The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will close the application window for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) 1 exam today, December 30, 2025. Aspirants seeking a career in the Indian Armed Forces must submit their applications online at upsconline.nic.in by 6 pm.
The CDS 1 2026 exam is scheduled for April 12, 2026, and will be conducted in offline mode (pen-and-paper). Admit cards for registered candidates will be released a few days prior to the exam.
Candidates from the General and Other Backward Classes (Male) categories are required to pay an application fee of Rs 200. There is no fee for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, persons with benchmark disabilities, and female candidates. All payments must be completed online.
To apply, candidates need to follow a two-step registration process on the official UPSC website. Part 1 requires basic personal information, while Part 2 includes exam centre preferences, fee payment, and document submission. After completing both steps, applicants must download the confirmation page for their records.
The CDS exam pattern differs based on the academy. For IMA (Indian Military Academy), INA (Indian Naval Academy), and AFA (Air Force Academy), the exam consists of three papers: English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics. Each paper carries 100 marks with a duration of two hours, and there is a negative marking of one-third for incorrect answers. For OTA (Officers’ Training Academy), the exam comprises only English and General Knowledge papers, each carrying 100 marks.
The question papers will be available in both Hindi and English, allowing candidates from different linguistic backgrounds to participate. With thousands of aspirants applying each year, CDS remains one of India’s most competitive exams for defence careers.
Candidates are advised to complete their applications well before the 6 pm deadline to avoid last-minute technical glitches.
