CDS 2 Notification 2026 Live: Check Registration Start Date, Apply Online Link and Other Details

Candidates applying for IMA, INA and AFA will have appear in 3 subjects English, General Knowledge and Mathematics each of which carry 100 marks and 2 hours will be provided to complete the exam. Similarly, those will be apply for OTA will have to appear in only 2 subjects English and  General Knowledge each of the subject carry 100 marks and 2 hours will be provided to complete the exam.

Candidates can apply for the CDS 2 2026 exam from today May 20,2026 with the last date to submit the online application form is June 9, 2026. The exam is scheduled to be conducted on September 13, 2026.

To apply for CDS 2 2026 exam, candidates will have to pay application fee of Rs 200. However an exception is made to Female/SC/ST, they are exempted from paying fee.

According to the official notification released, the commission has declared 451 vacancies across different academies. The break-up of which is provided here in the list for candidate reference :

1. IMA- 100

2. INA- 26

3. AFA- 32

4. OTA (For Men)- 275

5. OTA (For Women)- 18

Grand Total- 451

The UPSC CDS 2 2026 official notification has been released by the commission on its official portal upsc.gov.in. Candidates can check the detailed notification PDF to ascertain their eligiblity. For candidates reference we have also provided the PDF here.

UPSC CDS 2 2026 Official Notification 

Candidates who will apply for  the CDS 2 2026 exam must know the marking scheme. These are as follows:

1. For English and General Awarness subjects, for every correct answer, you will be awarded 0.83 marks, and for an incorrect attempt, your mark will be deducted by 0.27.

2. For Mathematics subject for correct answer 1 Mark and for incorrect answer 0.33 marks. Candidates should also note that if they do not attempt a particular question, no marks will be deducted.

As per previous notification, to apply for CDS 2 2026, candidates must have a certain Photo ID including Aadhaar Card, Voter ID, PAN Card, Passport, Driving License, or any valid photo ID issued by the State/Central Government.

The CDS examination is one of the most popular defense examinations among aspirants. Candidates get a chance to join the defense academies such as the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Officer Training Academy (OTA), and Air Force Academy (AFA).

To be eligible for UPSC CDS 2 2026 exam, candidates should have graduated or in their final year of graduation having the minimum age limit set as 19 years. 

The UPSC CDS 2 2026 notification will be released by the commission on the official website at upsc.gov.in. Candidates can then check the detailed notification to ascertain their eligibility, number of posts offered

Yes, if you are  from the humanities stream you can apply for the Combined Defense Service 2 examination. It is important to note that candidates are only eligible for Indian Military Academy and Officer Training Academy.

As per previoys year notifications, the number of vacancies announced for CDS 1, 2026, was 457, and for CDS 2, 2025, the total number of posts was 459. It is expected that more than 450 posts should be posted through the recruitment . However, there is not any official announcement available on the official website. Candidates are advised to wait till the further announcements.

As per the last  notification to apply for CDS 2 2026 exam candidates must fall within a prescribed age limit for different institutions as follows:

1. Indian Military Academy (IMA)- 19 to 24 years

2. Indian Naval Academy (INA)- 19 to 24 years

3.  Air Force Academy (AFA)- 20 to 24 years

4. Officers Training Academy (OTA)- 19 to 25 years

The UPSC is expected to release CDS 2 Exam 2026 notification on May 20,2026. Candidates can check the UPSC CDS notifications on the official website of UPSC at upsc.gov.in.

Candidates can check the UPSC CDS 2 2026 notification through the official website of UPSC upsc.gov.in or upsconline.nic.in. They should therefore keep a check on the official portal regularly.

The CDS written exam consists of 3 sections: English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics. Candidates will be provided 2 hours for each subject. There will be 120 questions for the English and General Knowledge sections, and for the mathematics subject, the no. of questions will be 100. Candidates are required to keep this in mind while filing the application form.

It is expected that the UPSC will release the Combined Defence Services (CDS) application form for CDS 2 today, May 20, 2026, on its official website. Candidates must check the official portal regularly for more recent updates, or they can check here for more recent announcements related to the CDS exam. 

Under the UPSC application system, One Time Registration (OTR) OTR is a method that allows candidates to register their basic personal details and documents just once on the UPSC platform. The Commission collects the information from the candidates for further selection process.

Yes, candidates who fill out the application form for the UPSC CDS exam will be provided with the option to choose their desired academies they wish to apply to. However, they must ensure that they are eligible to apply for the respective academies.

