates needed to secure at least 20% marks in each paper.

The selection process is multi-staged, beginning with the written examination. Successful candidates move on to the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview or personality test, which carries 300 marks for IMA, INA, and AFA, and 200 marks for OTA. This is followed by document verification and a medical examination. The final merit list will be compiled based on a combination of written and SSB marks, subject to medical fitness and the availability of vacancies.

CDS II 2026 Written Exam Pattern
Subject Name	Total Question	Total Marks	Time Duration
English	120	100	2 Hours
General Knowledge	120	100	2 Hours
Elementary Mathematics	100	100	2 Hours
Total	340 Question	300 Marks

Next Steps for Qualified Candidates

Candidates who have qualified in the written examination are now required to register for the SSB interview. Army candidates, specifically, should register on joinindianarmy.nic.in. It is mandatory for candidates to carry both original and self-attested copies of essential documents for the subsequent stages of the selection process.

These documents include identity proof, educational certificates, service or NCC certificates, category certificates (if applicable), and records related to the examination. The written examination result marks the next stage of the selection process for candidates seeking entry into the armed forces through the CDS examination.

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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