UPSC CDS II 2026 Notification Out: Apply for 451 Vacancies Across IMA, INA, AFA, and OTA

If you have ever dreamed of wearing the uniform, leading with honor, and serving the nation as a commissioned officer, your window of opportunity has officially arrived. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the official notification for the Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2026.

With 451 vacancies up for grabs across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, this is your chance to turn that ambition into reality. Let’s dive straight into the crucial details—from deadlines and eligibility to the exam structure and paycheck specs—so you can get your application locked in before the clock runs out.

UPSC CDS II 2026: Crucial Dates

Time is of the essence. The application window is relatively brief, and UPSC does not permit late entries or application withdrawals. Mark these dates prominently in your calendar:

Event	Date / Timeline
Notification Release Date	May 20, 2026
Last Date to Apply Online	June 9, 2026 (Until 6:00 PM sharp)
UPSC CDS II 2026 Exam Date	September 13, 2026
Expected Written Result	October 2026

Vacancy Breakdown: Where Could You Be Heading?

UPSC has announced a total of 451 tentative vacancies for courses scheduled to commence in the latter half of 2027. Here is how the positions are split across the different service academies:

1. Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun

Vacancies: 100 positions.
Note: Includes 13 vacancies reserved for National Cadet Corps (NCC) ‘C’ Certificate (Army Wing) holders.
Course Commencement: July 2027 (163rd DE Course).

2. Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala

Vacancies: 26 positions.
Note: Includes 6 vacancies for NCC ‘C’ Certificate (Naval Wing) holders and 1 position dedicated to the Hydro branch.
Course Commencement: July 2027 (Executive Branch – General Service/Hydro).

3. Air Force Academy (AFA), Hyderabad

Vacancies: 32 positions.
Note: Includes 3 vacancies reserved for NCC ‘C’ Certificate (Air Wing) holders through the NCC Special Entry route.
Course Commencement: July 2027 (Pre-Flying Training Course / 222 F(P) Course).

4. Officers’ Training Academy (OTA), Chennai (Men)

Vacancies: 275 positions.
Course Tenure: Short Service Commission (Non-Technical).
Course Commencement: October 2027 (126th SSC Men NT Course).

5. Officers’ Training Academy (OTA), Chennai (Women)

Vacancies: 18 positions.
Course Tenure: Short Service Commission (Non-Technical).
Course Commencement: October 2027 (126th SSC Women NT Course).

Important Note on Preferences: You must explicitly list your academy preferences when filling out the form. If you want to aim for the Air Force Academy (AFA), you must list it as your first choice, as specialized pilot testing is required. Women candidates are eligible exclusively for the Short Service Commission at OTA, meaning OTA will be their sole option.

Eligibility Criteria: Do You Match the Requirements?

Before you jump into the application portal, ensure you clear the foundational benchmarks set by the Ministry of Defence and UPSC.

Nationality

An applicant must be a Citizen of India, a subject of Nepal, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from countries like Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, or East African nations with the definitive intention of permanently settling in India (subject to eligibility certification by the Government of India). Gorkha subjects of Nepal do not require an eligibility certificate.

Age Limits, Sex, and Marital Status

UPSC enforces highly specific age windows based on the chosen branch. Ensure your date of birth matches the following boundaries:

IMA: Unmarried male candidates born between July 2, 2003, and July 1, 2008, are eligible.
INA: Unmarried male candidates born between July 2, 2003, and July 1, 2008, are eligible.
AFA: Candidates must be between 20 and 24 years old as of July 1, 2027 (born between July 2, 2003, and July 1, 2007). If you hold a valid, current Commercial Pilot License issued by the DGCA (India), the upper age limit is relaxed to 26 years (born between July 2, 2001, and July 1, 2007). Candidates under 25 must be unmarried.
OTA (Men): Unmarried male candidates born between July 2, 2002, and July 1, 2008, are eligible.
OTA (Women): Unmarried women, issueless widows who have not remarried, and issueless divorcees in possession of legal divorce documents who have not remarried are eligible. The birth window is between July 2, 2002, and July 1, 2008.

Educational Qualifications

For IMA & OTA: You need a standard Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized university in any discipline.
For INA: You must possess a Degree in Engineering, or a B.Sc. with Physics as a core or elective subject (provided you took Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level).
For AFA: You require a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized university with Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level, or a Bachelor of Engineering.

Can final year students apply? Yes! If you are currently in your final year or semester of your degree course, you can take the exam provisionally. However, you must be able to produce definitive proof of passing by the specified deadlines in 2027 (May 13, 2027, for AFA; July 1, 2027, for IMA/INA; and October 1, 2027, for OTA).

The Exam Pattern & Selection Process

Joining the Armed Forces involves a multi-stage selection process designed to evaluate both cognitive performance and psychological leadership capabilities.

Stage 1: The Written Examination

The written tier is an objective-type, offline pen-and-paper test evaluated by computerized scanner systems.

