CDS 2025 Exam Date has been announced through online mode for both Papers. CDS I will be conducted on April 13, 2025 and CDS II will be conducted on September 14, 2025.
Do you want to become Indian Army Officer? Check CDS 2025 details below
CDS 2025 Exam Dates | CDS 2025 Application
CDS 2025 Notifications – Exam Dates Out
CDS 2025 Exam Dates have been announced. The exam will be held on 13th April 2025 (CDS 1) and on 14th September 2025 (CDS 2). Check here for exam date details.
CDS 2025 Notification will be released on 11th December 2024 tentatively for CDS I. Application form for UPSC CDS I 2025 will be released on 11th December 2024.
Union Public Service Commission of India (UPSC) is the conducting authority of CDS 2025 examination. Combined Defence Services (CDS) is a national level entrance exam conducted assessing candidates for positions in Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Indian Navy.
This UPSC CDS 2025 exam is a highly anticipated exam consist with two divisions, Paper I and Paper II. Exam will be administered on same day but during separate sessions.
Qualified candidates through this exam will undergo training Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA), and Office Training Academy (OTA).
All you need to know regarding CDS 2025 Exam
- Want to apply for CDS 2025 exam for paper I & II, Check CDS 2025 Application Form
- Confused? Whether eligible for CDS 2025 exam, Check CDS 2025 Eligibility Criteria
- CDS 2025 Exam dates Announced, Check complete CDS 2025 Exam Date
- Start preparing for CDS 2025 exam by knowing best books, check CDS 2025 Books
- Thinking to start preparation early for CDS 2025 exam? Good ! Check CDS Preparation Tips
Any Query? Leave your queries below
CDS 2025 Overview
| Name of Exam | CDS 2025 |
| Full Form | Combine Defense Services Examination |
| Conducting Authority | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Level of Exam | National Level |
| Exam Frequency | Twice a year (April & September) |
| Exam Stage | Written exam and SSB Interview |
| Application Mode | Online mode |
| Exam Mode | Offline Mode |
| Language of Question paper | English & Hindi |
| Website | upsc.gov.in |
CDS 2025 Exam Dates
Candidates can check complete CDS Exam Dates 2025 from below:
| Event | CDS I Dates 2025 (Announced) | CDS II Dates 2025 (Announced) |
| Released of UPSC CDS 2025 notification | 11th December 2024 | 28th May 2025 |
| Online application form | 11th December 2024 | 28th May 2025 |
| Last date to submit the application | 31st December 2024 | 17th June 2025 |
| Correction facility | January 2025 | June 2025 |
| Issue of admit card | April 2025 | September 2025 |
| CDS 2025 Exam date | 13th April 2025 | 14th September 2025 |
| Answer key available | May 2025 | October 2025 |
| Result announcement | June 2025 | October 2025 |
CDS 2025 Application Form
Here we have mentioned complete CDS 2025 application form details:
- UPSC CDS 2025 application form for Paper I will be released from 11th December 2024.
- Candidates will be able to complete application procedure through online mode, no offline mode will be available.
- Application form for CDS II 2025 will be released from 28th May 2025 through online mode.
- Before applying for exam, candidates must fulfil complete eligibility criteria mentioned below.
- During registration (OTR), candidates will have to enter basic information such as name, personal details and other information.
- Select preferences for IMA, NA, AFA, and OTA in application form.
- Fill application form with details such as academic qualification, personal details, communication details, etc.
- Upload scanned image of required documents in prescribed format to avoid rejection.
- Complete the procedure by submitting application fee as per your category.
- Re-check the details and submit the form on website.
- Take a hardcopy of form and keep it safe for further usage in admission procedure.
Application Fee:
- The CDS 2025 application fee will be submitted through online & offline both the modes.
- For offline method, candidates will be able to deposit the money in any branch of SBI by cash to submit registration fee.
- Those candidates who will submit fee through “Pay by Cash” mode should print system generated Pay in-Slip during part II registration and deposit the fee at counter of SBI branch.
- Online facility such as Visa, Master, Rupay Credit card, debit card, UPI Payment or net banking will be available.
Here are the application fee for different category candidates:
| Category | Application fees (In INR) |
| General and OBC male candidates | 200 |
| Female/SC/ST candidates | Nil |
How to Apply for CDS 2025
To apply for CDS 2025 exam, candidates can check complete step-by-step procedure:
- Step-1: Visit the website of UPSC CDS (Link will be given above).
