UPSC CDS 2027: exam date, pattern, syllabus and how to apply
The Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) is how the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) selects graduates for the Indian Military Academy, the Indian Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and the Officers' Training Academy. It is held twice a year. The next one is close: UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 puts the CDS (I) 2027 notification on 2 December 2026, the last date to apply on 22 December 2026, and the exam on Sunday 11 April 2027 (checked 20 October 2026). This guide covers the dates, eligibility for each academy, the pattern and a plan for the weeks that are left.
UPSC CDS at a glance
| Conducting body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| What it is for | Officer entry to IMA Dehradun, INA Ezhimala, AFA Hyderabad and OTA Chennai |
| Stages | Written exam, then SSB interview and medical |
| Mode | Pen and paper, OMR sheet |
| Papers | English, General Knowledge, Elementary Mathematics (OTA: English and GK only) |
| Time | 2 hours for each paper |
| Marking | 100 marks a paper; one-third of a question's marks taken away for a wrong answer |
| Languages | GK and Mathematics in Hindi and English; English paper in English |
| How often | Twice a year: CDS (I) and CDS (II) |
| Official website | upsc.gov.in |
UPSC CDS 2027 exam date
From UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 (PDF), read on 20 October 2026:
| Event | CDS (I) 2027 | CDS (II) 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | 2 December 2026 | 12 May 2027 |
| Last date to apply | 22 December 2026 | 1 June 2027 |
| Exam | Sunday 11 April 2027 | Sunday 19 September 2027 |
CDS is held on the same day as the NDA & NA exam, which has the same notification dates (see our NDA guide). The calendar says dates can change; check the exam calendar page and our CDS exam-dates page.
How to apply for UPSC CDS (I) 2027
The window is short, only about three weeks in December. Apply online at upsconline.nic.in, the portal UPSC's notices name.
- Create an account on the portal, if you do not have one.
- Get your Universal Registration Number (URN), made once and used for every UPSC exam.
- Fill in the Common Application Form, with an uploaded photograph and a live photograph. UPSC advises Aadhaar as the ID document.
- Between 2 and 22 December 2026, fill in the CDS form: your order of preference among the academies, your centre, and the fee unless exempt. In the 2026 notice, a candidate who wanted the Air Force Academy had to give it as first preference.
Steps 1 to 3 can be done now, before the notice is out. Keep ready: photo ID, scanned photograph and signature, Class 10 certificate for date of birth, your degree or final-year details, and an NCC 'C' certificate if you hold one.
Eligibility (CDS (II) 2026 notice; check the (I) 2027 notice for exact dates of birth):
| Academy | Age band | Education | Who |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMA | 19 to 24 | Any degree | Unmarried men |
| INA | 19 to 24 | Engineering degree, or B.Sc. with Physics and Physics and Maths at 10+2 | Unmarried men |
| AFA | 20 to 24 (up to 26 with a DGCA Commercial Pilot Licence) | Degree with Physics and Maths at 10+2, or B.E. | As in the notice |
| OTA | 19 to 25 | Any degree | Unmarried men; unmarried women and issueless widows or divorcees |
Final-year students can apply and must produce the degree by the date in the notice. Women are considered only for OTA.
UPSC CDS exam pattern
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Time | Who sits it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 120 | 100 | 2 hours | All |
| General Knowledge | 120 | 100 | 2 hours | All |
| Elementary Mathematics | 100 | 100 | 2 hours | IMA, INA, AFA only |
- A wrong answer loses one-third of that question's marks: about 0.28 in English and GK, and 0.33 in Mathematics. A blank costs nothing.
- Calculators and scribes are not allowed.
- The SSB interview carries the same maximum as the written exam: 300 for IMA, INA and AFA, 200 for OTA. Written and SSB marks are added for the final merit.
- The question counts come from the September 2026 booklets; the notice itself gives marks and time.
UPSC CDS syllabus
- English: understanding of English and workmanlike use of words: grammar, vocabulary, idioms, sentence ordering, cloze and comprehension.
- General Knowledge: current events, everyday science, history of India and geography, at the level an educated person is expected to know.
- Elementary Mathematics (matriculation level): arithmetic, number theory, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, mensuration and statistics.
The full list is on our CDS syllabus page.
A plan for the 24 weeks to April 2027
- Now to 22 December: fill in the portal steps now, and apply in the first week of December. Take a full CDS mock test to find your weakest paper.
- January and February: Mathematics daily (one topic a day, with 20 timed questions), English vocabulary and grammar rules daily, and GK in subject blocks: history, then geography, then science.
- March: one full mock a week, all three papers at the real two-hour sittings. After each, go through every wrong answer as in how to analyse a mock test.
- Early April: two more full mocks, current affairs of the past year, and rest before the exam day, which runs from morning to evening.
In English and GK, 120 questions in 120 minutes leaves a minute a question. Since the penalty is a third of a right answer, a guess between two options is worth it; our negative-marking article has the numbers.
Useful links
- Apply online: UPSC portal (upsconline.nic.in)
- CDS (II) 2026 notice with the scheme and syllabus (PDF)
- UPSC Annual Calendar 2027 (PDF)
- Free UPSC CDS mock tests
- UPSC CDS syllabus
- UPSC CDS exam dates
- UPSC NDA 2027: exam date and how to apply
Frequently asked questions
When is the CDS 1 2027 exam date?
UPSC's Annual Calendar 2027 puts CDS (I) 2027 on Sunday 11 April 2027, with applications from 2 to 22 December 2026 (checked 20 October 2026). CDS (II) 2027 is on 19 September 2027.
Is there negative marking in the CDS exam?
Yes. A wrong answer loses one-third of the marks of that question in every paper. An unanswered question costs nothing.
Do OTA candidates write the Maths paper?
No. OTA candidates sit only English and General Knowledge, for 200 written marks. IMA, INA and AFA candidates sit all three papers.
Can girls apply for CDS?
Yes, but only for the Officers' Training Academy (Short Service Commission, non-technical). The 2026 notice opened it to unmarried women and to issueless widows and divorcees who have not remarried.
Can final-year students apply for CDS?
Yes. Final-year students may apply and must produce proof of the degree by the date the notice sets.
What is the CDS pass mark?
The notice prints no fixed figure. UPSC may set qualifying marks in any paper each time, and the final selection also depends on the SSB.