For IMA, INA, and AFA Admission:

English: 2 Hours duration | 100 Maximum Marks
General Knowledge: 2 Hours duration | 100 Maximum Marks
Elementary Mathematics: 2 Hours duration | 100 Maximum Marks
Total: 300 Marks

For Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) Admission:

English: 2 Hours duration | 100 Maximum Marks
General Knowledge: 2 Hours duration | 100 Maximum Marks
Total: 200 Marks

Crucial Rules for Exam Day:

You must use a black ball pen to write and fill circles on the OMR sheet. Pencils or ink pens of any other color will result in your answer sheet being rejected.

There is a strict penalty for wrong answers. Every incorrect response results in a deduction of one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question.

Calculators, smartwatches, and mobile phones (even in switched-off mode) are completely banned from the examination centers.

Stage 2: SSB Interview & Intelligence Testing

If you clear the written cutoff, you will be invited to appear before the Services Selection Board (SSB) for a rigorous, two-stage evaluation spanning several days:

Stage I: Comprises the Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) tests and the Picture Perception & Description Test (PP&DT). Candidates failing Stage I are sent back on day one.
Stage II: A detailed four-day process involving psychological evaluations, Group Testing Officer (GTO) tasks, personal interviews, and the final board conference.

Pay Scale, Stipends, and Perks: The Rewards of Service

The prestige of an officer rank comes with highly competitive compensation packages, robust allowances, and complete institutional care.

Training Stipend

During your entire training duration at IMA, INA, AFA, or OTA, you will receive a fixed cadet stipend of Rs. 56,100 per month (which represents the starting pay of Level 10). Once you successfully receive your commission, this training period is accounted for, and your pay is formalized alongside admissible arrears.

Pay Matrix (Rank-Wise Base Pay)

Upon commissioning as a Lieutenant, your pay progression scales up through the ranks as follows:

Rank	Pay Level	Base Pay Scale (INR)
Lieutenant	Level 10	56,100 to 1,77,500
Captain	Level 10B	61,300 to 1,93,900
Major	Level 11	69,400 to 2,07,200
Lieutenant Colonel	Level 12A	1,21,200 to 2,12,400
Colonel	Level 13	1,30,600 to 2,15,900
Brigadier	Level 13A	1,39,600 to 2,17,600
Major General	Level 14	1,44,200 to 2,18,200

On top of the basic salary matrix, officers from the rank of Lieutenant up to Brigadier receive a fixed Military Service Pay (MSP) of Rs. 15,500 per month.

Additional Perks & Allowances

Dearness Allowance (DA): Paid at equivalent civilian government personnel rates.
Dress Allowance: Rs. 20,000 per year.
Free Rations: Provided in both peace and field environments.
Transport Allowance (TPTA): Ranges from Rs. 3,600 + DA to Rs. 7,200 + DA monthly depending on your posting location.
Children Education Allowance: Rs. 2,250 per month per child.
Insurance Cover: Officer Cadets receive extensive insurance coverage ranging from Rs. 20 Lakhs to Rs. 1.25 Crores depending on the academy entry system and branch rules to protect against training-related medical exigencies or disabilities.

How to Apply for UPSC CDS II 2026

The application process is entirely online. Avoid waiting until the June 9 deadline to circumvent potential server slowdowns.

Visit the Portal: Head over to the official UPSC registration site: https://upsconline.nic.in.
Complete the OTR: Set up your Account Creation and Universal Registration to generate a lifetime Universal Registration Number (URN). If you already have a URN from a previous UPSC exam, you can use it to log in directly.
Fill the Specific Form: Complete the Common Application Form (CAF) and navigate to the Examination Specific Module for CDS-II 2026.
Photo & Signature Requirements:
- You must upload a clear photograph and also capture a live photograph via your webcam/device while filling out the application.
- You must sign three times sequentially (one below the other) on plain white paper using black ink and upload that specific signature document.
Provide a Valid ID: Input details for an official photo identity card (Aadhaar Card, Voter Card, PAN Card, Passport, or Driving License). UPSC highly recommends using your Aadhaar Card for a smooth, automated validation workflow.
Pay the Fee: A registration fee of Rs. 200/- applies. Payment can be completed online via net banking, UPI, or major Credit/Debit cards.
- Fee Exemption: All female applicants, as well as Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, are completely exempted from paying the fee.

Center Allotment Rule: Apply Early!

UPSC enforces a strict “First-Apply-First-Allot” ceiling on all examination centers across the country, with the exception of Chennai, Dispur, Kolkata, and Nagpur. If a specific city center reaches its capacity ceiling, it will be frozen, and you will be forced to choose from the remaining options. Apply early to secure an examination venue close to home.

Official Helpdesk Assistance

If you run into issues with your online fee payment, document uploads, or technical glitches inside the portal, you can reach out directly to the UPSC facilitation desk:

Helpline Numbers: 011-24041001 / 011-40303444
Official Email: upscsoap@nic.in
Operational Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM on all working days throughout the application window (May 20, 2026, to June 9, 2026).

The path to leadership in the Indian Armed Forces begins with a single, meticulous step. Review your eligibility, gather your validation documents, and submit your application accurately. Good luck to all the future officers mapping out their journey!

UPSC CDS 2 2026 – Important Links

Apply Online: Click here
Official Notification PDF: Click here
Official Website: Click here