- Step-2: On homepage, press “UPSC CDS 2025 registration” option.
- Step-3: It will be mandatory to register first at OTR (One Time Registration) platform.
- Step-4: After registration, fill application form with details such as qualification, personal details, communication details, etc.
- Step-5: Upload the scanned documents in prescribed format only.
- Step-6: Complete the process by submitting the application fee as per the category.
- Step-7: Recheck filled details in application form and submit it on the website.
- Step-8: A confirmation page will appear on the screen.
- Step-9: Take a hardcopy of form and keep it safe for further usage in admission.
CDS 2025 Application Correction
Application correction in CDS 2025 will be started through online mode. There will be no offline method provided to make correction in form. Those registered candidates in exam will be able to make correction in form during edit facility.
This window will be open for two to three days only. In case of any mistake in application form while filling it, candidates will be able to make changes in it during edit window.
CDS 2025 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must fulfil complete CDS Eligibility criteria 2025 before applying for exam:
- Nationality: Applying candidates must be unmarried and citizen of India, subject of Nepal or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and East African countries with intention to permanently settle in India.
- Tibetan refugee who came to India before January 1962, with the intention to permanently settle in India will also apply.
- Educational Qualification: For IMA, candidates must have bachelor’s degree (BA, BCom, BSc, BBA, BCA, BTech, etc) from a recognized university or equivalent institute.
- To apply for Indian Naval Academy (INA), candidates must have bachelor’s degree in engineering from a recognized university/ college.
- Candidates must have bachelor’s degree from any recognized university (with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level) or bachelor’s degree in engineering will be eligible for Air Force Academy exam.
- For OTA (Men, Women – Non- Technical), candidates must have bachelor’s degree from a recognized university or equivalent institute.
- Physical Fitness: Applying candidates should be physically fit in all aspects by the three defence departments i.e Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
- Applying candidates must be good in Physics and sound mental health and free from any disease/ disability that can interfere in the performance of their duties.
- Appearing: Those appearing candidates in final year/ semester degree course and yet to pass final year degree exam will also be eligible to apply.
- Age Limit: Given below are the age limit for different categories:
| CDS Courses | CDS Age Limit |
| Indian Military Academy | 19 to 24 years |
| Indian Naval Academy | 19 to 24 years |
| Air Force Academy | 20 to 24 years |
| Officers’ Training Academy (Men) | 19 to 25 years |
| Officers Training Academy (Women, Non-Technical) | 19 to 25 years |
CDS 2025 Exam Pattern
Here are the complete CDS Exam pattern 2025 below in pointers:
- Exam Mode: Exam will be conducted through offline mode
- Duration: Total 2 hours (120 minutes) will be given to solve each paper.
- Medium: Exam will be held in two languages in Hindi & English
- Number of Questions: There will be total 300 questions asked in IMA, INA, & AFA exam and 200 questions in OTA.
- Type of Questions: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) will be asked in exam.
- Marks: There will be total 300 marks consist in IMA, INA, and AFA and 200 marks in OTA.
- Marking Scheme: 1 mark will be awarded for each correct answer.
- Negative Marking: 1/3 of negative marking will be there for each incorrect answer.
Know subject wise distribution of questions:
| Subjects | Total Questions |
| English | 100 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 |
| General Knowledge | 100 |
| Total Questions | 300 Questions |
CDS 2025 Syllabus
The CDS 2025 syllabus will be released through online mode on the website. Written exam will be divided into three sections. In English sections of CDS syllabus, candidates will have to prepare more with grammar and increase their word power.
It will be mandatory for the candidates to check complete syllabus before preparing for entrance exam. Syllabus of CDS 2025 will include English, General Knowledge and Elementary Mathematics for admission to Indian Naval Academy, Indian Military Academy, and Air Force Academy.
CDS 2025 Preparation Tips
To score higher in CDS 2025 entrance exam, candidates can check preparation tips below:
- Start preparing for exam by knowing complete syllabus from the website.
- Candidates should focus on solving previous year’s CDS questions papers to know difficulty level of maths section.
- Try to attempt as many mock test as you can.
- Make a proper study plan to study in a planned manner.
- Divide their time equally among all the topics asked in entrance exam.
- Take a help from best books for CDS 2025 for preparation.