Candidates who will apply for the Combined Defence Service (CDS) 2 must know the selection process before applying; they have to undergo different levels, including the Written Exam, followed by the SSB Interview/Personality Test, Document Verification, and Medical Examination, and at last a merit list will be released by the UPSC.

To apply for the Combined Defense Services 2 Exam 2026, candidates should have graduated in any discipline from a recognized university. However, candidates must check their eligibility in the detailed notification when released. 

Candidates who aspire to become armed forces officers must know the types of entry provided through the CDS entry. There are two types of commission, permanent and short service commission. IMA, AFA, and INA offer permanent commissions, while OTA provides short-service commission.

The UPSC CDS 2 2026 notification will be released by the commission on the official portal at upsc.gov.in. Candidates can then check the detailed notification to ascertain their eligibility, number of posts offered, etc.

The UPSC is expected to release CDS 2 Exam 2026 notification on May 20,2026. Candidates waiting for UPSC CDS notifications can check the same once released on the official website of UPSC at upsc.gov.in.

 Follow the steps below to fill out your application form.

•  Visit the official website of UPSC at upsc.online.nic.in.

•  Complete a one-time registration process if you have not done so.

•  Create your login credentials 

• Click on the link CDS 2 2026 examination.

•  Enter your personal details, education qualifications and service preferences

• Upload your required documents.

•  Pay the application fee 

• Check all the details carefully before final submission of form.

• Save the confirmation page for future reference.

Yes, candidates belonging from the humanities stream can apply for the Combined Defense Service 2 examination. However, they must remember that they are only eligible for Indian Military Academy and Officer Training Academy.

The CDS 2 2026 exam is scheduled to be conducted on September 13,2026 across the country.

As per trends, the number of vacancies announced for CDS 1, 2026, was 457, and for CDS 2, 2025, the total number of posts was 459. Thus, as per trends, it is expected that more than 400 posts should be posted through the recruitment drive. However, there is not any official announcement available on the official website. 

As per latest notification, to apply for CDS 2 2026, candidates should have a certain Photo ID including Aadhaar Card, Voter ID, PAN Card, Passport, Driving License, or any valid photo ID issued by the State/Central Government.

To apply for UPSC CDS 2 2026 exam, candidates should have graduated or in their final year of graduation having the minimum age limit set as 19 years. Candidates should also be unmarried if they want to apply for CDS exam.

Candidates who will appear for the CDS 2 2026 exam must know the marking scheme. For English and General Knowledge subjects, for every correct answer, you will be awarded 0.83 marks, and for an incorrect attempt, your mark will be deducted by 0.27. For Mathematics subject for correct answer 1 Mark and for incorrect answer 0.33 marks. Candidates should also note that if they do not attempt a particular question, no marks will be deducted.

The UPSC is expected to release CDS 2 Exam 2026 notification on May 20,2026. Candidates waiting for UPSC CDS notifications can download the same once released on the official website of UPSC at upsc.gov.in.

Candidates applying for the Combined Defence Service (CDS) examination must know the selection procedure before applying, they have to undergo through different levels including-

• Written Exam

• SSB Interview/Personality Test

• Document Verification

• Medical Examination

Candidates can download the CDS 2 2026 notification through the official website of UPSC given below- 

1. upsc.gov.in

2. upsconline.nic.in

As per the CDS eligibility criteria, only unmarried candidates having the age limit between 19 to 25 years and Graduate are eligible to appear for Combined Defence Services exam 2026. 

The CDS written examination consists of 3 subjects: English, General Knowledge, and Mathematics. Candidates will be provided 2 hours for each subject. There will be 120 questions for the English and General Knowledge sections, and for the mathematics subject, the no. of questions will be 100.

As per the previous year notification to apply for CDS 2 2026 exam candidates must fall within a prescribed age limit for different institutions as follows:

1. Indian Military Academy (IMA)- 19 to 24 years

2. Indian Naval Academy (INA)- 19 to 24 years

3.  Air Force Academy (AFA)- 20 to 24 years

4. Officers Training Academy (OTA)- 19 to 25 years

UPSC CDS 2 2026 application form is expected to be released on May 20, 2026 on the official website. Candidates can fill their CDS 2 application till June 9, 2026

The UPSC CDS 2 2026 Notification is expected to be released by the commission on May 20, 2026, on the official website of UPSC at upsc.gov.in.