CDS Full Form – The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the CDS exam. The full form of CDS is Combined Defence Services. Few people also refer to CDS full form as Chief of Defense Staff, which is a rank given to head of Indian Armed Forces, It is a recently inducted rank and doesn’t have any significance with CDS exam. UPSC conducts the CDS exam twice a year. CDS is a national-level exam and is generally conducted in the month of February and November. It is a national-level exam conducted to recruit candidates for officer posts in IMA (Indian Military Academy), INA (Indian Naval Academy), AFA (Air Force Academy) and OTA (Officers Training Academy).
Recommended: Download CDS previous year question papers along with answers. Click Here.
Latest Updates for CDS
- 28 May 2026:CDS 1 2026 Cut Off Released.
- 23 Mar 2026:CDS result 2026 announced.
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Just like the previous year, CDS 2026 will be conducted in three stages. As per the CDS selection process, the stages are written exam, SSB Interview followed by the Medical Examination. Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria of CDS can apply for it by visiting the official website @upsconline.nic.in and fill it from there. In this article of CDS full form, we will share all the information related to CDS like eligibility criteria, application form, exam dates, CDS salary and much more. If you are planning to prepare for the CDS exam, read this article till the end.
CDS Full Form Overview
| Exam Name | Combined Defence Service |
| Commonly known as | UPSC CDS Exam |
| Frequency of the exam | Twice a year |
| Conducted by | Union Public Service Commission |
| Stages of the exam | Written ExamSSB InterviewMedical Examination |
| Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
CDS Exam Dates 2026
CDS 1 Exam Dates
| CDS 1 Events | CDS Exam Dates |
| CDS Notification 2026 | October 28, 2026 |
| CDS 1 2026 Application Form | October 28, 2026 |
| CDS 1 2026 Exam | February 7, 2026 |
CDS 2 Exam Dates
| CDS 2 Events | Dates |
| CDS 2 2026 Notification | August 04, 2026 |
| CDS 2 2026 Application Form | August 04, 2026 |
| CDS 2 2026 Exam | November 14, 2026 |
CDS Eligibility Criteria 2026
The eligibility criteria of CDS is divided in two sections – Nationality, Academic qualification and age limit. Refer the following table for the same.
Eligibility Criteria of CDS 2026
| Age Limit Criteria | Academic Qualification |
| 20-24 Years: Indian Military Academy (IMA) | IMA & OTA: Graduation Degree from a recognised University |
| 20-22 Years: Indian Naval Academy (INA) | INA: Graduation in B.Sc. with Physics & Mathematics or Bachelor of Engineering |
| 20-23 Years: Air Force Academy (AFA) | AFA: B.Sc. Graduate with Physics/Mathematics or Bachelor of Engineering |
| 20-25 Years: Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) |
CDS Notification and Application 2026
CDS 01/2026 notification and CDS 2026 application form has been released on October 28, 2026. The CDS notification is released on the official website of UPSC twice a year. The notification dates and the CDS application form dates are the same. The CDS notification consists of the important dates, eligibility criteria, steps to apply, CDS exam pattern, syllabus, important instructions related to the CDS 2026 in detail. It is mandatory to read the notification of CDS thoroughly before filling the form.
CDS Admit Card 2026
The admit card of CDS is an important document that is mandatory for every candidate who is taking the exam. The admit card is issued by UPSC to those candidates only who have successfully applied for CDS. If aspirants have made an error in filling up the application form, their candidature will be rejected and they will not be issued the admit card. So it becomes of utmost important to fill the application form carefully and pay the application fee. The admit card can be downloaded from the official website by using the registration details and date of birth. The CDS admit card consists of all the important details like the candidate’s name, roll number, registration number, exam centre address, reporting time, exam day guidelines etc. The admit card has to be carried to the exam centre along with a valid ID proof to the exam centre.
CDS Exam Centre 2026
CDS exam is conducted across various exam centres in India. From the following table, aspirants can check the exam centres of CDS.
CDS Exam Centres
| Agartala | Kochi |
| Ahmedabad | Kohima |
| Aizawl | Kolkata |
| Bengaluru | Lucknow |
| Bareilly | Madurai |
| Bhopal | Mumbai |
| Chandigarh | Nagpur |
| Chennai | Panaji(GOA) |
| Cuttack | Patna |
| Dehradun | Port Blair |
| Delhi | Prayagraj |
| Dharwad | Raipur |
| Dispur | Ranchi |
| Gangtok | Sambalpur |
| Hyderabad | Shillong |
| Imphal | Shimla |
| Itanagar | Srinagar |
| Jaipur | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Jammu | Tirupati |
| Jorhat | Udaipur |
| Visakhapatnam | — |
How to prepare for CDS?
CDS is one of the highest competitive exams in India. Just like NDA, CDS is the gateway for candidates who want to serve the nation by joining the defense forces of India. The difficulty level of CDS is graduation as the minimum eligibility criteria are graduation only. Many aspirants join coaching institutes to prepare for CDS but there are a few more who also prepare from home by referring to the best CDS books etc. Here we have shared the CDS preparation tips for all the candidates who are planning to appear for the CDS exam.
CDS Answer Key 2026
The CDS answer key consists of all the answers to the questions asked in the exam. The unofficial answer key is released by various coaching institutes on the day of the exam while the official answer key of CDS is released on the official website of UPSC. Candidates preparing for the CDS exam can match the answer key along with the questions from the exam and spectate their chances of qualification.
CDS Result 2026
UPSC released the CDS 01/2026 result on March 23, 2026. The result of CDS is released after the exam is conducted in online mode. Candidates who qualify the CDS exam as per the result will be able to appear for the next stage of the exam and will subsequently qualify the CDS exam. The written exam result is released in PDF format on the official website and has the academy-wise roll number of all the shortlisted candidates.
CDS Final Merit
The final merit list of CDS is released after the complete recruitment process is over. The merit list of CDS is released in PDF format on the official website and has the academy-wise roll number and name of all the candidates who have qualified the exam and have been shortlisted for the CDS recruitment.