CDS 2025 Books
To prepare for the exam, candidates can check here best CDS books:
- English Grammar & Composition by SC Gupta
- General Knowledge by Manohar Pandey
- Mathematics for CDS entrance Exam RS Agrawal
- CDS Pathfinder by Arihant
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by RS Aggarwal
- Let’s Crack SSB Interview by SSB Crack
- Arihant CDS Solved Paper Chapter wise
- Wren & Martin’s High School English Grammar & Composition – Wren and Martin’s
CDS 2025 Exam Centres
Here are the CDS 2025 exam centres where the exam will be conducted through offline mode:
| Agartala | Ghaziabad | Panaji (Goa) |
| Agra | Gorakhpur | Patna |
| Ajmer | Gurgaon | Port Blair |
| Ahmedabad | Gwalior | Prayagraj (Allahabad) |
| Aizawl | Hyderabad | Puducherry |
| Aligarh | Imphal | Pune |
| Almora (Uttarakhand) | Indore | Raipur |
| Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) | Itanagar | Rajkot |
| Aurangabad | Jabalpur | Ranchi |
| Bengaluru | Jaipur | Sambalpur |
| Bareilly | Jammu | Shillong |
| Bhopal | Jodhpur | Shimla |
| Bilaspur | Jorhat | Siligudi |
| Chandigarh | Kochi | Srinagar |
| Chennai | Kohima | Srinagar (Uttarakhand) |
| Coimbatore | Kolkata | Thane |
| Cuttack | Kozhikode (Calicut) | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Dehradun | Leh | Tiruchirapalli |
| Delhi | Lucknow | Tirupati |
| Dharwad | Ludhiana | Udaipur |
| Dispur | Madurai | Varanasi |
| Faridabad | Mumbai | Vellore |
| Gangtok | Mysore | Vijayavada |
| Gaya | Nagpur | Vishakhapatnam |
| Gautam Buddh Nagar | Navi Mumbai | Warangal |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
CDS 2025 Admit Card
UPSC will release CDS 2025 admit card through online mode. There will be no other method will be provided to download admit card. Candidates will be able to download CDS 2025 I admit card in April 2025 and for CDS II 2025 will be released in September 2025.
Those registered candidates for exam will be able to access hall ticket from the website. Login detail such as application number and date of birth will be required to download it. Admit card will be the most important document to carry on the day of exam, as without it candidates will not be given entry to exam hall. There will be various details in admit cad such as
CDS 2025 Answer Key
CDS 2025 answer key will be released through online mode. It will be released after the completion of exam process. However, the unofficial answer key will be released by various coaching centre on their respective website.
Candidates will be able to calculate their probable scores with the help of answer key. It will be released in the form of PDF on the website. It will be released for all sets of test booklets.
CDS 2025 Result
UPSC will release the CDS I 2025 result in the month of June 2025 and in October 2025 for CDS II. Candidates will be able to download result through online mode. There will be no other offline method provided to access result. To download result, candidates will be required to use their application number and password.
Qualified candidates in exam will have to participate in other process of admission. After clearing exam and SSB Interview, candidates will secure admission to prestigious IMA, INA, AFA and officers training Academy (OTA).
CDS 2025 Cut Off
CDS I 2025 Cut off will be released along with the released of final CDS result. It will be released through online mode. The expected cut off marks will help the candidates to get the probability of getting selected in defence academics.
Based on the minimum qualifying marks in each subject and minimum aggregate marks of the last qualified candidates, the cut off marks will be released. Candidates will be required to secure the cut off marks separately in the written exam and SSB Interview to be considered for final selection.
CDS 2025 Selection Procedure
The complete CDS 2025 selection procedure will be release by UPSC on the website through online mode. There will be two stages of CDS selection procedure – a written exam and an SSB Interview.
Those candidates who will qualify the exam will be called to participate for SSB Interview round. Selection procedure will be held to test the candidates aptitude and reasoning ability. Selected candidates in this procedure will be called for SSB Interview for 5 days.
CDS 2025 SSB Interview
Those qualified candidates in CDS 2025 exam will have to participate in selection procedure. Candidates who will be selected in selection procedure will have to participate in SSB Interview round. Based on SSB Interview, candidates will be selected for various offered posts.
There will be two stage in selection process. Stage 1 will comprise with officer intelligence rating (OIR) test and picture perception description test (PP & DT). Stage 2 will be consist with Interview, Group testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests, and the conference.
In case of any query related to CDS 2025 Exam, candidates can feel free to ask their queries below in the comment section.
I am currently in my 23, was born on 05/01/2001.
am i elgible to give CDS 2025 nexam?
Yes, you will be eligible but before that you must satisfy other eligibility norms.
My DOB is 03/03/2000 am i eligible for CDS 1 OTA 2025
Yes, you re eligible but you must also satisfy other eligibility norms.
my DOB IS 02/02/2000. SHOULD I ELIGIBLE FOR CDS 1 2025 for ota
Yes, you will be eligible but you must also satisfy other eligibility norms.
Hello
Sir , I am Himanshu
My D.O.B is 25 September 2001. I want to join IMA . Will I be able to appear for CDS 2025 exam .
I asked someone they told me that This year age criteria was candidates born not earlier than 02nd July, 2001 and
not later than 1st July, 2006 only are eligible. Next year it will be between 02nd July, 2002 and
not later than 1st July, 2007 .
Please clarify this sir.
You will be eligible to apply for CDS 2025 IMA but you must also satisfy other eligibility norms.
Can I apply for CDS 2025 exam ?
For INA, IMA ?
I born in 2001, October.
No, you will not be eligible to apply for INA & IMA.
Can I apply for CDS 1 exam?
For IMA, INA, OTA, AFA ?
My DOB is 08-10-2001.
Please give a reply….
My ambition is to be a part of Defence.
Yes, you are eligible for CDS I for IMA, INA, OTA as well as AFA but also check other eligibility norms before applying.
My DOB 11-11-2001
am I eligible for 2025 1 and 2 IMA and AFA
In order to be eligible for IMA candidate’s age must be in between 19 to 24 & for AFA in between 20 to 24 years.
My DOB is 11/12/2001. I am currently pursuing MCA which concludes in August 2025. Joining Armed forces is my ambition. Considering this can you tell am I eligible to cds 1 or cds 2
Yes, you will be eligible for CDS 2025 but you must also satisfy other eligibility norms.
Ita and ima ke liye eyes number kitne hone chiye mere chasma lga hua hai ( -1) ky mai apply kru ??
For ITA & IMA, specific vision is required as Distant Vision- 6/6 (with or without glasses), Near Vision- 6/ 36 (with or without glasses), Color Perception- Normal.
I m 24…..my DOB is 29 July 2000….m i eligible for cds 2025 for OTA ??
Yes, you are eligible to apply for CDS 2025.
My dob is 06 august 2000. Am I eligible for CDS-1 2025?
No, you are not eligible to apply for CDS 2025.
My d o.b is 25//07/2000 I’m eligible for cds 1 2025
No, you are not eligible to apply for CDS I 2025.
My dob is 17 sept 2000
Some are denying that I can’t apply for cds 1 2025
No, you are not eligible to apply for CDS 2025.
My DOB is 22/10/2000 am i elligible for CDS 1 2025
No, you will not be eligible for CDS I 2025. However, you might be eligible for CDS II 2024, if you fulfill other eligibility norms.
MY DOB IS 22/12/2000 am I eligible for cds 2025 I
Yes, you are eligible but you must also satisfied other eligibility norms.
My date of birth is 05-09-2000 I am able fill the form cds 2025??
As per your D.O.B, You are eligible for Officer’s Training Academy (OTA) only.
Hello sir/ ma’am
Sir , I am Shivam Kumar Jaiswal
My D.O.B is 10 August 2001. I am really want to join Indian defence forces. Will I be able to appear for CDS 2025 exam . Currently I am doing B.tech ( Final Year) which will be completed in may 2025 . Please clarify this sir.
Yes, you will be eligible to apply for CDS 2025.
my DOB IS 15/11/2001. SHOULD I ELIGIBLE FOR CDS 1 2025
Yes, you are eligible but you must also satisfy other eligibility norms.
My height is 5.1feet and weight is 42highest
I wear specs am I elegable for CDS exam
You are advised to completely check eligibility norms before applying for CDS.
What is the date of birth between which and which to appear in cds 2025
IMA & INA- 18 to 23rd Years old
Air Force Academy- 20 to 25 years old
I am a commerce background student and a bba graduate now I am preparing for CDS OTA is there any way I can join flying branch in force???
To be eligible for flying branch you must have mathematic & physics as your subjects in qualifying exam.